Maniac Magee/ Chapters 17-18

The Beales take Maniac to a Fourth of July block party where Jeffery muses on how the people of East End call themselves black even though there are so many different colors of people represented. "Hands Down" invites him to play football with the other kids and everyone seems to accept him, asking him curiously, "You that Maniac?" (53).

Unfortunately, others in the East End neighborhood do not feel the same. At first Maniac is blind to the subtle dislike offered by some, but eventually the dislike becomes more overt and unknown members of the East End community begin taking it out on the Beale family as well. One morning, Maniac wakens to find other people have written "FISHBELLY GO HOME" on the side of the house.