Maniac Magee: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Maniac fits into the Beales’ home right away. He plays with Hester and Lester and reads to them. He walks Bow Wow and even helps with the dishes and other chores without being asked. Mrs. Beale is astonished by the neatness of Maniac’s bedroom. In fact, it looks like he doesn’t sleep in the bed. One night, she discovers that he sleeps on the floor. He can’t stand feeling too comfortable.

With Maniac there, other interesting things begin to occur around the Beale house. For example, Hester and Lester stop coloring on everything—they have Maniac to distract them. Amanda no longer feels the need to lug her books around in a suitcase. Everyone’s fingertips heal, because Maniac takes over the job of untying the little ones’ shoelace knots.

One day, Mrs. Beale finds Maniac covered with raised red blotches. She takes him to the doctor, and he’s diagnosed with a pizza allergy. At first, they think that’s impossible, since such a thing would have been discovered before now. But when the doctor asks Maniac, “You have eaten pizza before, haven’t you?” Maniac’s expression tells them the truth.