Saturday, July 2, 2016

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Applegate, K. (2015). Crenshaw. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends.
This book will hook you from the first moment when the bubble bath taking cat, Crenshaw, appears.  Jackson and his sister's world is crumbling around them so in comes the imaginary friend, Crenshaw, to help with all the emotional turmoil and craziness surrounding them. Jackson's father his a serious illness which leaves him unable to work and his mother gets laid off and soon they are living out of their car not know when their next shower will be or where their next meal will come from. Crenshaw is there to encourage and help Jackson stand up and ask his parents to stop treating him like a kid and let him in on the "adult-world" problems.  It doesn't end with everything being tied up in a sweet little bow but it does leave you hope for Jackson and his family.

Assignment #5 - Fantasy
The theme and plot for this low fantasy book stands out with Jackson’s invisible friend, Crenshaw, appearing when he needs him most.  Jackson’s world is crumbling around him with his father’s illness threating the family’s livelihood so much so that they have to live in their car until they can make ends meet.  Jackson just wants reassurance that everything will be okay and Crenshaw helps him ask his parents for that reassurance. We get the message from the theme of the book that “life is messy” but that with family support we can move forward.


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