Crash

by Jerry Spinelli

Crash Coogan, a seventh-grade football star, has been an aggressive person from the time he was very young; sometimes, he is too aggressive. He enjoys his rough, macho behavior until he meets an unusual neighbor who forces him to think about his life and his way of treating others.

A rare glimpse into the life of a bully in an unforgettable story about stereotypes and surprises.

Praise for Crash

"Spinelli's fast-paced, lively novel is great fun to read." — Horn Book

Ages: 11, 12, 13
Interest Level: Grades 6 - 8
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.8
Lexile Measure: 560L
DRA: 50
Guided Reading: V
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf Books
Number of Pages: 162
Genre: Realistic Fiction

About the Author

Jerry Spinelli Jerry Spinelli won the Newbery Medal for Maniac Magee, the sixth of his more than fifteen acclaimed books for young readers. Growing up, he wanted to be a shortstop in the majors long before it occurred to him to be a writer. Crash came out of his desire to include the beloved PennRelays of his home state of Pennsylvania in a book. And, of course, to show the world a little bit about athletes and what makes some of them tick.