So I finally finished reading Crenshaw, by Katherine Applegate. It was recommended to me by a 3rd grade student. I have to say that I loved it! First of all, I don't think I had an imaginary friend myself when I was growing up, but the idea of a huge imaginary cat who takes bubble baths made me laugh. The main character Jackson and his family experience financial hardship and he has to figure out how to deal with the challenges in his life. His creativity, honesty, and love for his family are powerful throughout the story. The author beautifully weaves themes of friendship, family hardship, and how to get through it together. I found this story relatable to the real life stories we are hearing today.
If you do decide to read this book, or have read it before, I would love to hear from you how our St. Joseph School SLEs are represented in the book. Marisol never judged Jackson, which reminds me of how Jesus treated people during his life (Vibrant Catholic). I was left thinking about how I can help those experiencing hardship today. My parish's St. Vincent de Paul Center is in need of food donations. I have decided to donate some food since families like Jackson's may depend on the charity of others to survive (Responsible Citizen of God's Creation). Leave your thoughts about the SLEs in the comments section.
What should Mrs. Alamo-Ng read next? I would love to hear your suggestions too!