Crenshaw
by Katherine Applegate
by Katherine Applegate
Applegate, Katherine. (2015). Crenshaw. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends.
Jackson is a soon to be fifth grader who lives in a small apartment with his parents, his little sister and their dog. Because of his father’s diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis and his mother being laid off from her job as a music teacher, the family is struggling financially and on the verge of being homeless, again. Even with multiple part time jobs, they continue having trouble paying the rent and putting food on the table, and have resorted to selling almost all of their possessions. When Jackson’s old imaginary friend Crenshaw the cat reappears in his life, he worries that he might just be going crazy. We see his internal struggle with expressing his true feelings about their living situation as well as Crenshaw. The theme of honesty is prevalent throughout this story. Many times Jackson expresses his wish that his parents would just be honest with him. He also grapples with his own ability to be honest with his parents, his little sister and his best friend while Crenshaw encourages Jackson to “tell the truth to the person who matters most.” This 2016 Bluebonnet Award nominee is recommended for grades 3-6.
Crenshaw Book Trailer
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