The Crossover

crossover

Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. 978-0544107717  238 p. $16.99 Gr. 5-8
Twelve-year-old twins Jordan (JB) and Josh (Filthy McNasty) Bell are opposites except for their love of basketball.  Fueled by talent and their once-pro father’s support and example, they exhibit early skill in the game.  Josh is the only middle schooler who can slam dunk, and JB owns a fabulous three-point shot.  But change is brewing, in the form of a girlfriend for JB and health problems for Dad, and Josh, the narrator, captures the highs and lows of basketball and life.  Dad and assistant principal mom provide a family unit strong on love and discipline.  When Josh’s jealousy leads him to an in-game fight with JB, his parents suspend him from the game.  Avoiding doctors and his wife’s attempts at a better diet, their dad is hospitalized in a coma from high blood pressure.  The amazing free-verse poetry novel soars in Alexander’s hands; the rhythm and joy of playing on the court shines through, as does the weightiness and confusion faced by the Bell family.  A story of family, basketball, and endurance, bound to delight fans of basketball, jazz, and wordplay.  A fantastic book talk or read-aloud, this story could be used for examinations of novels in verse, rhythmic writing, sibling love and rivalry, family struggles, and character growth.
Realistic Fiction; Verse                     Melissa Scott, Shenango High School

One thought on “The Crossover

  1. The Crossover…2015 Newbery Award Winner

    Josh and Jordan, identical twins, have more than physical appearances in common. They are basketball stars for their junior high team, but that’s the end of their commonalities. Josh loves English where his brother lacks. Their father, a former basketball star, is their biggest cheerleader, and their mother, the assistant principal at their school, keep them in line. The brothers are trying to find their way in their own separate roles when Jordan gets a girlfriend and stops spending so much time with Josh. Through this time, their father is hiding the secret of why he quit playing semi-professional basketball, and why he is supposed to watch what he eats. The story comes to a crashing climax when their father is hospitalized during the championship game.

    Because their mother is a principal and their father a basketball star, the Bell twins have equal emphasis on education and extracurricular activities. Because Josh is the narrator, he allows insight into his character as an individual apart from his identical twin. The story is full of sports action, but also shows readers the importance of staying healthy nutritionally and knowing your family’s medical history to be proactive. Overall, readers will relate to this coming of age story told in lyrical verse.

    Realistic Fiction; Novel in Verse
    Brooke Gerlach, Manheim Central MS

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *