57 pages • 1 hour read
Jerry SpinelliA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The narrator, John Coogan, introduces himself by explaining that nearly everyone calls him “Crash.” The nickname came about when, as a very young boy, he received a football helmet for Christmas. He crouched down, called out “Hut! Hut!” and hurtled forward, knocking his cousin Bridget clear out the front door and into the snow.
Crash is digging a hole in the front yard when a boy his age comes strolling down the street, looking like a complete dork in his opinion. Crash must stop him. The boy introduces himself: His name is Penn, and he’s just moved here from North Dakota. He was named for the Penn Relays, a famous race. He says his parents are artists. Crash says his dad works 70 hours a week and his mom works and goes to school. Penn says he has a great-grandfather. Crash says that he has a great-great-grandfather who’s 115.
Penn asks Crash’s name and Crash says, “Mergatroid” Penn offers his hand to shake. Crash holds out his shovel and Penn shakes it and bursts out laughing. Penn wears a large button that says, “Hi, I’m a Flickertail”—the state squirrel of North Dakota—and Crash, frustrated by Penn’s laughing, grabs the button, tosses it into the hole he’s digging, pours dirt on it, and stomps it down with his foot.
By Jerry Spinelli
Fourth Grade Rats
Jerry Spinelli
Jake and Lily
Jerry Spinelli
Loser
Jerry Spinelli
Love, Stargirl
Jerry Spinelli
Maniac Magee
Jerry Spinelli
Milkweed
Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl
Jerry Spinelli
There's a Girl in my Hammerlock
Jerry Spinelli
Third Grade Angels
Jerry Spinelli
Wringer
Jerry Spinelli
Appearance Versus Reality
View Collection
Books that Teach Empathy
View Collection
Brothers & Sisters
View Collection
Challenging Authority
View Collection
Daughters & Sons
View Collection
Equality
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Fathers
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Guilt
View Collection
Juvenile Literature
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Popular Study Guides
View Collection
Power
View Collection
Pride & Shame
View Collection
Realistic Fiction (Middle Grade)
View Collection
Teams & Gangs
View Collection
Truth & Lies
View Collection
YA & Middle-Grade Books on Bullying
View Collection