In Maniac Magee, what was Jeffrey’s biggest change?

Maniac Magee, whose real name is Jeffrey, undergoes several changes during the course of the novel. Many of them are serious and life-altering. The deaths of his parents impacts him the most, setting him on the path of adventures that run through the book.
One very important change that he undergoes—as opposed to something that happens to him—is his decision to stay with the Beales. Briefly put, he stops running. Jeffrey has moved from one precarious situation to the next, apparently believing that he could find a home and a community that would be conflict-free. Jeffrey bravely tried to move between the different social worlds of black and white people but found it more difficult than he anticipated. Ultimately, however, he accepts the fundamental humanity of everyone and decides that he can make his home where people want him.