Crash
by Jerry Spinelli
★ Top 25 book of 1996 · #13 on Best Books of 1996
Seventh-grade jock Crash Coogan has been running over people since he earned his nickname, especially his quiet Quaker neighbor Penn Webb. Told through Crash's eyes, this humorous story looks at stereotypes and life's surprises.
Best for: Middle-grade readers curious about what drives a bully and a jock
Crash is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 1996, out of 38 1996 books that cleared our data bar.
What Crash is about
Crash Coogan is a cocky seventh-grade super-jock who earned his nickname by flattening his cousin Bridget with his first football helmet, and he has been running over people ever since. His favorite target is Penn Webb, a dweeby, vegetarian Quaker kid who lives down the block. The story is told from Crash's own point of view, which gives readers an honest look at life inside a bully's head. Jerry Spinelli, a Newbery medalist, uses that view to explore bullying, snap judgments about other people and the way life can surprise you. It is a good fit for middle-grade readers and for the adults who care about them.
Crash on the Best Books of 1996
Crash came out in 1996. Of the 38 books first published in 1996 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #13 on our Best Books of 1996 list.
Why it made the list: 231 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.9 out of 5 (12 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1996 list
- Into the Wild Jon Krakauer, #11
- 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself Steve Chandler, #12
- Bridget Jones's Diary Helen Fielding, #14
- The Night Stalker Philip Carlo, #15
See all Best Books of 1996 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1995 Best Books of 1997.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 195 want to read it, 19 are reading it now and 17 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.9 out of 5 from 12 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 39 | 55% |
| Reader love | 100 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 71 | 20% |
Questions about Crash
When was Crash published?
Crash by Jerry Spinelli was first published in 1996.
Was Crash one of the best books of 1996?
Crash is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 1996, out of 38 1996 books that cleared our data bar. 231 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.9 out of 5 (12 ratings).
Why is Crash on the Best Books of 1996 list?
231 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.9 out of 5 (12 ratings).
More of the best books of 1996
- A Game of Thrones George R. R. Martin, #1
- The Green Mile Stephen King, #2
- Forbidden Knowledge Roger Shattuck, #3
- Push Sapphire, #4
- Fight Club Chuck Palahniuk, #5
- Neverwhere Neil Gaiman, #6
See the full Best Books of 1996, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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