The Crossover

BOOK REVIEW: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

CITATION:

Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.

ISBN: 9780544107711

SUMMARY:

Josh and his twin brother are in 8^th grade and are promising basketball stars, just like their father who was a famous basketball player. Once best friends, the two brothers begin feuding when JB gets a girlfriend. Getting pressure from his mother who is the assistant school principal, Josh has a tough time adjusting to the change in his brother and his father’s health decline.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Written in mostly free verse, this book by Kwame Alexander will captivate young readers with a moving plot, and a style of writing that jumps, slides, and dunks just like a ball on the basketball court. Set in suburban America in today’s time, this story features realistic characters with relatable feelings. Josh, the main character, expresses his complex feelings about being abandoned by his twin brother and wrestling with uncertainty about is dad’s health. He uses basketball lingo to express his feelings about his situation. With varying changes in the way the words of the poems are situated on the page (bold, larger fonts, italics, and vertical positioning of words) Alexander creates a fun and fast reading experience of poetry about basketball, family and life.

The detailed writing by Alexander creates imagery to include many cultural markers that portray what it is like to be an African American family in an ordinary town American. Josh’s poetry talks about his hair, which are long dreadlocks that he cuts because he loses a bet with his brother on the basketball court. The boys’ dad speaks of jazz, hip-hop and Tupac. The language spoken by the boys and their dad has slang that shows authenticity, such as “I’m Da Man.” The extended family celebrates together with food, and food is also a focus for Josh’s dad, who indulges in foods like doughnuts and fried chicken. Sadly, this (and his family history) contribute to his heart attack.

Pervasive themes of family bonds, priorities, and competition can be seen in this story. Another theme is that there are consequences to every action, shown when Josh gets suspended from the basketball team, and when his father chooses to not see a doctor. Teenage readers will enjoy the fast pace of the book. Many will also be able to relate to feeling left out, worrying about a parent, or trying to be excellent at something. Josh’s story gives us a window into a segment of African American culture, and this snapshot is familiar and common to many children today.

REVIEWS AND AWARDS:

ALA Best and Notable Books

2015 Newbery Medal Winner

2015 Coretta Scot King Honor Award winner

New York Times Bestseller

Kirkus Review:

“The twins experience their first major rift when JB is attracted to a new girl in their school, and Josh finds himself without his brother. This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells. While Josh relates the story, readers get a full picture of major and minor players. The basketball action provides energy and rhythm for a moving story.”

The Children’s Book Review:

“The Crossover is told in verse – but what verse! Chapters are individual poems, sometimes rhyming, sometimes blank; sometimes sounding like hip-hop, sometimes just wonderful visuals, as when descending capital letters show a missed shot on the court, or get bigger as a player tries for a fast break. Always the poetry pushes the story along at a fast pace, and you are squarely in Josh’s head while events run their courses. Within that framework, every other character’s voice is clear as well.

‘Basketball Rule #1: In the game of life/ your family is the court/ and the ball is your heart. / No matter how good you are, / no matter how down you get,/ always leave/ your heart/ on the court.’

This is a book young people will probably want to read more than once, both for the themes in the story and for the author’s storytelling. It will appeal to middle grade readers who like sports – especially basketball – and coming of age stories.”

CONNECTIONS:

A great follow-up book would be Booked by Kwame Alexander because it is a similar story by the same author and the characters could be compared.

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman

BOOK REVIEW: Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman

CITATION:

Schroeder. Alan and Jerry Pinkney. Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1996.

SUMMARY:

In this book about Harriet Tubman as a child, readers are introduced to the oppressions and violence that accompanied slavery. Tubman’s childhood is set on a plantation and she is a strong-willed and determined young girl who is often punished because she does obey her slave owner when it conflicts with her beliefs. Her father teaches her how to survive in the wilderness, knowing that someday she will break free. An author’s note explains that Tubman’s courage and belief in what is right helped her save many slaves through the Underground Railroad.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Minty, about the young Harriet Tubman, is a fictional story but the simple facts are true. Harriet, known as “Minty” as a child, was a slave in the 1820s on a Maryland plantation and endured a difficult life. Offering an authentic representation Minty’s strong personality, readers will understand how her perseverance and strength helped her as an adult conducting the Underground Railroad.

The setting of this story is consistent with Maryland plantations during the 1820s, as explained by the authors who did extensive research before creating this book. Mrs. Brodas’s house, where Minty worked, shows an exposed brick fireplace, spindle legs on furniture, and curtains and tablecloths consistent with the period. The full-color illustrations by Pinkney are done with pencil, colored pencils, and watercolor and show exquisite details about life on a plantation. The illustrations show Minty’s family’s skin tone, facial features, clothing, and homes in a realistic way. The portrayal of Minty’s exposed back being whipped by the slave owner was horrifying, but accurate of the treatment of many slaves. After that incident, Minty’s father knew she would one day run away, so he set to helping her learn how to survive by navigating the stars, reading trees for the Northern direction, and catching and skinning animals.

This book celebrates diversity because it shows the rich history for which African Americans come from. Readers will see through this story that an unlikely person can be a hero when compelled to do the right thing and harness the courage to do so. While this story ends with Minty still on the plantation, readers can be satisfied knowing that she broke free of slavery as an adult and helped many others escape to freedom too.

Themes of endurance and strength can be seen clearly from this story. It can be harsh for children to truly ponder the sad truth that slaves were often treated this poorly, but it is important that these stories are told. The format of this book is spectacular, with complex and enriching illustrations and a straight-forward style of storytelling. There is no sugar-coating the harshness of how Minty was treated, but readers will celebrate her drive to stay true to herself and preserve through the egregious trials of growing up as a slave. An Author’s Note at the end explains how Minty eventually became the conductor of the Underground Railroad. An explanation of that operation helps readers grasp the courage of Harriet Tubman.

REVIEWS EXCERPTS:

Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator (1997),

California Book Award Silver Medal for Juvenile (1996)

From Booklist:

“Set on the Maryland plantation where Harriet Tubman ("Minty" ) was raised a slave, this fictionalized story dramatizes what daily life was like for her as a child. Schroeder's words are clear and strong. There's no gracious big house here, no happy slave. The angry Missus sends the "difficult" slave child Minty to work in the fields. When the overseer orders her to check the muskrat traps, she sets the animals free and is whipped for it. Pinkney's realistic portraits are powerful, and, as in John Henry (1994), the dappled double-page landscapes connect the strong child hero with the might of the natural world. Her mother tells her to "pat the lion," but her father knows she means to run away, and several idyllic paintings show him teaching her to read the night sky and swim in the river and survive in the woods. The blend of fact and fiction is occasionally problematic (was she really planning escape at eight years old, or was that age chosen to suit the picture-book audience?), but kids will be moved by the picture of secret childhood rebellion in someone who grew up to lead hundreds to freedom.”

From Kirkus Reviews:

“A fictional extrapolation of a few facts about Harriet Tubman's childhood--her unruliness, her punishments, and her plans for escape from slavery. ``Minty'' is a small, high-spirited child, cherishing a few moments away from the mistress, Mrs. Brodas, who burns Minty's doll when the girl doesn't come when she's called. From that day, Minty becomes a field slave and begins to acquire the information she needs from others for her future journey.”

CONNECTIONS:

Minty would pair well with Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney’s John Henry. Students would enjoy these two books with similar formats. Both books set forth to share the determination of the protagonists while upholding a true representation of life as an African American in the 1820s-1830s.

Minty would also be an excellent addition to a unit on African American heroes.