Author: Katherine Applegate
Narrator: Kirby Heyborne
Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.
Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?
Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again.
Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?
What a great little book! I had seen this book around and thought it looked interesting. When it appeared on the Maud Hart Lovelace list, I knew it was time to read it. Well in this case - to listen to it. I'm very glad that I did. It's the story of a young boy whose family is facing being homeless again. To help him cope with this his imaginary friend reappears - Crenshaw. I loved Crenshaw. He made me laugh, he made me cry a little and he gave hope. He appears to help Jackson "tell the truth". As the reader and an adult, I pretty much knew the truth he needed to admit to, but watch Jackson learn this himself was so well done. I can see kids gain the understanding that Jackson gains. I can also see kids learning about being homeless and what that means. That is the true heart of this book - helping kids learn about homelessness. It's not the image they might have. People who are homeless might look just like students they sit next to in class. What a strong understanding to gain. This book handles the fact of being homeless in a perfect way for kids because it shows them how it doesn't happen all of a sudden. And it doesn't happen because you are a "bad" person. We talk so much about books needing to be mirrors and windows. This is strong as both. For the kids in my school it would be a window into a world they don't know a lot about. But it would be such a great mirror for kids in the same place as Jackson's family. Well done.
Thoughts on the audiobook: I really enjoyed the audiobooks. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing Crenshaw to life! That was the strongest part of the reading for me!
Final Thoughts: Loved it. So glad I finally read it.
Thoughts on the library: Yes! for the reasons I talked about above.
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