Crenshaw: A Fascinating Story Grabbed from the Headlines

Imaginary friends are popular among the younger set. I even admit to having had one myself--when I was confined to on the front porch by a gate taller than me. But, Crenshaw by Newbery winner Katherine Applegate is something else. Applegate takes the topic of homelessness and explores its effects on the kids of a working poor family. Crenshaw isn't just a tale torn from the headlines. It's a story of triumph on a small scale.

Jackson, named for his father's guitar, is a practical kid growing up in an artsy family of former muscians. His parents had put their music group aside to join the mainstream economy, but layoffs and MS [musclar dystrophy] knocked them out of the middle class once and is about to make them homeless again. Being working poor in the US isn't a comfortable lifestyle...unless you can develop a side gig that brings in more assets than low-wage jobs.

Jackson can see the signs and fumes that his parents aren't confiding in him. He wants the truth about their situation, not his parents sugar-coatings. Then, Crenshaw, a seven-foot invisable cat who was his imaginary friend the last time his family lived out of the family minivan, returns. It's touch and go whether Crenshaw will be a help or a hinderance. Creshaw's antics, such as surfing and taking bubble baths, supply the humor that leavens the book.

Crenshaw presents a child's perspective on homelessness with insights readers of all ages can appreciate. Suspensefully written, the book doesn't bore the reader, in spite of a long flashback. 

The first person POV seems particularly appropriate for telling Jackson's misery as he fears his family is going homeless again and his parents won't give him a straight answer. In fact, from the way they are characterized, I doubt if the parents are truthful with themselves. Appegate aptly depicts the problem of being practical in an artsy family by making the characters feel real. [Yeah, the opposite would also be a problem, but it's not the subject of this book.]

The book has lots of reviews, some interesting and some saying people liked the book. You can read a sample of some engrossing writing on 

Amazon      Nook

[Incidently, I can't remember the imaginary friend--just the gate and people telling me what I told them about Jerome. Seems like a surprising number of people listened to a three-year-old. Who knows why?]

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Other Interesting Reading

The Passive Voice guy is one of my favorite blogsters. This week's book had me feeling defensive--like why would a self-respecting adult read a kid's book. I'd have argued that the book told an interesting story. Then, my guru came to my rescue. You can read why he reads kid's lit. It all boils down to an interesting, fast moving story that doesn't bore you. Read his whys here. Anyway, I'm not going to apologize for reading a kid's book.

Another topic of interest to readers is bookstores, especially since there are all sorts of doomsday stories about their eminent demise. Kristine Kathryn Rusch begs to differ in her recent blog: Business Musings: Bookstores (2017 in Review) Since I hardly ever read fiction on a computer screen, I found the blog held my attention and good wishes.

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My Writing Rut

On the Run is off to the editor. Added about a thousand words to the book, but it's still shorter than There Be Demons. Wonder what excuse I'll find "not to write" next.

Thought I'd run an experiment. My free short stories about demons and mayhem are available on kobo. Click here to see. You'll have to scroll down and there won't be any reviews but it gives an alternative to Amazon.