Jackson wishes his imaginary feline friend, Crenshaw, would just go away. He wishes the gnawing pain in his stomach would go away. And he sure wishes that cloud of worry that keeps looming over his home would go away. Yet, there they all are: Crenshaw in the bathtub making bubble beards, a stomach churning with two purple jellybeans, and an eviction notice on the way. Jackson is certain that he and his family are headed for a mini-van camping excursion--again. And that's one fact Jackson would rather not deal with. It's no fun being homeless, even if your parents pretend it's just another family outing full of frolicking and mirth.
"When I think about that time, what I remember most of all is Crenshaw, riding on top of our minivan. I'd stare out the window at the world blurring past, and every so often I'd catch a glimpse of his tail, riding the wind like the end of a kite.
I'd feel hopeful then, for a while at least, that things would get better, that maybe, just maybe, anything was possible."
What I love about this book is the simple beauty of the text. It flows across the page like music. I could not stop turning pages until the reading was complete. I also love the images the story conjures up. It's fun to imagine a 7-foot, black and white feline doing handstands, somersaulting, and taking bubble baths. And while it may be fun to imagine such an imaginary friend of comfort who first appears using his tail as a windshield wiper, Jackson's reality of being homeless and hungry is no fun at all. Unfortunately, countless children right here in the United States face such worries of homelessness and hunger, and for them their only comfort may be getting a nutritious meal from a soup kitchen or a night's sleep in a warm homeless shelter on a cold night. But Jackson's parents are too proud for that.
When children read this book, I am sure they will find themselves as worried as I was for Jackson, his little sister Robin, their dog Aretha, and their hardworking though carefree "starving-artists" parents. Will they once again become homeless? Or will Crenshaw be real enough to help Jackson help his family out of their situation?
I would recommend this book as a read-to-self title for third-sixth graders, as the chapters are short, the language accessible, and the voice of the main character one younger middle-grades will relate to.
When children read this book, I am sure they will find themselves as worried as I was for Jackson, his little sister Robin, their dog Aretha, and their hardworking though carefree "starving-artists" parents. Will they once again become homeless? Or will Crenshaw be real enough to help Jackson help his family out of their situation?
I would recommend this book as a read-to-self title for third-sixth graders, as the chapters are short, the language accessible, and the voice of the main character one younger middle-grades will relate to.
Crenshaw is written by Katherine Applegate and published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, September 2015. To participate or organize your own Crenshaw Food Drive, click here.
