Review: "Crenshaw," by Katherine Applegate

What can you do when your family has fallen on hard times and is forced to live in your minivan? If you're six or seven, you might create an imaginary friend to deal with the stress. That's exactly what Jackson did. Despite being very scientific and constantly searching out the facts in every situation, Jackson has an imaginary friend named Crenshaw. He's a huge cat that loves to stand on his head, take bubble baths, and eat purple jelly beans. He's also the reason that Jackson survived all those weeks in the minivan with his mom, dad, dog, and baby sister. A few years later, his family has fallen on hard times again and suddenly Crenshaw is back in Jackson's life. He thinks he's losing his mind to have an imaginary friend at age ten, but without Crenshaw, he fears he'll lose it completely. He's doing everything he can to hold it together for his sister's sake, but he's very angry at his family for putting him through this again. What a sweet story with such tenderness from all angles!

Mrs. Denney's Rating: ***

#review #friendship #family #realisticfiction