Crash

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Summary: Crash by:Jerry Spinelli
Review: This book will knock you out of your seat. John Coogan gets his nickname Crash for tackling one of his relatives!Crash has a sister,she wants to start a zoo in the backyard.Crash has a grandfather named Scooter.He says that she should go ahead with the zoo.Scooter also makes animals into stew, one is octopuss stew. Crash also has a new kid on the block named Penn Webb and hes a cheerleader. Oh yeah theres a girl in Crashes life. You'll have to read on to find out who! By:Ryan

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Summary: CRASH! GREAT book
Review: This book is about a sensational football player named Crash Coogan. Well actually that's his nickname, and is what most people call him, but his real name is John. He got his nickname when he was very little, about three or so, but I don't want to give that part of the story away! So anyway back to the story. About seven years ago a kid named Penn Webb moved next door to Crash, and that is where the whole story begins! Crash thinks that Penn is bad news and ... Mars, but this kid won't give up! They go to the same school and live on the same block, but some how they just can't get along! Crash has known him since the very start of elementary school, when Crash thought of himself as the tuffest guy around. Now he is in 7th grade and so is his best bud Mike. Mike and Crash have been friends almost... Since forever! Penn was just too nice for Crash, and they were so different. So Crash and Mike torment him. Will Crash judge this nice boy or will he realize what he is doing?
Jerry Spinelli has also written Stargirl, Wringer, and Maniac Magee.
This book is very funny and good for readers about nine and up. I think it is good for readers nine and up because it might be hard for someone a bit younger to understand why Crash doesn't like Penn. Or because Crash is in 7th grade and they might not always understand how he feels about his social life. I think that Jerry Spinelli did a great job on this book because it has just the right amount of laughs as thoughts, and makes you think and wonder. One thing I do not like about this book is I don't always like the ends of the chapters. Sometimes it makes you wonder but also some times it just stops ... And then the next chapter begins.
The book has a very good moral and it is " You can NOT judge someone who you don't already know". I think that moral says a lot because it is very true and is a very good thought!

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Summary: Should be a must read in the classroom
Review: I am twenty three years old and I have been reading books by Jerry Spinelli for two years. I have also been following the Harry Potter series. My interest in these books is less for the stories (though both authors write stories brilliantly) and more for their subject matter and the efficacy with which they address them. While each Harry Potter book addresses something different through the same characters, Jerry Spinelli writes books that are all different, using different characters with different personalities, though always addressing the same subject.

I'm not sure if he was picked-on, or if he did the picking when he was a kid (he flops back of forth between points of view and writes comfortably in both). One way or another, the way kids categorize and hurt each other clearly has had an impact on him. He understands what it is like to be in the shoes of a kid whose been pushed aside and buried, but also, what it's like to be the kid who does the pushing aside and burying. Though, if I'm required to make one criticism, it would be that the characters in his books who play the part of the "victim" do tend to be a touch on the unbelievable side. In "Stargirl", for example, I found that "Stargirl" was just a bit too different. "Maniac Magee" is a touch unbelievable too, though less so then "Stargirl" (both these books are, however, fantastic and I address this only as a small flaw in comparison to their overall quality)

In "Crash", however, the characterization for all involved is dead on. Perhaps it's because this book was from the point of view of the "bully". In "Crash" Spinelli has taken us along with a bully for one year while he transforms from someone who is out to "crash" over everything and everyone in sight right through to the end at which point he has managed to believably and irrevocably transform. By addressing the issue in this manner, we get to see all the reasons why bullying happens from the bully's side, and also, precisely how harmful bullying is to the person who is the brunt. Also - "Crash" manages to explore the part of the victim rarely seen in stories like these. The fight they sometimes put up and, though it largely goes unnoticed, the tremendous amount that they manage to succeed in spite of the road blocks set up for them.

I was the "victim" when I was a kid and for the first time in years, after reading this book, I felt that I finally understood why I went through the things that I did.

"Bullying" in the classroom is a huge problem that is largely considered an untreatable condition amongst children, but I have always believed (and apparently Spinelli does too) that this is untrue. After the shootings that have taken place in the United States apparently due to this phenomenon, parents and teachers have hopefully come to take the issue of bullying more seriously. But what are they supposed to do about it?

I think making at least one of Spinelli's books (I would recommend this one) required reading in the classroom would be an excellent place to start.

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Summary: Crash
Review: Crash
By: Jerry Spinelli
Reviewed by: C.Nettles
Period: 2

The book crash is about a young man by the name of Crash. His real name is John Patrick Coogan. He loves to play football and he is good at it. Crash is his nickname and he is very well spoken and he thinks he is cool. Crash thinks that he is popular. A kid named Penn Webb moves to Pennsylvania during first grade from North Dakota. Penn is a Quaker, he is really like a geek. He is also a vegetarian because he doesn't believe in harming animals. Penn is also a cheerleader and does not watch TV. A new kid named Mike started to become friends with crash. He helped pick on Penn Webb, one time they put mustard in his shoes. The biggest year of Crash's life was 7th grade when Scooter, Crash's grandfather came to live with him. He likes to spend time with his grandpa. His grandpa becomes seriously ill, and Penn becomes friends with Crash. Crash also excels in football. He was having girl troubles too. He liked this one girl, but she liked Penn. This made Crash mad. Crash never got this girl become he became good friends with Penn.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a book that I can relate to. He likes to play sports like me and he also likes to enjoy himself at school. He is also involved in many after school events, such as football. He is also very popular and very likeable. He surrounds himself around people like him. So in many ways he is like me. This book was also very funny.
For instance in the beginning of the book he put mustard in Penn's shoes. "Penn you're a geek" said Crash. Crash really didn't like Penn, because he wore so many different buttons. "Why bother wearing those buttons, you look like a dweeb" said Crash when Penn came on the first day of school with a button with a tree on it and handy down clothing.
My favorite part of the story is the beginning when he first met Penn. He was very mean to Penn, he talked about the many different buttons he wore, and his dumb turtle that he was always carrying around. Another one of my favorite parts is when Crash found out about Penn being a Quaker, and not eating meat. I liked these parts because they were very funny but cruel, and I liked it.

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Summary: Crash- By Jerry Spinelli
Review: Crash is a good book for middle schoolers. I read this for a book report and it was wonderful. When you read this you will learn about a boys life and about his friendship with a quaker boy.When I picked this book up I knew that it would not go back down untill I finished. I suggest this book to you if you are or have middle school children.

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Summary: this book is great...
Review: Seventh grader Crash Coogan has been tormenting Penn Webb since he moved to Pennsylvania in first grade. Penn isn't only a nerd, he's a cheerleader too! Crash and his buddy Mike love to do nothing but torture Penn. They plant mustard in shoes, post signs on his locker, and drench him in water. Crash and Mike aren't afraid of getting in trouble. After all, they are both big, popular football jocks. But a big surprise comes when the most popular girl in school likes Penn! Crash and Mike are even more eager to torment him, until Crash turns around, and finds a part of him he's never seen. Crash isn't necessarily a sports book, it's more of a friendship kind of book. Not everything in this book revolves around Crash's life at school. It also revovles around his life at home, with his working parents, his sick grandfather, and his pesty little sister Abby, who also likes Penn. I recommened Crash for ages 9 and up, and no readers above middle school. I also recommended reading Crash if you like friendship, realistic books that you can really dig deep in. Crash is the best book ever!

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Summary: Crash is THE BEST book I have ever read in my entire life
Review: I am a fifth grade student at Waldron Mercy Acadamy.(TMD). The book I read was called Crash by Jerry Spinelli. What a wonderful book! Even when I had just started reading it I knew that Crash was going to be one great book. The name of the main character in story is "Crash" Cogan. Crash isn't his real name, thats just the name he got from something that happened when he was little. How he got his name shall be revealed in the story. He lives with his mom, his dad, and a little sister named Abby. In the book someone else moves in. He is in seventh grade. Crash is probably the most popular kid in his grade, and maybe even in his school, and the best football player in the grade, maybe even in his school. In the beginning of the book, he starts in the first grade just to show you how he met a kid named Penn Webb who was new around the neighborhood. He hated Webb. When he was little, this was how he described Webb: A dweeby, vegetable eating neighbor. It turns out that Webb goes to the same school as Crash. Unlike Crash, Webb thinks that the two of them are good friends. There not. Later, while Crash is trying out for football, he sees Webb trying out for someone else. Not for long though. During the summer before seventh grade, another kid moves in. Mike Deluca. Oh boy. Heres when the fun begins. There is one thing they both have in common. They absolutely love to torture Webb. Although, one day, Mike takes a prank to far. Way to far. After that, Crash has to make a desision that will not be good for him either way. I recomend this book for any fourth to eighth grader. This is definitly the best book I have EVER read.

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Summary: Crash: It Crashed
Review: Crash, by Jerry Spinelli, gave me mixed emotions. i think that I am a little old for it. Crash Coogan is in seventh grade and thinks he is hot stuff. I liked how the book is told in the first person point-of-view. It reminds me of myself and of my peers when we were younger. Crash and his best friend, Mike, fall all over each other just to impress people. In this story,Crash has two parents who, even though they are together, are hardly ever home and very busy with thier work. As a reader, I liked that even though Crash seems to have a great life, he is upset with the fact that his mother and father seem to be absent from the house. This showed us that not everything could be perfect.Crash's grandfather, who seems never to grow, soon moves in with the family. Crash and his sister Abby idolize him. Since I do not have grandparents, in books I always like to see grandparents who really care for their grandchildren as "Scooter", as he is called, does.

The book's theme was that of a bully who learns his lesson, surprisingly. It does not realte to my life as much now as it did about two years ago. In seventh grade, the boys would do anything to impress people. The author basically has the surrounding idea correct. There is always someone whom one fails to impress however, or who just does not care, and it frustrates them. spinelli deals with a situation like this. Penn Web does nothing, so Mike and Crash get more and more restless.

Many people recommended this book to me. It is apparent that this book is highly thought of. In eighth grade, I had to read another book by Jerry Spinelli, which I did not like very much. I found Crash to be a bit shallow. It did not really go thorough the issues, just lightly skimmed over the surface of them. The summary on the back of this book said that there was one huge prank that Crash and Mike pulled that changed everything around. I had to look through the book to find out what it was! When I read about it, I found it to be very juvenile, even for seventh-graders. I think that this book was way too simple for me. I would only recommend it to someone between the ages of eight and twelve.

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Summary: Crash! Review 2
Review: This fiction book is high in standards in its genre. I recommend this book to every and anyone

Who likes reading books. It was very good in my opinion because books like this usually take me about

Two to three days. It took me only one day to finish this page-turner! It was also easy to concentrate

On reading this book because it's easy to understand and you won't find any large words that you would

Need to scramble for a dictionary.

A Quaker is someone who doesn't believe in violence. Penn Webb, the dorky, geeky, neighbor

Of John (Crash) Coogan is a Quaker. Crash, the main character and narrator goes through many changes

Throughout the story of this book that spans seven years. Penn moves to Pennsylvania where Crash lives

In first grade and when Crash first saw him with his buttons that said "Flickertail" or "Peace," he

Immediately knew they wouldn't be friends. When they enter sixth grade, Crash's would be best friend

Mike Deluca moves to the neighborhood and have fun pulling pranks on Webb because he is considered

A "nerd."

I've learned a lot from reading this book. I learned what a Quaker is. I've learned many other

Things but that isn't important right now. This book has many qualities that a good book "should" have.

There are occasional jokes, a believable story, and the problem. The conflict that is in every book.

At first I didn't know what this book is about. Reading the back and first few pages got me a little

Excited that I have a good book in my hand. After reading a few chapters, I was hooked! I like to sit down

And read a good book like that. I enjoyed Crash! and liked it because it had a peculiar interest that

Unfolded the story and everything was just understandable like you were there. If you can read and haven't

Read this book, I urge you to get up, pick up a copy, and go home to read it.

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Summary: Crash Survives
Review: I thought Crash was a very good book because it was all about boys and sports. I also liked it because it was about a kid who is just about my age and that made it very easy to read and relate to. I would recommend this book to all my male friends who are involved in sports and like to be involved in school activities. When you read this book you feel like you're in school with Crash and that he could be one of your good friends. I would not recommend this book to my female friends because it's all about jocks and guy stuff. I think girls would get very bored with this book and that they would probably not finish reading it after they started. What made this book easy to read and enjoy was its genre. The length was only 162 pages, but it had 49 chapters. It was like each chapter was a journal or diary entry. When you read the book it was like you were reading Crash's private thoughts and memories. Also, I liked how the author used the grandparents of both Crash and Webb to tie them together at the end of the story. Throughout the book the grandparents of both boys were talked about a lot and were an important part of their lives and the story. In the end, I think Crash and Webb's caring for their grandfathers is what they had in common and this is what allowed them to become best friends.