Crenshaw - Katherine Applegate
In her first novel since winning the Newbery Medal, Katherine Applegate delivers an unforgettable and magical story about family, friendship, and resilience. 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? This is a very solid book. I very much appreciate the direction the book too, and I enjoyed the characterization of the protagonist, Jackson. Considering the title of the book, however, I was expecting more on the Crenshaw front. I still enjoyed the novel, and felt that Applegate did a very good job of confronting issues around homelessness, the working class, and the magic of imaginary friends (and real friends, for...