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Crash

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 5,132 ratings · 668 reviews

Meet Crash Coogan. Crash seems to be all brawn and no brains, but he will need more than mere muscles to face the upcoming challenges in his life. Now available in paperback, Award-winner Jerry Spinelli has created a hilarious, poignant story of a cocky seventh-grade super-jock.

From the Trade Paperback edition....more

Paperback, 176 pages

Published May 11th 2004 by Laurel Leaf (first published October 1st 1995)

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Jan 19, 2009 Ash R. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 7th-grade-ir-books-sadelle

"Crash" John Coogan is the typical jock. At least what most of us have in mind as a jock. Crash has a wonderful life, until life deals him a hand that he could not have expected. When Crash's grandfather unexpectedly has a stroke, Crash unconsciously steps back and re-evaluates his life without even realizing he's doing it. Suddenly, his cool friends don't seem so cool anymore. Things that were once the most important in his life, become trivial. As a result of his grandfather's illness, Crash...more

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Jun 15, 2008 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first glance this book looks like it's for children, but even as a teenager and adults we can all learn from this book. Spinelli decides to write this book for a younger audience, but even though the wording is very easy I liked the context. For example, I like the characterization and how Spinelli makes it so easy to understand what each character is thinking and what they want. For example, the main character "Crash" actually feels jealous of his neighbor Penn, even though he beats him up a...more

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Jun 08, 2009 Blake added it Recommends it for: my friends

Recommended to Blake by: teacher

I myself am a 7th grade jock just like John coogan the main character in the novel Crash
by Jerry Spinelli. In this book I was really able to relate to the main character John.

This book is about John coogan who plays on his schools football and track team and is
one of the bullys at his school Springfield middle school he likes to pick on this one kid
named Penn Webb because he is a nerd and a cheerleader to. John would shoot Penn with
a water pistol john said “well, it ain’t going to work so...more

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Feb 08, 2009 Andres rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-fiction

John "Crash" Coogan lives to play football and he never comes in second. He is arrogant, superficial and concerned primarily with outside appearances and accomplishments. To Crash, Penn Webb is the epitome of uncool. He gets his clothes from second-hand stores, he's vegetarian, and he's a Quaker (he eats oat burgers) which means he doesn't believe in violence.
Crash and his best friend Mike love to make life miserable for Penn. It becomes clear that Crash is jealous of Penn and his closeness to...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Mzampanti rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the novel "Smash" written by Jerry Spinelli, there is a young man named John Coogan that likes to go by the name "Crash". The book goes into Crash's middle schiool years, it only goes up to seventh grade, and it describes all of the expieriences that he has had between his friends, parents, relatives and even with the ladies. Crash isn't the best in the class-room but he is most ceartaintly the best out on the football field where he is most known for. Even though Crash is one of the cooler k...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Katie G. added it

G O O D R E A D S
K a t i e G a l w a y

For my Goodreads I read an interesting novel called Crash. This novel was written by Jerry Spinelli. Crash is a very touching and well written book that informs people about a little bit about bullying and life. This book Crash is about a young boy named John Coogan but everyone calls him Crash because of an incident with his cousin years back. When Penn Webb moves to town, Crash decides making his new neighbors life miserable will be the best thing ever. Cr...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Dj Bynum rated it 5 of 5 stars

In North Dakota a kid named Crash Coogan (John Coogan) who always liked to crash on everything and that is how he got his name. One day he moved Pennsylvania which he didn’t really like it because he calls it the poop state. Crash is an arrogant and cocky football sensation. The book Crash is a great book for people that play football or any people that that want to be loyal to everyone. I liked this book because it tells people how to be loyal on and off the field and about friendship. This boo...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Yi Kao rated it 4 of 5 stars

John Coogan is Crash's real name, he got the nickname from his uncle because one Christmas, John got a brand new football helmet, and when his uncle's family came through the door, John charges and knocks his cousin out the doorway and into a foot of snow. The story starts when Crash met a kid called Penn Webb that become Crash's neighbor. Crash hate Penn, In Crash's mind, Penn is just a Quaker and vegetarian. Later when Crash is in 7th grade he met a cool kid called Mike and both of them tried...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade

3.5 stars

This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.

Though Crash Coogan's nickname might have had its origins in a football incident involving his cousin and a bodytackle, it's more than applicable to his personal ideology. You see, Crash essentially functions as a human steamroller. He's like one of those suitcase-toting, umbrella-wielding executives storming through the CBD during peak hour: you'd better get out of the way if you don't want to go flying.

But new kid Penn We...more 3.5 stars

This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.

Though Crash Coogan's nickname might have had its origins in a football incident involving his cousin and a bodytackle, it's more than applicable to his personal ideology. You see, Crash essentially functions as a human steamroller. He's like one of those suitcase-toting, umbrella-wielding executives storming through the CBD during peak hour: you'd better get out of the way if you don't want to go flying.

But new kid Penn Webb isn't yielding to Crash Coogan's brash, bullying ways. In fact, no matter how much Crash attempts to get in Webb's face, Webb isn't fazed. He's in another world entirely. One of op-shop clothing, pacifism, environmentalism, and anti-consumerism. Where Crash's world is measured by the designer goods and tech gear he's managed to stockpile, Webb's is all about stuff that can't be purchased. And try though Crash might, he's soon learning that a Cold War is tough to set in motion when the other party isn't even aware that you're getting a bit Dr Strangelove on them.

"Who says you have to believe in [violence]?," says Crash. "You just do it."

And now Crash is finding that Webb's quite self-assurance is contagious. His usual in-your-face posturing and aggression isn't exactly effective when others aren't playing the game. It's not just Webb. It's Crash's sister. It's Jane, the girl Crash has a crush on. It's even Crash's parents. But though Crash is realising that he's irrelevant in his own world, he's going to have to come up with another way of coping, because barrelling through life is not proving to be as effective a strategy as he's always assumed. Particularly now that his family has been rocked by an incident that is going to affect them all.

The Mighty Crashman is my first Jerry Spinelli novel (although I do have one of the Stargirl books on my shelf), and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Spinelli manages to pack so much into such a slender volume, and does so without it feeling overladen or messy. Though the novel's written in the ubiquitous first person present tense, it avoids falling into the trap of lengthy chunks of exposition. Rather, Crash's actions do the talking, and superbly so.

Even where exposition is used, it's done in a way that highlights Crash's unreliability as a narrator: any misdemeanour on his behalf is dismissed with hedges such as, "I guess I took too long" or "I guess I forgot". Even his jealousy about his sister's friendship with Webb is hidden beneath a veneer of disdain: "For some reason it bugs me, how alike Webb and my sister are. Especially with nature stuff. They go walking his turtle together. It shows you how immature he is, hanging out with a fifth grader. And they're both perky." He also tries to dismiss his possible culpability regarding his grandfather's stroke: "That night...my mind went back to the football game, to Scooter, to the tackle. Why did I do it? I was just being me, that's all. The Crash Man."

Crash isn't the most pleasant of point of view characters, but Spinelli manages to write him in such a way that though he's obnoxious and conceited, he feels less like a true bully and more like the conflicted, big-mouthed teen we all recognise in ourselves. His hurt over his parents' long working hours manifests as defensiveness ("Now really, would you rather have my money or my time?" "Your money.") but comes through painfully palpably in his delight over his affectionate grandfather coming to stay with the family, and in his disappointment that his record-scoring football game wasn't recorded--which means that his parents won't be able to see it. Crash's arc is strong and believable, if a little larger than life. But then, that's the whole vibe of the book: it's big and noisy and exuberant. The only weak points are its slightly awkward flashback beginning, and the abrupt conclusion, which in its brevity leaves the reader feeling a little steamrolled.

In all, The Mighty Crashman is a warm, big-hearted account of the incomparable importance of family over material goods, and of Crash's realisation that not all problems--or people--are best managed by steamrolling through them. His grandfather's words resonate on a number of levels when he says: "Don't worry so much about it. It's not the sneakers that count. It's the feet."(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Laura Gates rated it 4 of 5 stars

The primary reason Jerry Spinelli is such an important author for our students to read is because of the way he characterizes kids and the way they can change and overcome struggle in his stories. Crash is a book about a boy who seemingly has it all. John "Crash" Coogan is a smug 8th grader who has everything. He is popular, mildly smart, and a star athlete. What he lacks is attention from his very busy mother and father. Early on, Penn Webb is introduced as a foil for Crash. Penn is everything...more The primary reason Jerry Spinelli is such an important author for our students to read is because of the way he characterizes kids and the way they can change and overcome struggle in his stories. Crash is a book about a boy who seemingly has it all. John "Crash" Coogan is a smug 8th grader who has everything. He is popular, mildly smart, and a star athlete. What he lacks is attention from his very busy mother and father. Early on, Penn Webb is introduced as a foil for Crash. Penn is everything Crash is not. He has is an only child, come from a poor family and given much attention by his family. Penn is left for the reader to believe to be a gangly, nerd, male cheerleader whose social skills are aiming to please everyone. However, he is bullied wildly by Crash and his best friend in school.
This book is amazing for our upper graders in elementary school because the characters are very complex but very easy for our kids to relate to. They know what it is like to be bullied or perhaps be a bully. The conversation that can be generated is amazing. Crash is not unlikable, but rather, the reader pities him because we all know he wants what Penn has and envies him just as much as he enjoy making fun of him. Crash is a character who you root for throughout the entire story to change and get his act together. This experience involves the kids heavily, which is a good sign for any book. The kids also pity Penn because he is a likable character for whom for some reason you just want Crash to like, even though no one likes Crash completely.
Without giving the book away too much, the reason I loved this book is because of the way the characters are portrayed. I love when characters have a much deeper meaning than their surface personality. Especially in children's literature. Crash does not narrate his woes, rather, the reader must inference (standards!)them and figure out how he must feel about being neglected by his parents because of their work schedules. This also makes the reader feel a lot of things. The reader has to feel empathy for Crash but also wish him to be better because we know he can be. The book, as all of Spinelli's works do, heavily involve the reader. Getting children to feel empathy, sorrow, and happiness in each chapter is something Spinelli does beautifully and is why his books are so successful.

P.S. You can hit a lot of character trait, and characterization standards with his books! :) (less)

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May 10, 2012 Julian G. added it

In North Dakota a kid named Crash Coogan (John Coogan) who always liked to crash on everything and that is how he got his name. One day he move Pennsylvania which he didn’t really like it because he calls it the poop state. One day he met a boy named Penn Webb and after hanging out with him he realized that he was a dork who has no TV, always wear old clothes, shoes from the superstore, and is a vegetarian. In seventh grade he would always hang out with his friend Mike and they always like to bu...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Maria Nesmith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced-221

In this story, Crash is a young boy in middle school who is a sports fanatic. Crash is very competitive, and somewhat of a bully to his new neighbor Penn Webb. Penn is singled out because he is "different." His Quaker lifestyle causes him to be judged and viewed as weak by the other boys at school. Throughout the novel, Penn helps to teach Crash to be more accepting of people who are different from him. Although they got off to a rough start, by the end of the novel Crash sticks up for Penn when...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

"My real name is John. John Coogan. But everybody calls me Crash, even my parents." In this story, Crash is a young boy in middle school who is a sports fanatic. Crash is very competitive, and somewhat of a bully to his new neighbor Penn Webb. Penn is singled out because he is "different." His Quaker lifestyle causes him to be judged and viewed as weak by the other boys at school. However, Penn doesn't let it get him down. Throughout the novel some people may view him as naive or dumb, but I sim...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bullies, children-fiction, football, rebecca-caudill-2002, sports, school

John "Crash" Coogan has always been strong, fast, and athletic...and he has always thought his neighbor, Penn Webb, was odd, quirky, and unnaturally optimistic. Entering 7th grade, Crash is the man, the football hero, and a bully, too, especially when teamed with friend Mike DeLuca. They mercilessly pick on Penn.

Crash and his 5th grade sister, Abby love their grandfather, Scooter and when he comes to stay for good, they are thrilled. Scooter comes to his football games while his workaholic pare...more

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Mar 10, 2011 travelgirlut rated it 4 of 5 stars

Though this book seems simple on the surface, I think it hits home on a few topics sensitive to lots of people. The main character is a junior high football jock, and a mean one at that. He comes to find out that life is more than middle school pranks and does a bit of growing up. In that sense, I wonder if the book fails to find its market demographic. How many mean football jocks out there are readers? But as a mother, reading about the family in the book makes me really sad. Both parents work...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Mike added it

Crash

Crash is a touching and very beautiful story in my opinion. I really love this book. I used to love reading a lot and was reading countless novels, but since I have slowed down and completely stopped almost. However, this book makes me want to start again, and gives me hope. I love the whole feel and lesson learned in the book.

I really can relate to Crash Coogan in a lot of ways. I think that is another reason that I like it so much is because it hints to me at a personal level. I, like Cra...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Sandra Stiles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grades, realistic-fiction

I love Jerry Spinelli’s books. I can’t believe it took me this long to read this one. I grabbed it from my shelves to go home with me over the summer. I’m glad I moved it up the list. This is the story of three young boys and the influence they have on those around them.
From the minute Crash Coogan met Penn Webb he’d decided he didn’t like him. Not only did he not like him he was going to do everything possible to make his life miserable. Then Mike moves in and becomes Crash’s best friend and t...more

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Dec 12, 2009 Seana Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

i loved this book becuase it is funny and it really teaches kid what can happen if they bully someone for example crash liked this girl and crash had a friend named well i forgot but he was a vegitarian and crash was making fun of him for that so the girl that crash liked heard about him making fun of that boy and she didnt want to have anything to do with him anymore and the girl crash like was on the kids side that crash was making fun of because he is a vegitairn so when crash came to school...more i loved this book becuase it is funny and it really teaches kid what can happen if they bully someone for example crash liked this girl and crash had a friend named well i forgot but he was a vegitarian and crash was making fun of him for that so the girl that crash liked heard about him making fun of that boy and she didnt want to have anything to do with him anymore and the girl crash like was on the kids side that crash was making fun of because he is a vegitairn so when crash came to school the next day the girl he liked and the kid he was making fun of were going to sign up for cheerleading and crash was starting to get a little jealous and crash has a little sister named lucy and she wants to take after the kid that crash was making fun of and she wnated to become a vegitarien and that made crash mad that everybody even his little sister wanted to be with that dorky kid everyday so crash took a meatball out of his fridge and put it on the front step of the kids door. and he was also jealous becuase his parents always took himout to football games and crashes parents never did anything like that and his paretns probably would let him join football but instead he wants to be a stupid cheerlearder with that beautiful girl so to keep an eye on those two to make sure they did do anything stupid or wierd crash was trying out for football so he took home a flier to parents so they would sign it so he would be allowed to get in football but he had to have this huge talk with his dad about joining football he told him that it was a dangerous sport to play and crash said i no but it just seems so fun and i would get tougher andtougher and i would be the toughest one in school and then i would be popular and his dad finally signed the paper but crash made sure that he did it in pen so he couldnt steal the paper back and erase it. so the next day at school crash handedin his football forma to the office and they told him where to go after school and what time to be there and they handed him a jersey and told him good luck. and that is all i am going to tell you are going to have to find out the rest on your own goodluck(less)

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Jul 12, 2009 Rich Jonny's Son rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-reading

Crash is about a boy named, John Coogan, but every body calls him crash. The book talks about his life as a seventh grader. This book takes place in a philidelphia suburb. The main characters in this book are, Crash, his best friend Mike Daluca, his grand pa, Scooter, and a nerd in his class, Penn Web.

The connection I made in this book is a text-to-world connection. I made this connection because theirs always a popular kid in school (crash) and hes always has his little helper monkey (mike) a...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Harrison Graff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crash by Jerry Spinelli. This book is 162 pages long and is fiction and I was done with this book on 11/16/12. This book is about a little boy who lives and this boy moves from North Dakota. He was singing walked down his sidewalk "like he owns the place." He wore a button every day. On the first day of 7th grade their was a girl that was standing by herself and crash walked up to her cause he thought it was someone else, but he was wrong and the girl never specked to him again. So they were at...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Paulinal014 added it

Shelves: 1st-trimester

This story is about Crash Coogan and Penn Webb. Crash isn’t his real name it’s really John. They both live in Pennsylvania. They both live on the same street. Right from the start when Penn moved there from North Dakota, Crash knew that the street wasn’t big enough for the both of them. That was the summer before 1st grade. That was 6 years ago. Now the both of them are in the 7th grade. Crash is the football star, better than anybody on his team, better than all of the eighth graders. He prett...more This story is about Crash Coogan and Penn Webb. Crash isn’t his real name it’s really John. They both live in Pennsylvania. They both live on the same street. Right from the start when Penn moved there from North Dakota, Crash knew that the street wasn’t big enough for the both of them. That was the summer before 1st grade. That was 6 years ago. Now the both of them are in the 7th grade. Crash is the football star, better than anybody on his team, better than all of the eighth graders. He pretty much has it all. Well not exactly. Crash is a bully, he only bullies one kid Penn Webb. Penn tries to stop some people from building a mall in their town. He has a big influence on Crash’s little sister and all though Crash may never admit it, I think he is jealous of that. One day when Crash is playing football with his family, his dad, sister,uncle, cousin, and grandpa, Crash takes the game very seriously and tackles his grandfather. His grandfather is ok but a few days later he has a stroke. His grandfather doesn’t know how to talk, walk, or do anything that he use to be able to do. Crash misses him and really needs him. What is he going to do now?
Throughout Crash, Crash bullies Penn the worse part is that he has an accomplice Mike. So if it wasn’t bad enough to have one kid bully him now two kids ganging up on him. They never seem to think about how Penn feels or even care to think how he feels. That’s poor behavior on their behalf. Penn is a quaker which means he believes in no violence, so when they do bully him and physically do something to him he just stands there unable to defend himself. They look at him as an easy target and whenever they do something to him he just stands their defenseless. I think that is just horrible because when Crash and Penn were little, before Mike moved in to Pennsylvania, Penn always referred to Crash as his best friend. It is a sad story and with what happened to Crash’s grandfather it is very sad. I think that Crash blames himself a little for the stroke that his grandfather had. It’s very sorrowful. You really feel what is happening to Penn even though Penn doesn’t see that Crash is bullying him. Penn always says hi and is always nice to Crash. Crash takes advantage of him and thinks he is stupid. Crash needs to figure out who he really is. And for a couple of days he doesn’t seem himself and he feels as though it is all a dream. What Crash needs to do is find that person inside of him, the real him.(less)

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Dec 03, 2008 Stacey Hoffman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jerry Spinelli’s book, Crash, is a realistic fiction story appropriate for upper elementary students.

The two main themes of the story Crash are friendship and bullying. The book begins with two first graders, Crash and Penn, meeting in their neighborhood. Penn immediately tries to befriend Crash but Crash wants nothing to do with him. Penn is considered a dork who wears second hand clothes and is a vegetarian. As the boys grew older, Crash and his friend Mike begin to bully Penn any chance they...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

I want to give this more than three stars! I hate when this happens.

Jerry Spinelli is kind of crapshoot as far as I am concerned. He writes some really, really good books but some can be mediocre. This one leaned towards the really, really good side. It was about a super douchebag who is really into sports and being a douchebag to everyone around him. Then little Penn Webb comes into his life and eventually he "comes of age" so to speak.

Penn Webb is just another Stargirl. Stargirl was a good boo...more

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Oct 10, 2009 Kiana H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book I chose to read was Crash. This was a book that I just pulled out from my teacher's bookshelf. I read the description of what the book was going to be about n the back and it looked like an interesting book. This book was about how a boy named Crash Coogan(a football player) and his best friend Mike, tease a boy named Penn Webb. At the end, I just felt bad about how they treated Webb but Crash finally stopped. What I liked about the author's writing (Jerry Spinelli) was that he got star...more

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Mar 08, 2010 Charles712 added it

Shelves: 7th-grade

Regular Reading response

I am currently in the middle of this book. So far i really like it and i find the issues and problems the characters face in this book realistic and interesting. I think each character has a unique personality and are very interesting.

Two issues and ideas that have come up in my book are envy and superiority. Crash thinks he is so much better than Penn Webb because he's the star football player, he has a lot more money, he eats meat, and he isn't a loser. Yet, in many par...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Lauren Gibson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced-221

I read Crash by Jerry Spinelli.
SUMMARY:The book was about a young boy in middle school nicknames Crash. He was a popular jock who was mean to people that were different from him. In the beginning when Crash is young he meets a new neighbor Penn Webb that he considers a "nerd". Penn comes from the mid-west and his family is vegetarian and against "material objects". So immediately Crash labels him as different and weird. What he doesn't know then is that he will become closer to that person then...more I read Crash by Jerry Spinelli.
SUMMARY:The book was about a young boy in middle school nicknames Crash. He was a popular jock who was mean to people that were different from him. In the beginning when Crash is young he meets a new neighbor Penn Webb that he considers a "nerd". Penn comes from the mid-west and his family is vegetarian and against "material objects". So immediately Crash labels him as different and weird. What he doesn't know then is that he will become closer to that person then he thought. By the end of the book it shows that Crash has matured into a better person, which has to do with the sudden tragedy of his grandfather he was close with.
CRITIQUE: In the contemporary realistic fiction categories this book would fall under books about self discovery and growing up. It continuously shows conflicts that crash has with himself and he has to choose what he thinks is right and wrong. Through the book he has to face many dilemmas which finally leads him to self discovery. This book was very realistic because Crash resembles many middle school aged boys who believe they are the most superior person in school because of their athleticism. Then there is Penn who is the typical "new kid" who tries out for the cheerleading team, doesn't eat meat, and owns close to no toys. There is a very distinct difference in the family dynamics. This is very common for children to label others because of their possessions and disclude them, which is what makes the events in this book believable. All children go through these types of conflicts when discovering themselves and it is very relatable. I was surprised at the resolution of the plot because I did not expect for Penn and Crash to become friends. It shows the growth of the Crash and the patience of Penn. The book follows most of the guidelines chapter two, the immediate social group and wider social setting is described with great detail in the very beginning. The characters are developed through the sense of themselves which is very important especially in this book. The plot has all the universal features and follows the typical plot structure. The character has a conflict within himself that he solves before the book is over.
RESPONSE: I thought this is a very good coming of age story for young boys. It shows them that they can be good at sports but its also important to be a good person. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it especially for middle school aged kids. This book was a very fast read and I could not seem to put it down. The end was a very surprising turn but i think it teaches a good lesson that young children can learn from. (less)

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Jun 15, 2011 The Cheap Reader rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: school-books, contemporary

Can you believe this wasn’t a re-read book for me? For the longest time, I’ve had this idea in my mind that Jerry Spinelli is a quintessential young adult/children’s author. When I got to thinking more about it, I realized that I really actually had not read much by him. Sure, I read Stargirl for my Children’s Literature class in college and Love, Stargirl after the class was over but that was it. So when my Young Adult Literature teacher told us we were having SSR daily, I immediately grabbed t...more Can you believe this wasn’t a re-read book for me? For the longest time, I’ve had this idea in my mind that Jerry Spinelli is a quintessential young adult/children’s author. When I got to thinking more about it, I realized that I really actually had not read much by him. Sure, I read Stargirl for my Children’s Literature class in college and Love, Stargirl after the class was over but that was it. So when my Young Adult Literature teacher told us we were having SSR daily, I immediately grabbed this off of the shelf.

Overall, I thought the book was pretty good. I was a bit shocked by the fact that I liked it because I went into reading it knowing nothing about it (my copy had a summary that gave no information) and I guessed it had something to do with football based on the cover. I’m a “typical” girl and am really not into sports and don’t really want to read about sports. Thankfully, football was only a feature of the story and not the huge focus of the story.

Never having been an adolescent boy myself, I thought Spinelli did a good job of depicting the struggles of a young man and coming to terms with personal problems. I definitely appreciated the fact that the story was told from the “cool” guy’s perspective and emphasized the fact that even “cool” kids struggle with problems even though as an outsider might not see it. [Forgive me if I sound way too deep with certain aspects. The class I'm taking is for educator's so I'm reading and thinking about how a teacher would use the book in a classroom.]

My biggest complaint about the book was the fact that I wasn’t sure exactly what the whole overall plot of the story was. There were so many little storylines (Webb, the drama between his sister/mom, Scooter) but I didn’t personally see the “big picture” so to speak. I wasn’t able to give the person sitting next to me in class a quick synopsis which is a bit of a problem in my opinion.

I also felt the “conflict” was resolved way too quickly and didn’t actually discuss the resolution. Spinellli did a great job of presenting the problems of a 7th grade boy and how he deals with his problems throughout most of the book. Then the book hits the climax and bam! 15 pages or so later, everyone lives happily ever. The end. No inner monologue about how Crash would change, if he would change. No story about how the “problems” ended. Nothing. It just seemed odd to me.

Rating

3/5

It was a good read and has encouraged me to read more of his books.(less)

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Sep 06, 2009 Kaitlyn M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-ir-book-reports-09

this book is about a boy named John Cogan.everyobne calls him crash except for one boy named Pen web. crash and penn both meet in the summer beofre 1st grade. from when theyn first meet Crash hated him. when they startd to get older Crash still hated him. Pen was always nice to crash always just push aside what Crash and his friends would do. soon Pen starts to get things that Crash wnats and that gets crahs really angry. then soon Crash starts to feel differently about Penn and crash soon has...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Alicia Reynosa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This month I read "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli. This book was pretty good, it was about a young boy who at first is very full of himself but then latter realizes something and become a more mature young man.
In this book there is a boy name John Coogan or "Crash" he is very confident, full of himself, a prankster, and a very jock type person. When he meets a boy named Penn (who lives just down the street from him) he become his main target. Crash bullies and teases Penn with his best friend Mike. T...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Jay Hunt rated it 4 of 5 stars

CRASH
Crash’s real name was John. John got his name Crash because on Christmas he got a football helmet and his cousins came over that he had never seen before and when he saw them he tackled them out the door and they got out the house like a rat getting chase by a cat.

Another part about crash is that he does not like boring kid. He saw a kid down the street that look like he was coming to his house but he paid him no mind he kept getting closer and he was at his house just walking and circles...more

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About Jerry Spinelli

When Jerry Spinelli was a kid, he wanted to grow up to be either a cowboy or a baseball player. Lucky for us he became a writer instead.

He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his...more

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