Bibliographic Data
Alexander,
Kwame. 2014. THE CROSSOVER. New York:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 9780544107717
Plot Summary
This novel-in-verse
tells the story of Josh Bell, a middle schooler and basketball star, who is
trying to find his way through the ups and downs life sends his way. Through verse, we experience Josh’s roller
coaster of emotions as he deals with the complexities of middle school, his dad’s
sudden health issues, eavesdropping on his parents’ arguments, and jealousy for
the things his twin brother has.
Critical Analysis
Kwame
Alexander does a stellar job at divulging this story’s character, plot, and
setting entirely through verse. With
each turn of a page, a new poem reveals to us a little bit more of who Josh is
and the daily struggles he faces. We learn
he is a basketball prodigy, but also an intelligent scholar. He is devoted to his twin brother, but also
makes a choice to intentionally hurt him when anger and envy drive him to
frustration. He has a special bond with
his mom, but resents the effects of her position as the assistant principal at
his school. He is loyal to a fault where
his dad is concerned, wanting to preserve his happiness even at the cost of
hiding signs of his depleting health from his mother.
The
poems are generally free verse, but unexpected bursts of rhyme are scattered
about, non-traditionally placed, which delivers a surprising and impactful rap
effect.
He has the better jumper, but I’m the better
slasher. And much
faster. We both
pass well.
Especially to each other.
The frequent
use of capital letters, italics, varying font size, and vertical text make the words look as
though they are moving across the page, becoming more sporadic and varied as the
action rises, for instance, during the midst of an intense ball game.
The
chapters are cleverly sectioned off as quarters in a basketball game, beginning
with Warm-Up, going through all four quarters, and ending with Overtime. Josh, the wordmaster, occasionally pauses the
story to define the advanced vocabulary being used and provide contextual
examples which give a little more insight into his feelings about the events
playing out around him. Some of the
poems consist entirely of dialogue between two characters, one shown in
italicized font to distinguish it from the other character’s words.
What
begins as a creative expression of a basketball star’s day to day life quickly
becomes something much more serious, as Josh deals with family hardships,
middle school drama, and newfound feelings of loneliness, worry, and regret
over his choices and their consequences.
This is not a novel you will be able to set down and forget after
turning the last page; this is a story that will impact you and stick with you
long after the last word is read.
Review Excerpts
"Alexander
fully captures Josh's athletic finesse and coming-of-age angst in a mix of free
verse and hip-hop poetry that will have broad appeal. . . . This will inspire
budding players and poets alike." —Bulletin
of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
"The
poems dodge and weave with the speed of a point guard driving for the basket,
mixing basketball action with vocabulary-themed poems, newspaper clippings, and
Josh's sincere first-person accounts that swing from moments of swagger-worth
triumph to profound pain." —Publishers Weekly
"The
Crossover is destined to reach—and touch—readers who never gave basketball or
poetry a second thought until now. It’s tough, muscular writing about a tender,
unguarded heart." —BookPage
"Since
poet Alexander has the swagger and cool confidence of a star player and the
finesse of a perfectly in-control ball-handler, wordplay and alliteration roll
out like hip-hop lyrics, and the use of the concrete forms and playful font
changes keep things dynamic." —Horn Book Magazine
- Connections
Read other books in the series, Booked and Rebound, or the graphic novel version of The Crossover - Perform selections of the text as a rap in front of an audience
- Read other novels in verse, such as The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo or Stop Pretending by Sonya Sones
- Pair with non-fiction books about sports and athletes
Awards and Honors
- New York Times bestseller
- Newbery Medal Winner
- Coretta Scott King Honor Award
- YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults
- 2015 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
- Publishers Weekly Best Book
- School Library Journal Best Book
- Kirkus Best Book
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