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57 pages 1 hour read

Jerry Spinelli

Crash

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1996

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Essay Topics

1.

As a six-year-old, what behaviors does Crash Coogan exhibit that are aggressive? Explain how his actions impact those around him using passages from the text.

2.

What about Penn Webb annoys Crash? Why does Penn bother Crash? What does he do about how Penn makes him feel?

3.

Name two of Penn’s principles and describe how they affect his behavior toward others.

4.

How does Penn react to Crash and Mike’s tormenting? Why does he react that way? How does this frustrate Crash?

5.

How could Crash’s behavior toward Jane Forbes at the school dance be categorized? How does Jane react? Analyze their interaction and how it reveals their characters by citing examples from the novel.

6.

Why does Crash feel so badly when Scooter has a stroke? Why does Crash feel responsible for it?

7.

How does Crash’s complaint about his mother’s choice of Christmas tree decorations symbolize Crash’s feelings about his family?

8.

Why does impulsively buy a gift for Scooter and why is he more embarrassed about where he bought it than what he bought? What does this demonstrate about Crash’s emotional maturity and growth?

9.

Describe two ways in Crash and Abby work together and explain how each interaction with Abby demonstrates Crash’s new, more caring attitude. How does the relationship between the siblings evolve?

10.

What is the “gift” that Crash gives during the school tryouts for the Penn Relays? Why is it as much a gift for Scooter as it is for Penn?

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