Missouri River Mud

How captivating a tale is in Jerry Spinelli's Crash.  A young boy nicknamed Crash, is a typical young boy.  He is a little egocentrentric as he hains his fame in the game of middle school football.  He takes pride in the fact that he's bigger and stronger than most seventh grade kids, and he likes to play rough with his friends.
   When he meets the young boy Penn from down the street, he immediately doesn't like his over-the-top friendly attitude.  He teases the poor kid about his buttons and his vegetarian family.  I thought it was sad that he didn't respond to their kindness as, perhaps, a girl would have.  When Crash decides he was going to hate this young boy, who has declared him his best friend on the block, he throws a meatball at their front door!

   A lot of different themes and motives for conversation came up during this book.  For one, the concepts of Quakers.  Most people do not understand the fundamental values of living a Quaker life, just like Crash had said, "The only time I ever saw a Quaker was on the front of the oatmeal box."  This would be a great history lesson in teaching students how our founding fathers in this country, including William Penn who received the state of Pennsylvania as a present from King Charles the II, was a Quaker himself.  He set up religious tolerance and freedom, as well as Quaker idealism of no violence, no war.  This is a very interesting concept for students to learn because isn't the root of all religion tolerance?
   Besides religion, I also was interested in learning about the Penn relays.  I loved how Penn took honor in his name from his grandfather.  It shows honor and reverence, which is something I feel the youth has somewhat lost over the years.
  As the story unfolds, and Crash continues to be the tough guy, his father returns home.  As a man with many years of stories and tales, Crash and his sister love his Grandpa Scooter.  They look to him for support, (which Crash noted how frequently Scooter came to his football games but his parents were absent) and advice.  I enjoy how Crash's younger sister looked to Penn as a role model.  Her aspirations of a wildlife habitat in the backyard is admirable.
   Sadly, when Scooter suffered a stroke, something in Crash changed.  He missed his grandpa.  The only one who came to support him in this struggle was Penn.  I thought it was very touching that he offered the prized possession that he had owned his whole life to a friend that abandoned him.  Doesn't this show how his religion and tolerance never failed?  The possession was Missouri River mud.  The legend as Penn was told that if anyone ever got hurt, to mix a little water in with the dirt to make mud.  Put the mud on the wound, and it will cure it.
   Sometimes, it is the small gestures, and I believe Crash felt moved by Penn.  He might have been different, but his loyalty was stronger than any friend he'd ever had.
   Crash and Centerfield were very similar; only, Crash was from the perspective of a boy five years younger.  The importance of parental support lacked in both stories, and the influence of a boy from a different crowd made the main characters better people.  In my classroom, I would incorporate both of these novels together in a Lit circle, two groups, and then discuss how they both influence change and tolerance.  I could also assign mini web quests (if allowed by school) to do research on historical topics such as Quakers and Penn Relays.



    In reference to the text,  Young Adult Literature in the Classroom, I can definitely bridge connections between the text and writing.  On page 29, it states, "You can extend these personal connections to story by inviting readers to talk about books with a partner in groups of three to six.  A lively exchange of ideas will move students deeper and deeper into the meaning of a story, often enabling them to step beyond the limitations of their own thinking."  I think this is very important for young readers to do because this is how they can really interact and engage in a personal conversation. I would have the students reflect on critical writing skills by incorporating details from the text to support a thesis.  just as the text states, I "identify each part of the essay so students can better observe and understand my goals".  Students then work independently on their own thesis statement with connections to the text.  Perhaps I would ask the students the influence of parental support.  Students can draw conclusions from both texts on how Mike and Crash looked for their parents, and were disappointed in their absence.    I also like the idea mentioned on page 33, "Characters Personality: What have you learned about this character? How and why has the character changed from the beginning to the end?" As long as the students reflection on the themes in both books, students will grasp the understanding of what the author is trying to convey: don't be set in stone with what you believe.  Dare to change your mind, and you might be surprised by what you find.