Crenshaw

Por Katherine Applegate

Decir lo que sentimos puede cambiar el rumbo de nuestras vidas.
Jackson y su familia están atravesando un momento duro. No tienen dinero para pagar el alquiler. Tampoco abunda la comida. Tal vez, él, sus padres, su hermanita y su perra deban volver a vivir en la minivan. Otra vez.
Cuando las cosas parecen ponerse realmente mal, Jackson recibe una visita inesperada: Crenshaw, su amigo imaginario. Aun cuando él se resiste a creer en esas cosas, Crenshaw
parece estar dispuesto a ayudarlo.
¿A qué? A hacer eso que le es tan difícil: expresar lo que siente.
"En esta emotiva novela se muestra cómo la resiliencia creativa de la mente de un niño puede suavizar situaciones difíciles, mientras se exploran los límites entre la imaginación y la verdad".
–Publishers Weekly

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: VR Editoras
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 14 dic 2015
• ISBN: 9789877471403

Katherine Applegate

Katherine Applegate is the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young readers, including the One and Only series, the Endling series, Crenshaw, Wishtree, the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter books series, and the Animorphs series. She lives with her family in Nevada.

Vista previa del libro

(1944)

Una puerta es para abrir

–A Hole is To Dig: A First Book of First Definitions,

escrito por Ruth Krauss e ilustrado por Maurice Sendak

Capítulo 1

Noté varias cosas extrañas acerca del gato surfista...

La primera: Era un gato surfista.

La segunda: Tenía una camiseta que decía: los gatos mandan, los perros ladran.

La tercera: Llevaba un paraguas cerrado, como si temiera mojarse. Algo más bien absurdo teniendo en cuenta que estaba haciendo surf.

La cuarta: Nadie más en la playa parecía verlo, excepto yo.

El gato había tomado una buena ola y se deslizaba suavemente, pero al acercarse a la orilla, cometió el error de abrir el paraguas. Una ráfaga de viento lo levantó por el aire; no chocó con una gaviota por segundos.

Hasta la gaviota pareció no verlo.

El gato pasó volando como un globo peludo. Yo miré directamente hacia arriba, él miró directamente hacia abajo. Luego me saludó con la mano.

Era blanco y negro, estilo pingüino. Solo le faltaban la galera y el corbatín. Me pareció que se dirigía a un lugar elegante.

También me pareció extremadamente familiar.

Crenshaw, susurré.

Eché un vistazo a mi alrededor. Vi constructores de castillos de arena, lanzadores de Frisbees y cazadores de cangrejos. Pero no vi a nadie que observara al gato surfista que flotaba en el cielo aferrado a un paraguas.

Cerré los ojos con fuerza y conté hasta diez. Lentamente.

Diez segundos me pareció la cantidad de tiempo necesaria para recuperar la cordura.

Me sentí un poco mareado. Pero eso me ocurre a veces cuando tengo hambre, y no había comido desde el desayuno.

Cuando abrí los ojos, suspiré aliviado: el gato se había ido. El cielo se veía vacío e infinito.

Paf. A pocos centímetros de mis pies, el paraguas aterrizó en la arena como si fuera un dardo gigante.

Era de plástico rojo y amarillo con caritas de ratoncitos sonrientes. En el mango, escrito con crayón, decía: este quitasol pertenece a crenshaw.

Cerré los ojos otra vez y conté hasta diez. Al abrir los ojos, el paraguas –o el quitasol o lo que fuera– había desaparecido. Al igual que el gato.

Eran los últimos días de junio, el tiempo estaba cálido y agradable, pero sentí un escalofrío. Tuve la sensación que uno experimenta un segundo antes de arrojarse a la parte más honda de una piscina. Estamos yendo a otro lugar y todavía no estamos ahí, pero sabemos que ya no podemos volver atrás.

Capítulo 2

Esta es la cuestión: yo no soy el tipo de chico que tenga amigos imaginarios.

En serio. Este año paso a quinto curso. A mi edad, no es bueno tener reputación de loco.

Me gustan los hechos. Siempre fue así. Los datos reales. Como dos-más-dos-es-igual-a-cuatro. O que los-repollitos -de-Bruselas-saben-a-calcetines-de-gimnasia-sucios.

De acuerdo, tal vez esto último sea solamente una opinión. Y, de todas maneras, nunca comí un calcetín sucio, así que podría estar equivocado.

Los datos de la realidad son importantes para los científicos, que es lo que quiero ser cuando sea grande. Y los referidos a la naturaleza son mis preferidos, especialmente aquellos que hacen que la gente diga ¿en serio?

Como que una cucaracha sin cabeza puede sobrevivir dos semanas.

O que un guepardo puede correr a 112 km por hora.

O que, cuando un sapo con cuernos se enoja, arroja sangre por los ojos.

Quiero ser un científico de animales. No estoy seguro de qué clase. En este momento me encantan los murciélagos. También me gustan los guepardos, los gatos, los perros, las serpientes, las ratas y los manatíes. De modo que esas son mis opciones.

También me gustan los dinosaurios, aunque están todos muertos. Durante un tiempo, mi amiga Marisol y yo queríamos ser paleontólogos y buscar fósiles de dinosaurios. Ella solía guardar los restos de los huesos de pollo en el arenero de su casa para practicar excavación.

Este verano, Marisol y yo creamos un servicio de paseadores de perros. Se llama Beethoven. A veces, durante los paseos, intercambiamos datos curiosos sobre la naturaleza. Ayer me dijo que un murciélago puede comer 1.200 mosquitos en una hora.

Los datos son mucho mejor que las historias. Una historia no se puede ver. No puedes sostenerla en la mano ni medirla.

Tampoco puedes sostener un manatí, pero no importa. Cuando uno lo analiza en profundidad, ve que las historias son mentiras. Y a mí no me agrada que me mientan.

Nunca fui un fanático de lo fantástico. Cuando era pequeño, no me disfrazaba de Batman, ni le hablaba a los muñecos de peluche ni pensaba que había monstruos debajo de la cama.

Mis padres dicen que, cuando tenía dos o tres años, marchaba por todos lados diciendo que era el alcalde de la Tierra. Pero eso solo me duró un par de días.

Por supuesto que tuve mi etapa Crenshaw, pero muchos chicos tienen amigos imaginarios.

Una vez, mis padres me llevaron al centro comercial a ver al conejo de Pascua. Esperamos de pie sobre césped falso junto a un gigantesco huevo falso, que estaba dentro de una gigantesca cesta falsa. Cuando llegó mi turno de posar con el conejo, le eché una mirada a la pata y se la arranqué ahí mismo.

Adentro, había una mano de hombre. Tenía un anillo de oro y almohadillas de pelo más bien rubio.

¡Este hombre no es un conejo!, grité y una niñita comenzó a berrear.

El gerente del centro comercial nos dijo que debíamos marcharnos. No recibí la cesta con huevos de regalo ni la foto con el conejo falso.

Fue ahí que descubrí por primera vez que a la gente no siempre le agrada que le digan la verdad.

Capítulo 3

Después del incidente del conejo de Pascua, mis padres comenzaron a preocuparse.

Salvo por mis dos días como alcalde de la Tierra, no parecía dar muestras de tener mucha imaginación. Pensaron que quizá era demasiado adulto. Demasiado serio.

Mi papá se preguntó si no debería haberme leído más cuentos infantiles.

Mi mamá se preguntó si debería haberme dejado mirar tantos programas sobre la naturaleza donde los animales se comían los unos a los otros.

Le pidieron consejo a mi abuela. Querían saber si me estaba comportando de manera demasiado adulta para mi edad.

Ella les dijo que no se preocuparan.

Por más adulto que pareciera, les explicó, se me pasaría sin ninguna duda al llegar a la adolescencia.

Capítulo 4

Unas pocas horas después de avistar a Crenshaw en la playa, volvió a aparecer.

Esta vez, no hubo tabla de surf ni paraguas.

Tampoco hubo cuerpo.

Aun así, yo sabía que estaba ahí.

Eran alrededor de las seis de la tarde. Mi hermana Robin y yo estábamos jugando al cerealbol en la sala del apartamento. El cerealbol es un buen truco para cuando uno tiene hambre y no habrá casi nada de comer hasta la mañana siguiente. Lo inventamos cuando nuestros estómagos se quejaban mutuamente. Guau, me encantaría comer una porción de pizza de pepperoni, gruñía mi estómago. Y luego el de ella rugía: Sí, o una galleta Ritz con manteca de maní.

A Robin le encantan las Ritz.

Es fácil jugar al cerealbol. Solo se necesitan algunos cereales Cheerios o incluso un trocito de pan deshecho. Unos M&M también vienen bien, si tu mamá no anda por ahí para prohibirte el azúcar. Pero, a menos que sea justo después de Noche de Brujas, es probable que no quede ninguno.

En mi casa, esos tipos desaparecen con gran rapidez.

Primero se elige un blanco. Puede ser una taza o un bol. No utilicen un cesto de basura pues podría contener gérmenes. A veces, uso la gorra de béisbol de Robin, aunque es probable que eso también sea bastante repugnante.

Para tener cinco años, esa chica transpira demasiado.

Lo que tienen que hacer es

Comentarios para Crenshaw

[nursebob-254919 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

A little boy constantly living on the brink of homelessness and his giant cat familiar who may or may not be entirely imaginary. In the hands of some authors this could have been a sappy heart-tugger but Applegate treads that fine line between "precious" and "precocious" to give us a beautiful tale of growing up and growing wiser that doesn't talk down to its young audience. Very funny and often poignant, this is a one-siting read with something to say to readers of all ages.

[Jesùs Saromè · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Llore,llore,llore,llore,llore,llore y llore.
Es un libro que trato un tema para mí duro y para lo trato Wow. Siendo sincera sentí mucha angustia por la familia y mucho mas por Jackson, quería protegerlo y quería proteger a Robin.
Me alegra que el final haya terminado con un echo realista, un final feliz pero realista.
Me sentí identificada con las vivencias y pensamientos de los personajes. Nunca tuve un amigo imaginario pero me gustó leer sobre eso, para saber cómo una persona lo vive.
Descubrí mucho y aprendí muchos datos sobre murciélagos jajaja

[jennybeast · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

It's a really great book, but I found it unbearably sad. Jackson's family is caught in a cycle of homelessness, and Applegate taps into pure empathy at the horrifying helplessness of that state. I do think that Crenshaw, giant black and white imaginary friend cat, like Totoro, adds a joyful surrealness to the story, but for me it was all too realistic, and very low on hope.

[fingerpost_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Life is rough and unfair for Jackson and his family. They have been homeless before, living out of their van. Back then, A giant cat named Crenshaw joined Jackson as his imaginary friend. Then, when things got better, Crenshaw vanished. Now, a few years later, jobs and medical issues with Jackson's father have taken some bad turns, and it looks like they may be homeless again. And because he is needed, Crenshaw shows up again, but logical, scientific-minded Jackson isn't so welcoming this go around to inviting someone who can't possibly exist into his life.The book deals with serious issues, and does not paint a rosy picture. The only real positive for Jackson, is that no matter how bad things are, his parents, sister, and he all love each other. That is never brought into doubt. I didn't see that Crenshaw himself particularly did anything. He wasn't there much. Most of what he said seemed irrelevant. The more interesting parts of the book were the long stretches where the giant cat wasn't there and wasn't mentioned. The title character seemed almost superfluous. I would have preferred the book if had simply been the tale of a family struggling with homelessness, and how Jackson copes with it. Crenshaw felt more like a gimmick than a character.

[Sheila Torres · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Es un libro unico que te hace creer en magia otra vez, en que ser honesto es lo mejor y en que todo se puede cuando una familia esta junta.

[shahnareads · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This story made me sad.

[mayravasquez-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This book portrays the story of a boy who has a poor family relationship and is homeless. He has an imaginary friend, a cat, who is introduced halfway and shows the reader the reality of fantasy, reality, friendship, homelessness, and family relationships. This book could be recommended for a 3rd-6th grader as an independent level reading book.

[imtanner2 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Jackson is finishing 5th grade and ives with his very supportive family and has some very good friends. But he also has something of a secret. His family is teetering on the edge of homelessness and Jackson is pretty upset about it. His imaginary friend, Crenshaw has returned to help him out. I liked this one a lot because even though it has this big thing about homelessness, if you were reading this with kids, you could substitute just about any other big issue to talk about and it would work, because Crenshaw's big theme is "Tell the truth". I think this one is going to ring through loud and clear with lots of kids.

[strandbooks_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Penelope kept telling me about the book Crenshaw that her teacher was reading to the class. She said it was about an imaginary cat and a family experiencing homelessness. I decided to read it so we could talk about it.Phew! This is NOT The Boxcar Children (which Penelope thought was too boring by chapter 2). The story is told by a fifth grader Jackson who is worried that his family is going to be evicted from his apartment. His dad no longer works construction due to MS and his mom works multiple part time jobs. When he was in 1st grade they lived out of their van and his imaginary friend, Crenshaw, was there to help him out. Now Crenshaw is back as he goes through his new struggles.I know these stories are good to give perspective on life challenges, but after Wonder, Lemons, and Crenshaw I could handle a good ol' Ramona Quimby (also deemed too boring by Penelope).

[kmartin802_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

CRENSHAW is a heart-breaking but hopeful story told by fourth grader Jackson about his family and his imaginary cat. Jackson's family has hit some hard times. His dad has MS and his mom has lost her job as a music teacher. There isn't enough to eat and they are getting close to losing their home. When Jackson was in first grade the family lost their home and lived in their mini-van for fourteen weeks until they found their current apartment. While they were living in the van, Jackson met a black and white skateboarding cat that he named Crenshaw. Crenshaw kept him company and was his friend during that difficult time.Now, Crenshaw is back. Seeing Crenshaw is difficult for fact-loving Jackson. He's sure that he is too old for an imaginary friend. But Crenshaw helps him deal with the yard sale they have to sell all of their things but a few keepsakes. While times are hard for Jackson, his sister Robin and his parents, the one thing that isn't missing is the love that they all have for each other. I liked the hopeful ending of the story.

[librarian1204 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Crenshaw is an imaginary cat friend who only appears when he is needed. Jackson needs him, but is reluctant to admit to that fact. Last time Crenshaw showed up was when Jackson and his family were homeless, living in their van. Jackson's gut tells him that once again this is going to happen. Very well done elementary book, about the realities of life for families that are in crisis. Crenshaw is a smart and sassy adult sized cat, who challenges Jackson to "tell the truth to the person who matters most".There is hope in the ending, and I was glad for that, if only for the students reading it, who needed a happy ending. And yes, I am aware of those readers who know that for some homeless kids, there may not be a happy ending. An excellent classroom read aloud with potential for good discussion. Jackson's desire to be a scientist and the animal facts that are interwoven into the story would also be a jump start for more reading or a writing prompt.

[foggidawn · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Back when he was six, Jackson had an imaginary friend named Crenshaw, an enormous black and white cat. That was when his family was going through a rough time, living out of their minivan. Now, at the end of his fourth-grade year, it looks like those bad times may be returning as his family falls behind in the rent and holds a big yard sale in hopes of paying off some bills. Jackson is too old for an imaginary friend, and way too serious for one -- but nevertheless, Crenshaw is back. Can he help Jackson process the issues his family faces?First of all, the good: I really liked the family dynamics portrayed in this book. Jackson's family is loving but flawed, and that comes across well in the writing. On the other hand, for a book dealing with such weighty issues, this one felt slight to me, not as meaty and satisfying as it could have been. Part of the issue was, I think, that so much of the book is spent describing the past, when I wanted to see more of the present. All in all, a fairly good read if you are interested in this sort of book, but it doesn't pack the same emotional punch as Applegate's Newbery winner, The One and Only Ivan.

[eduscapes · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

CRENSHAW by Katherine Applegate tells the heart-breaking story of a boy on the brink of homelessness and his relationship with an imaginary cat.Jackson and his family have been homeless before, so when Jackson hears his parents arguing about money he fears the worst. When Jackson lived in his family’s minivan after he was in first grade, a giant imaginary cat named Crenshaw first appeared. Crenshaw’s back to help Jackson through this latest crisis even though Jackson thinks he’s too old for an imaginary friend.Written for the middle grades, Applegate’s authentic look at the working poor and the stress of living “on the edge” is presented in an age-appropriate manner. Readers will empathize with the characters and enjoy the comic relief of the imaginary cat who just wants to help.Librarians will find Applegate’s fans flocking to read her latest book. Readers will not be disappointed. The painfully honest story will help young readers better understand the realities of homelessness.Published by September 22, 2015 by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

[rvhatha · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Jackson's imaginary friend Crenshaw--a giant, surfboarding/skateboarding cat--has shown up again. In the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles. Jackson isn't happy to see him: at 11, he thinks he's way too old for an imaginary friend. Plus, the last time Crenshaw showed up was around the time Jackson and his family got evicted from their apartment and had to live out of their car for awhile, while his dad busked for money to buy food. It's not a pleasant association, and Jackson's worried that Crenshaw's reappearance means that things are about to go south again.This is a sensitive, gentle treatment of a family on the edge of poverty. Applegate is very careful to present all of the really bad stuff as having happened in the past, so that the young reader has some reassurance that the family will be OK this time, too. Recommended.

[knitwit2_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Fifth grade may be too old to have an imaginary friend but certainly too young to worry about homelessness. Jackson and his family are not strangers to hard times. When Jackson was in second grade they lived in their minivan for an entire summer. During that time Jackson met Creshaw a rather large, opinionated talking cat. Crenshaw became Jackson’s friend and confidant throughout this tumultuous time. Now the family is facing another serious set-back and Crenshaw is back to help Jackson deal with the truth about his situation. He must learn to tell the truth to others but mostly to himself.

[mal2012-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Almost a 5 star book

[donnamariemerritt · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Jackson and his family have been homeless before and are heading that way again. His father can no longer work full-time because of MS. His mother lost her job as a school music teacher when the budget was cut. I don't think we are aware of how many, many families are one paycheck away from disaster. Jackson likes facts, but the facts aren't helping now. And just like that, Crenshaw, his imaginary (or not-so-imaginary) cat friend comes back into his life to help him cope. Homelessness is an important topic and stories need to be shared in order to help children—and adults—not only develop empathy for this problem, but come together for a solution. Putting it on our school library shelf immediately; wish I had known about it in 2015 when it first came out. Katherine Applegate, you've written a beautifully touching story once again.

[reallifereading · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I expected this book to be about an imaginary friend, an imaginary cat. And there was a cat, a giant one named Crenshaw, who happens to be imaginary.It opens really cute with a boy spotting Crenshaw on a surfboard.But the reality of this boy’s life soon enters the story. Crenshaw made his first appearance when Jackson and his family had to live out of their minivan. His parents used to be musicians but his father has MS and his mother now works part-time jobs to get by.And now, a few years later, he’s back again, when things seem to be not going as well. Jackson, who’s heading into fifth grade, wishes his parents would realize that he’s old enough to understand their financial difficulties. Jackson is scared that they have to go back to living in their car again.And Crenshaw, with his cartwheels, splits, and penchant for bubble baths, both helps to distract him and understand their situation.We listened to this audiobook and I was surprised by how much my kids enjoyed it. I had to stop the audiobook here and there just to make sure the 5yo (and sometimes the 8yo) understood what was going on. We haven’t quite read a book like Crenshaw before, one which talked about hunger and poverty and eviction. I had to explain about eviction – and as I did I was thankful that this was something we’ve never had to worry about. Perhaps it was because of this audiobook that I started on my current nonfiction read, Evicted.

[davidnaiman · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Another great story by Katherine Applegate about family and friendship. While well-written throughout, this book took a while to build. But the last quarter of the story packed an emotional punch that was well worth the wait. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out. The anxiety that Jackson endures due to the many disruptions in his life caused by the financial hardships his family faces will no doubt resonate with readers young and old.

[ash13276 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This book was great! I really would highly recommend for students who need something interesting to read, this will catch their eyes. This book is not like all others which makes it unique. This book contains high vocabulary words that will help the students grow in their vocabulary. This book is a Texas bluebonnet 2016-2017 chapter book. I would not recommend for students 3rd grade or under. Great way to teach students to use their imagination as well.

[whisper1_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

This is an accomplished author and winner of the Newbery Medal for The One and Only Ivan. Crenshaw is an imaginary cat friend of Jackson. In leaner times when the impoverished family lived in their mini van, Crenshaw appeared to Jackson. Now that he is spotted surfing waves and taking bubble baths, Jackson fears the homeless situation is about to occur once again.When the family continually receives dunning notices for rent, Jackson is afraid, and then angry. Angry that once again life is out of his out of control as a result of parents who cannot provide for their children.There are many wonderful, loving passages wherein Jackson, though angry, is sincerely trying to grasp the situation and to acknowledge that his father is a proud man who does not want to accept help, and who, because of MS, cannot find steady employment. Crenshaw is there to help Jackson. His main contribution is to stay with Jackson and provide guidance regarding telling the truth to his parents regarding his feelings.Told from the perspective of Jackson, this story shines with beauty. It is a five star read!When all personal items, except clothes and mattresses, are sold at a neighborhood yard sale, Jackson mourns the loss of his bed, his light, his board games. In the end, he knows that friendship, where imaginary or real, is the one steady rope that he can hold grasp when the fibers of poverty are difficult and hard to navigate.On a personal level, I volunteered at a local homeless shelter for many years. I saw first hand what poverty does and the loss of identification. Too often, in ignorance people label homeless as a condition brought on by laziness or addiction. In reality, the largest growing number of homeless people are young children. Unable to attend schools on a regular basis, wearing hand me down clothes, hungry and plagued by illness because of lack of health care, all too often, they are unfairly, unnecessarily, held accountable for their parent's actions. For more regarding the subject of children and homelessness, I highly recommend Jonathan Kozol's, Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America

[ellsbethb · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

This is a good story that is a quick read. It thoughtfully addresses some issues that are tough for young children.

[benuathanasia · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I almost cried. I held back. But I almost cried. This book reminds me greatly of my own childhood and I feel many children can relate. I've started "selling" this book at work - up-talking it as an appropriate read-aloud since so many of my students come from homes where money and lack of food is a constant stress.

[kmann63 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

It's actually a pretty sad book about a boy named Jackson and his family who can never seem to make ends meet. His dad has MS and can no longer work and his mother is a music teacher that got laid off and hadn't been able to find another teaching job since. So, she works three jobs. Waitressing, working at the drug store, whatever she can find... Although times are tough for his family, Jackson's parents act as if nothing is wrong even as they are evicted and end up living in their van for periods of time. Jackson deals with his feelings by talking with his imaginary friend, Crenshaw. He's a seven foot tall talking cat! There's some silly moments and sort of a happy ending. Crenshaw shares many words of wisdom and moments of reflection for Jackson. It wasn't the type of fantasy book that I thought it would be, but it was still a good read. It teaches compassion and understanding for others, and that's always a good message in my opinion.

[misshiss_1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Awesome book about homelessness and the way one child copes with it.

[salsabrarian · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Narrated by Kirby Heybourne. A boy's imaginary friend, a large cat, reappears when the boy is older and coping with the knowledge of his parents' financial problems and their looming homelessness. Heybourne reads with a tone of gentle compassion that suits how the boy is trying to deal with the stress.

[lissabeth21 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Jam-packed with real life, Crenshaw delivered! It's very difficult to engage kids in conversation about those less fortunate, the concept is sometimes just too foreign. This book does a beautiful job of bringing hard times and homelessness to life in an approachable and appropriate manner; making for really meaningful conversations.

[rretzler_2 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Crenshaw is another middle-grade book that was suggested for my son's Newbery Club. Katherine Applegate is the author of The One and Only Ivan which won the Newbery a few years ago (during my older son's involvement in the Newbery Club).Jackson is an elementary school boy whose family consists of his mother, his father, his younger sister, Robin and his imaginary friend, Crenshaw. Crenshaw is a large, people-sized black and white cat, who first appeared to Jackson when his family had to live in their van for a period. He disappeared the day that Jackson met his best friend, Marisol, who lived in the new apartment complex that Jackson's family moved into, but has now come back. Jackson's father has MS, and it is hard for him to hold down a job. His mother was fired from her job and is having problems finding another, so both parents have part-time jobs to try to support the family. To Jackson, it seems that his family may again be losing their home.This book had some pretty serious issues for a middle-grade book. Jackson's mother and father seem to be optimists and have not shared their financial worries with their children, but Jackson is smart enough to see the handwriting on the wall, and he wishes that his parents would tell him the truth. As one of his teachers says, he is "an old soul." It really made me think as a parent about the choices that we all make regarding our family situation and how we want to protect our children -- and whether this is the right thing to do. I'm not sure that a child reading the book would necessarily get that from the book, so I think that it is likely the author meant this book to be shared with parents as well.It was a good book, but perhaps not a great book, that dealt with a heavy issue in a thought-provoking and warm way. It was an easy read for my son, and I think we both got different things from it.

[jrlibrary · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

I'm so disappointed by this book - I thought it was going to be wonderful, and I just didn't enjoy it much at all. Jackson had an imaginary friend, a cat who walked on his hind legs and talked... the cat disappeared once the hard times disappeared and he got himself a real human friend, then the cat reappears when times get tough again and he is going to lose his human friend, Marisol. Obviously I must have missed something because I read that other people were raving about the book, but I'm just not a fan... I did love the writing of Applegate and some of the lines, but felt like the book spent too much time in the past, when really I wanted to read more of what was happening to Jackson and his family now. If they're struggling to make ends meet, was the bubble bath imaginary too? I just didn't understand the actions of Crenshaw. Maybe I was trying too hard.

[msf59 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

“Imaginary friends are like books. We're created, we're enjoyed, we're dog-eared and creased, and then we're tucked away until we're needed again.”Jackson is ten years old. His family is, struggling to make ends meet and may soon be homeless.They may have to live in their minivan, once again, until they can get on their feet.Crenshaw, is an enormous black & white cat, who is out-spoken and loves bubble-baths. He is also Jackson's imaginary friend. He first arrived, when Jackson was six and has now returned, to give the boy comfort, in this difficult time.What a pleasant surprise this book turned out to be. Well-written, emotional, without being overly sentimental.It deals with very tough issues, that still face many families in America but never sounds preachy or heavy-handed.I have not read Applegate before but she has sure caught my attention.