Jackson’s journey in the book is to reconcile truth/fact and story/fantasy, and to recognize that each has a valuable role to play in life.

Throughout the book, Jackson expresses a preference for facts and truth and dismisses stories as, at their core, lies. Jackson’s preference can be understood as both a response to what he views as his parents’ unrealistic optimism and his anxiety about not being able to control or change his family’s circumstances. Crenshaw and Marisol, as well as Robin and his parents, ultimately help Jackson come to terms with his lack of control and see that imagination and whimsy can provide not only comfort but also evidence that anything is possible. In this way, truth/fact and story/fancy are not opposites (as Jackson initially sees them to be) but complementary.

Jackson views his parents’ optimism as rooted in fantasy and escapism, much like Robin’s favorite story about Lyle, the crocodile who lives in a Victorian brownstone with a human family. For example, when Jackson worries about how they will find money to pay for things, his parents suggest planting a money tree or writing a Grammy-award winning album. He contrasts their fanciful optimism with his fact-based version, noting that when he recognizes that sleeping in a van is better than sleeping on the street, he is being factual and culling truth from observation, like a proper scientist.