Crenshaw

Applegate. K. (2015). Crenshaw. NY: Houghton Mifflin.

    Jackson is a smart kid and way too old for an imaginary friend. Unfortunately no one told his imaginary friend that and he keeps coming around, uninvited. Jackson's family is struggling financially and begin selling off their belongings in order to pay the bills.  In an effort to protect him, his parents aren't being straight with him and that is only perpetuating his fear of being homeless for a second time. Jackson could focus better on how to help his family if it weren't for the giant, imaginary cat, Crenshaw. Ultimately, it's Crenshaw's influence that gives Jackson the words to say in order to show his parents that he's not a little kid anymore, while offering the reader an intriguing glimpse into the world of imaginary friends.

Textbook Assignment #5 - Evaluation Criteria

Theme - Overall, there are two themes in Crenshaw, imaginary friends and homelessness. On the surface, it may seem these two subjects wouldn’t blend well, when in fact, Applegate does it seamlessly. Jackson is wise beyond his ten years and is not at all interested in hosting a giant, imaginary, talking cat named Crenshaw. What Jackson doesn’t realize is that it will be Crenshaw that helps him navigate the emotions and reality of his family potentially being homeless for a second time. Crenshaw, as Jackson’s subconscious, forces an honest conversation between Jackson and his parents which ultimately leads to a sense of peace and stability for the first time in many years.

Setting - The time period of Crenshaw is easy to distinguish as modern, with the mention of places like Target, Best Buy, and Starbucks. The idea of a child suffering because of his family’s financial situation however, is timeless.  The physical setting is significant to the main characters as they go from having a nice home to living in their car. Jackson struggles to make the situation manageable by using a box to create his own room in the backseat. Applegate paints a clear picture of the frustrations each family member felt during those fourteen weeks in the car. Once they are in their apartment, Jackson is grateful just to have walls and a bed. Gradually throughout the story, their physical surrounding changes as they begin to sell off their belongings in order to keep the apartment. By the end of the story, their physical address has changed once again but this time, it brings with it a sense of hope for an improved future.                     

Teaching Guide

http://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/teachers-guides/9781250043238TG.pdf

Classroom Bookshelf - Great blog with book reviews, multi-leveled lesson ideas, connections with other books, and resource links

http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/2015/10/crenshaw.html