Customer Reviews

Crash

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It was a great book. One of my favorite books. I think it is Spinelli's best book.

Buy it, they'll love it. Spinelli weaves a touching story girls and boys will cherish forever. Whether you cheer for Penn or Crash, the book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I really enjoyed reading this book because I could relate to many of the topics introduced in the book.

I first read Spinelli's CRASH during the sixth grade for assigned reading at Waldron Mercy Academy, my private grade school. I was pulled in from page one and couldn't help but laugh out loud at the adventures and the misadventures of Crash Coogan, who got his nickname all because of a long ago incident involving a football helmet and his cousin, Bridget, who Crash knocked down into three feet of post-blizzard snow. Crash is not an inherently bad kid - he's got his flaws just like the rest of the human population. In CRASH, Spinelli takes the archetypal bullying jock and narrates through him, making this book anything but ordinary.

Nonetheless, Crash is a bully. Enter Penn Webb, his target. Why pick on poor Penn, you ask? Why not pick on Penn? is more of the question here. Penn Webb is a skinny Quaker boy, mild-mannered and with a heart of gold. He wears used clothes that are painfully outdated, he's joined the cheerleading squad, his aging parents look like grandparents, and he officially lives in the dinkiest house in the entire universe (a former garage). So Penn, very obviously flawed with qualifications to make him an outcast, must now endure teasing from Crash and his best friend, Mike DeLuca.

Spinelli captures how spoiled and materialistic kids can be today, only they most likely don't view themselves that way. I remember it took me a long time to wake up and realize that yes, I was a spoiled child. All Crash cares about are new sneakers, football, and being the best footballer he can be. Pretty shallow, eh? Crash is a self-centered bully who only cares about himself and how he is viewed by others which, by the way, as I am sure you realize, is a natural thing and has been since the beginning of time.

Oddly enough, Penn Webb, geeky, lanky Penn, has things that Crash desires. He has his parents' full and undivided attention. He's won the affections of the class beauty and despite the fact Crash is a star footballer, he cannot win her over the way charming Penn has. So despite having some things Crash wants, expensive sneakers included, he is not happy. When Crash's grandfather, Scooter, whom Crash absolutely adores and has always had a tight-knit relationship with, comes down with a stroke, Crash is heartbroken. But this period of time is more than just an opportunity to grieve - it is an opportunity to wake up. And he does. This awakening proves to him that cruelly teasing poor and defenseless Penn Webb is totally uncalled for and - surprise - no longer fun on his part. Crash's transition from smug, self-absorbed jock to an empathetic and caring person, all the more wiser as a result of growth, is enlightening and makes this book what it is. Crash used to be so close-minded. Now he knows what is significant and what is not. New friendships blossom and old ones fade, as Crash comes to realize some of his friends and their cruel antics are not like the new him.

Spinelli is a wonderful author. I admire his abilities to construct a story so amusing yet so deep with characters, who they are, and how they grow. Plus, Spinelli evidently knows kids today - he is able to capture excellent insight into their mind, especially through this type of narration. CRASH will make you laugh but it will also make you think. Those two elements are what I often times look for in a good book, which is probably why I've loved this one for four years.

Crash is an exellent, funny, and cool book for any age. It is about a loser who moved into town in first grade. His name is Penn Webb. He has been made fun of ever since, and he did not really know it. Crash Coogan (a football player at his school) and his best friend Mike make fun of him and made his life miserable. Webb, Crash's dweeby, vegetable eating neighbor who lives in a garage is their favorite target for years. Although Webb is not just a big nerd, at school he is on the cheerleading team!
I think anyone who reads this book will have fun reading it. I gave this book five stars because of its details, creativity, and humor. Jerry Spinelli is a great author. He also has written another funny book called Loser.

As you all know, Jerry Spinell has wrote many great book.like Loser,The Library Card, Maniac Magee,and Wringer. But,I think Crash is has his best yet . It's about a boy named John Coogan. But they call him Crash because he is so good in football. But then there is Penn Webb. The geeky vegtable eat neigbhor. He is so geeky he is on the cheerleading team. This is a great book and I strongly recommne you to read this great.

This amazing book by Jerry Spinnelie is great.It's about a boy named John Coogan who loves football.He got his nickname Crash when he was a baby.He got a football helmet as a gift,and when he did he tackled his cousin right out of the door.Crash grows up to be an awesome football player.He is so good that he thinks all the girls will like him.When the new kid moves in town who is named Pen Webb they dont like each other very much wich doesn't help when Crash wants to be boyfriend and girlfriend with this girl but instead Pen Web got her.If you want to find out what happens you will have to read this amazing book.

Crash is about a boy who is a monster in football and he will do anything to win a football game.He playes football in the seventh grade and he has a dorky neighbor named PennWeeb and he trys out for cheerleading and he made it {"That was kind of stupid"}There's a new girl at school and he wants to go to the school dance with her but she goes with Penn instead.Penn,"The so called cheerleader" the new girl and Abe Crash's little sister try to close the mall and they don't get it closed.At the end of the bookCrash's grandpa Scooter has a stroke and he is in the hospital and all he can say is Ahbye.Atthe very end of the book Crash isn't friends with Mike anymore and he is PennWeeb's bestfriend

Crash Coogan is a 7th grade football sensation who is bulling Penn Webb, his neighbor.Penn might have somthing Crash doesn't.
Crash's grandpa,Scooter, moves in with them and Crash learns he's
not as young as they think.I think this book teaches a good lesson about bulling and treating everyone equal.

I liked this book. It went into the mind of an average mean, annoying jock. The characters in this book made me chorttle with excitement because of the immature things they said. It was just a gosh dern good book.

In my opinion, the best part of the book was the beginning. I thought it was funny because of all the silly goose things they did. This geek named Penn Webb was annoying and he wore silly buttons and stuff. One of them said,"Hi, I'm a flickertail.

The most vivid story elements were the characters and the way they were described. I really liked the conflict. The main character, Crash, played a big prank on a nerdy male cheerleader, but ended up liking him in the end. You should read this book. It will forever change the world and all of it's people.