Crash! by Jerry Spinelli

Crash is a young american boy, heavily into football and tormenting his geeky neighbour. The story follows Crash as he develops from obnoxious jock into a more mature human being. The author manages to deal with 'real life issues' such as bullying and illness in a lighthearted way but without being superficial or dismissive. I would recommend this to fluent readers particularly boys who like their humour cheesy and their characters simple. Although a word of caution; they may actually find themselves becoming nicer people after reading it.

Reviewed by Miss Raine [Lee Manor School]