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.