Book Reflection - Crenshaw

Life can be really hard. Not all childhoods are stable. Maybe none. Sometimes we need an extra friend, even when we don’t think we do.

Link to the author’s website: Katherine Applegate

• Sometimes we can create what is missing from our lives, and hold onto that as long as needed.
• Ingenuity and imagination can provide pseudo-solutions to problems we are powerless to fix.
• Some people love “believing” in the magical things. Others fear being lied to and only want the truth, even if it is cold or brutal.
• It can be quite annoying to be around extremely optimistic people when things are bad. Sometimes those people can help us not feel like it is so bad. Other times they can make it feel worse.
• Everything in life is better with a dog.
• We can be a better version of ourselves for those we love that need us, such as a younger sibling.
• Not having much is hard. Losing the things you already have is even harder.
• Kids are resilient, but it is still awful for them to have to endure things like hunger, uncertainty in home stability, or homelessness.
• Not saying much, but having confidence in what you do say can make you seem oddly wise. Even if you have a punny shirt or a bubble bath beard.
• Many people fall on hard times due to reasons totally outside of their control, such as family situations or health.
• It is a wonderful thing to find ways of helping those that need it in a way that allows them to keep their pride.
• We should set our pride aside if it prevents us from taking care of ourselves or those that depend on us.
• Having one good friend that you can tell anything to, especially the things that make you feel crazy or broken, is a strong magic.
• Those that seem always calm, helpful, and patient are often carrying a much heavier burden than you realize. And sometimes their anger breaks through.
• Really good kids (even adult ones) sometimes act out in wild, unexpected ways – even to themselves – when trying to cope with extreme situations, such as breaking things. Or shoplifting.
• The guilt will weigh heavy on those kids for those acts. Finding a way to help them clean the slate of their consciousness is a good (if not “the”) path forward.
• Things that “aren’t fit” for some (like burned pancakes) can make a big difference to those that have nothing.
• Small acts of kindness can have a big impact and mean a great deal to those suffering.
• A favorite food, like purple jelly beans, can be magical.
• When parents fight…kids hear it.

Themes

• Imaginary friends
• Family / siblings
• Financial struggles
• Coping mechanisms
• Homelessness
• Parents with illness
• Sticking together through trouble times
• Desire for stability
• Importance of home
• Growing up too fast
• Busking / begging

Characters

• Jackson (Jacks) - boy, going into 5th grade, loves facts, wants to be an animal scientist; sensitive to not being told the truth; tries to be helpful and strong for family; doesn’t want to have an imaginary friend
• Crenshaw - Jackson’s imaginary friend; large cat; has fingers; wears fun shirts, hats, etc.; often silly but feels wise; there when Jackson needs him, even if unwanted
• Robin - Jackson’s little sister; 5 years old; loves books and playing dress-up with Aretha; looks up to her big brother;
• Aretha - the family’s dog; labrador; very friendly; can see what others can’t
• Tom, the dad - was a musician; has multiple sclerosis; has lots of pride
• Sara, the mom - also a musician; works multiple jobs to try and support the family; wants the best for her family
• Marisol - Jackson’s best friend; girl; also wants to be a scientist; good friend with good advice

Other Notables

• Swanlake village: Where they had their apartment
• See Spot Walk: dog walking service of Jackson and Marisol
• Cerealball: game where have to throw food in hat/bowl before eating; control length of game by distance to target; goal: take so long to hit the target you forget about being hungry; way to make food last longer
• Jackson and Robin are brands of guitars

Quotes/Passages

You can’t be picky when the cupboard is bare.

Honestly, another middle name might have been better. A brand-new one. One that wasn’t already used up.

…Crenshaw. It felt like a blank piece of paper before you draw on it. It was an anything-is-possible kind of name.

When I try to remember my whole entire life, it feels like a Lego project where you’re missing some of the important pieces…You do the best you can to put things together, but you know it’s not quite like the picture on the box.

Looking at my family, all there together, I felt like a relative from out of town. Like I belonged to them, but not as much as they belonged to each other. Partly that was because they look so much alike, blond and gray-eyed and cheerful. My hair and eyes are darker, and sometimes so is my mood.

What bothered me most, though, was that I couldn’t fix anything. I couldn’t control anything. It was like driving a bumper car without a steering wheel. I kept getting slammed, and I just had to sit there and hold on tight.

…things don’t really matter, as long as we have each other.

Imaginary friends don’t come of their own volition. We are invited. We stay as long as we’re needed. And then, and only then, do we leave.

Crenshaw and I didn’t chat much during those weeks on the road. There was always someone around to interrupt us. But that was okay. I knew he was there and that was enough. Sometimes that’s all you really need from a friend.

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.

I felt like I’d taken off an itchy sweater on a cold day: relieved to be rid of it, but surprised by how chilly the air turned out to be.

…just enjoy the magic while you can…

Not a review?

Although I enjoy reading a book review now and then, I’m not a fan of rating books.

Why? Well…

• There are books that I dearly love that I just couldn’t “get into” the first time I tried to read them.
• I have found that the same book can become a variety of different stories with different messages upon subsequent rereads.
• Some books don’t feel impactful at the moment you finish that last page, but have a way of growing in your mind in the following days, weeks, months.
• Just because I don’t like a song, doesn’t mean it ain’t good music.

So I don’t feel qualified to cast any sort of judgement on a book or prophesize how it will impact others.

But I do want to capture what struck me when I read the book so that I can help recall it later. This Swiss cheese memory of mine if full of threads of stories I loved, but can’t quite connect to the ideas I had when I read it. These are also the types of things I want to talk about with someone else who read it…the sometimes hidden (or perhaps completely imagined in my mind) layers of a story that tie to real life.

I am also tinkering with a way to capture notes about the characters, world, setting, etc. for future (self) reference since those tend to be the rich tidbits that I forget all too quickly. I try to keep them spoiler free, but useful for future reference.

My whimsical, nerdy heart hopes that others might find this useful as well!

Bunches of love,
Mimi Whimsy

But have you read THIS book?

Do you have a great book recommendation that you would love to see a “reflection” of? Let me know!