{"id":29026,"date":"2016-01-11T00:03:09","date_gmt":"2016-01-11T04:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=29026"},"modified":"2016-01-11T00:07:30","modified_gmt":"2016-01-11T04:07:30","slug":"review-of-crenshaw-by-katherine-applegate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=29026","title":{"rendered":"Review of Crenshaw, by Katherine Applegate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"crenshaw_large\"<\/a>Crenshaw<\/em><\/p>\n

by Katherine Applegate<\/p>\n

Feiwel and Friends, New York, 2015. 245 pages.
\nStarred Review
\n2015 Sonderbooks Stand-out<\/a>: #6 Children’s Fiction<\/p>\n

A kid starting fifth grade is not supposed to have an imaginary friend. When Jackson\u2019s years-ago imaginary friend Crenshaw the giant cat shows up riding a surfboard and carrying an umbrella, Jackson\u2019s afraid he\u2019s going crazy.<\/p>\n

Crenshaw first appeared in his life right after first grade when his family was homeless and lived in their minivan for fourteen weeks.<\/p>\n

When they finally put together enough money, my parents moved us to Swanlake Village. It was about forty miles from our old house, which meant I had to start at a new school. I didn\u2019t care at all. At least I was going back to school. A place where facts mattered and things made sense.<\/p>\n

Instead of a house, we moved into a small, tired-looking apartment. It seemed like a palace to us. A place where you could be warm and dry and safe.<\/p>\n

I started school late, but eventually I made new friends. I never told them about the time we were homeless. Not even Marisol. I just couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

If I never talked about it, I felt like it couldn\u2019t ever happen again.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But now Jackson\u2019s parents are selling almost everything they own in a garage sale. They\u2019re talking quietly together about paying the rent. They try to joke about it and say everything will be okay. His little sister is scared, too. Then Crenshaw shows up, just like he did before, only bigger. He says he won\u2019t leave until Jackson doesn\u2019t need him.<\/p>\n

But what kind of fifth grader needs an imaginary friend?
\nAnd does this mean they\u2019re going to be homeless again?<\/p>\n

This book by Newbery-winning author Katherine Applegate packs a punch. It shows the human side of homelessness. The family were told about shelters, but none of the homeless shelters in their town would allow husbands and wives to stay together. <\/p>\n

Sometimes I just wanted to be treated like a grown-up. I wanted to hear the truth, even if it wasn\u2019t a happy truth. I understood things. I knew way more than they thought I did.<\/p>\n

But my parents were optimists. They looked at half a glass of water and figured it was half full, not half empty.<\/p>\n

Not me. Scientists can\u2019t afford to be optimists or pessimists. They just observe the world and see what it is. They look at a glass of water and measure 3.75 ounces or whatever, and that\u2019s the end of the discussion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is a children\u2019s book. It does have a relatively happy ending, without being too simplistic. Jackson does learn something from Crenshaw about being a friend, imaginary or not. I would have liked a little more, a little longer book \u2013 but I think this is all the better for child readers. Here\u2019s a relatable character in a recognizable situation \u2013 but one we don\u2019t usually talk about. <\/p>\n

And on top of his family\u2019s poverty, Jackson is dealing with a giant, flamboyant, imaginary cat.<\/p>\n

mackids.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/crenshaw.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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