Readers see Maniac develop throughout the story. He continuously finds temporary home after home, the reader sees his desire to want to feel as though he is "home." Jeffrey's perspective on the racism in Two Mills also evolves from being mostly unaware to learning through his experiences in the town and trying to help both black and white people in the town come to learn about and understand one another. The other characters in the story provide a way to show Maniac's evolution in the story and provide meaningful experiences for him to learn from. Characters such as Mars Bar and Grayson, develop themselves through their interaction with Maniac, as he guides them to the belief that there is no reason to discriminate against the other racial group in the town. Spinelli's writing style matches the content of the story. His writing is youthful and creative, allowing readers to feel as though they are part of the happenings in the story. The book is narrated from a third person point of view, telling the story of the legendary Maniac, while also letting readers understand what the characters are thinking and feeling. The plot is intriguing and keeps the reader interested, yet isn't so complicated that children may get easily confused or distracted. The characters are interesting and the style has a fun tone and there is humor in the writing, so children are likely to enjoy reading this book.
The Newbery Honor book, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi, is an exciting story about a girl's experience aboard a ship. The plot is interesting throughout the book, unexpectedly twisting and turning, leaving the reader intrigued and wanting to find out more. The setting of this book is fascinating because as readers, we travel with Charlotte throughout her journey on the ship. The descriptive writing allows readers to imagine what the ship looks like and what it would feel like to be a young girl on a journey such as this.