Book Summary

The novel "Crenshaw" is a unique story by American author Katherine Applegate, which quickly finds its place in the heart of the reader with its imaginative yet distinctive narrative, leaving no substitute for it. The story revolves around the life of a boy named Jackson, whose father has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and has also lost his job. His younger sister and mother, alongside him and his father, are compelled to endure the bitter circumstances that have befallen them. The situation does not end there; the lack of financial income continues to the point where it becomes extremely difficult to comprehend. They can barely manage to have something to eat, and they struggle to pay their rent.

Jackson and his sister must gradually prepare themselves to live in a minivan. The reason for the parents' efforts, filled with humor and jest, is that they want to prevent their children's situation from becoming any more difficult and to keep them as far away as possible from the subsequent consequences of their problems. However, Jackson, who possesses a high level of understanding for his age, becomes very upset with his parents for hiding the truth from him and his sister, leading him to decide to run away from home and family.

Before taking this step, he writes a letter, but contrary to his previous plans, it is found by his parents before he leaves the house. After reading it, they try to calm Jackson down and promise him that they will no longer hide the truth from him. The smart and perceptive boy agrees because his elders promise him that whatever happens from now on, they will share the reality with him. They even tell him that life gains meaning through its ups and downs, and one should never lose hope amid these highs and lows. Katherine Applegate, with the theme of the story and the concepts she intends to convey, skillfully guides the reader through her smooth writing style after the initial stages of the story, helping them understand how one can turn hardships into opportunities through the imagination of the main character and the hope present in his parents' minds, making conditions more bearable.

In other words, the author cleverly portrays the interplay between imagination and reality, deeming both essential and useful for solving life's problems and challenges. One of the honors this work received was its selection by Goodreads in 2015, which drew more attention towards it.

About the Author

Katherine Applegate is an American author born in 1956. In addition to "Crenshaw," her book "The One and Only Ivan" has also been a bestseller and won the Newbery Medal in 2013. She is primarily known for her works in children's and young adult literature, including titles like " Home of the brave" and "Odder." An interesting and endearing aspect of this author's personal life is her collaboration with her husband in writing her books. To date, over 35 million copies of her works have been published and sold worldwide.

Who Should Read the Book?

First of all, this book is very suitable for young children and teenagers. However, since its thoughtful author beautifully depicts family relationships and emotions, this novel will also be very enjoyable and readable for adults.

The 188-page book "Purple Gummies" is divided into 52 short sections as determined by the author. The story is narrated in the first person, a technique employed in this novel, presenting both the overall narrative and very short stories before the reader within the sections. The dialogues that Jackson has with both his family members and himself in his mind add a beautiful dimension to how the events are narrated.

Book Quotes

My sister's favorite book is "The House on East Eighty-Eighth Street." It’s about a lizard named Lyle who lives with his family. Lyle loves to lounge in the bathtub and play with his rubber duck.

Robin didn't know the meaning of the word "souvenir." Mom said" A souvenir is something that is valuable to you," then added, "As long as we have each other, souvenirs are things that don’t really matter."

We were supposed to sell a lot of our belongings in the yard on Sunday, except for important things like shoes, mattresses, and a few plates. Mom and Dad hoped they could make enough money from selling them to pay the rent and the water bill.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and strained as if I were hugging a lion; she weighed a ton. Krenesha had dug her claws into the blanket that my Aunt Trudy had woven for me when I was a child. I became frustrated and let go.

It’s good that I don’t know everything because it makes things more interesting.

My mom once told me that financial problems gradually catch up with a person. She said, "It’s like catching a cold. At first, your throat just itches, then you get a headache, maybe you cough. We might not become homeless overnight, but the situation felt that way to me."

When I opened my eyes, I took a deep breath and saw that there was no sign of the cat anymore, and the sky was blue and endless. A few meters away, an umbrella like a very large spear had fallen into the sand; the umbrella was red and yellow plastic, and there were pictures of little mice on it. Written on the handle with colored pencils was: This beach umbrella belongs to Krenesha.

I learned a few important things about the surfing cat. The first thing is that he is a surfing cat. The second thing is that his T-shirt said: Cats rule, dogs drool. The third thing is that he had a closed umbrella in his hand as if he were worried about getting wet, which, when you think about it more, doesn’t really fit with surfing. The fourth thing is that it seemed like no one else saw him on the beach. He had caught a proper wave and was riding it smoothly.

His hand showed a straight line pointing upwards: But in reality, life is like this, then he drew a zigzag line with his hand that went up and down like a mountain. That’s why you have to work hard and not lose hope.

I want to become a zoologist; I'm not sure what kind of animal I want to study. Right now, I really like bats, but I also love cheetahs, cats, dogs, snakes, mice, and rhinos. Maybe later I can choose one of them.

Mom said, "We should sell the television. I know it’s really old, but it’s better than nothing." My dad shook his head: "Do you want us to sell our clothes too and stick leaves to ourselves instead?"

I never liked fake things. When I was a kid, I never wore clothes with cartoon characters or animal patterns; I was never worried about monsters under my bed.

My mom and dad say that in kindergarten, I used to walk around the class telling everyone that I was the mayor of Earth, but I only did that for a few days.

I realized that Dad and Mom have a plan to improve our situation; they always had plans, but every time I asked about their plans, they would talk about planting money trees in the backyard and things like that. Maybe they wanted to start their band again and win a Grammy.