This was a good but tough book for me to read. After skimming the description and only noticing the parts about a young boy and his imaginary friend, a huge cat named Crenshaw, I was expecting something cheerful and funny. However, I got something heartbreaking. Still, it was definitely worth reading about Jackson, Crenshaw, and Jackson's family's woes and interesting quirks.

"From School Library Journal
Gr 4–6—In her first novel since the Newbery-winning The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins, 2012), Applegate tells the story of a 10-year-old boy whose imaginary friend helps him cope with a family crisis. Jackson, his parents, and his five-year-old sister once again are staring down the barrel of an impending eviction notice. What frustrates Jackson isn't just the lack of money: it's his artistically minded parents' tendency to gloss over their woes with humor and cheer rather than acknowledging the reality of their situation. It's understandably a shock to Jackson when an old friend reappears: Crenshaw, a seven-foot-tall talking cat, who first came into his life several years ago when the boy and his family were living out of their car shortly after his father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Skeptical Jackson tries to dismiss Crenshaw as a figment of his imagination, but the cat's words of wisdom start to resonate with him. Employing sparse but elegant prose, Applegate has crafted an authentic protagonist whose self-possession and maturity conceal relatable vulnerability and fears. While sardonic Crenshaw may not be the warm and cuddly imaginary friend readers are expecting, he's the companion that Jackson truly needs as he begins to realize that he doesn't need to carry the weight of the world upon his shoulders. Though the ending wraps up a shade too neatly, overall, children will appreciate this heartbreaking novel. VERDICT A compelling and unflinchingly honest treatment of a difficult topic.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal"

People who are interested in imaginary friends, family drama, maintaining a positive attitude during trying circumstances, communication, and/or cats and dogs (the family dog got almost as much time as Crenshaw the imaginary cat).

Jackson, Marisol, Crenshaw.. the characters. The funny things Crenshaw and the dog did. How sweet Jackson was to his sister most of the time.

Jackson's stealing, the utter sadness in parts of the story... and the back and forth in time. I personally think it would have worked better if it just started with Crenshaw's first appearance and worked forward.

Help some homeless kids.

Sad... so sad. I cried a lot. I laughed a few times though. It wasn't all sad.

From Amazon: "Biography
New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal and soon to be a Disney movie.

Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books), and THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books). She also wrote ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book early chapter series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins.)

Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends), THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, illustrated by Patricia Castaleo (HarperCollins), and CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends.) Her newest novel, WISHTREE, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends), was an ALA Notable, New York Times, Boston Globe, NPR, Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Chicago Public Library, and Booklist Best Book of 2017.

With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)

In 2018, Katherine will publish two new books, a picture book called SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion), and the first book in a middle-grade fantasy trilogy, ENDLING (HarperCollins.)

Katherine’s books have been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, and the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, as well as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists, and numerous Best of the Year lists.

Katherine lives in Marin County, California, with her family and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties, Inc."

If you don't mind getting really sad, it's a great book talking about hard subjects and the characters are lovable.

I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library.
CHRISTMAS cub-BELLS R RINGING! inspired me to read it with her reading challenge. Thank you. I wouldn't likely have ever heard about it without your contest, Cubby.

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Created Jul 14, 2021 at 6:30pm • Submit your own review...