Alexander, Kwame. 2014. The Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 4500525452
Josh Bell raps and rhymes his way through this novel. He and his brother, Jordan (who goes by JB), are the key players on their school basketball team. They have their typical twin brother squabbles, but always remain the very best of friends until one day JB meets a girl. This new girl consumes all of his time and suddenly Josh feels lonely. On top of it all, their once star basketball playing father is dealing with health issues that he refuses to see a doctor about. Josh ends up losing his temper on his brother during a game, landing himself on the bench for the rest of the regular season. Just as JB and the team head to the finals, the Bell family faces a trial like they never imagined...and the boys will need one another more than ever.
The Crossover is written in a series of poems (or raps). Initially I wasn’t sure if I would like that as a reader, but wow! Kwame Alexander possesses so much talent in the art of storytelling and rhyming. The poetic flow to the novel adds even more to the story. I found myself almost able to hear Josh’s voice as the story carried on. I was completely surprised by the ending and this is absolutely a book I will visit again. Grab the tissues with this one! This book would blend nicely as part of poetry unit to demonstrate the different ways we see poetry in literature. There are many issues early elementary and middle schoolers can relate to. Discussion opportunities would include issues with siblings, feeling left out, competition in sports, and, with older grades, the effect of romantic relationships on friendships.
Readers that enjoy The Crossover may want to check out the second book, also written in poems, Booked.
Kwame Alexander is on the list of required authors.
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