The Crossover - Family, Love, Basketball

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alexander, Kwame. 2014. The Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0544107717 

PLOT SUMMARY

The Crossover tells the story of Josh Bell, a 12 year old basketball phenom.  Together, with his twin brother Jordan (JB), the two are unstoppable on the basketball court.  Off the court, they are as close as brothers can be, and they also have a very special relationship with their father.  Josh's life is in perfect harmony.  As the novel progresses, however, the threads that hold his life together start to unravel.  JB becomes smitten with a new girl in school and begins to pull away from his brother.  Josh learns the real reason for his grandfather's death, hypertension, and is increasingly worried his own father is preordained for that same fate.  And a terrible choice made in anger puts his basketball career on the line.  Will Josh be able to pull his life back together, or is he destined to sit on the bench alone?   

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Kwame Alexander is truly a gifted writer.  His novel in verse begins with a poem that sucks the reader in and brings the basketball game to life.  Interspersed throughout the novel, Josh's poems let the reader know exactly how he is feeling in the moment and the depths of his passion for the game.  The deliberate placement of each word and letter in these poems adds to their magic.  Alexander's varied use of poetry styles throughout make this novel a smooth but powerful read.  

While basketball does play an important role in the story, it is not necessary to be a fan of the game in order to enjoy and relate to this book.  The themes of love, family, and brotherhood are universal and are what keep the plot moving forward.  Alexander makes it abundantly clear just how strong the Bell family bond is and the mutual respect each member of the family has for the others.  Readers who have ever argued with their siblings will understand the progression of Josh and JB's relationship.  The tragic climax of the book will affect all readers on a profound emotional level, regardless of age, gender, race, or interest in sports.

Alexander's novel has many examples of cultural authenticity.  Josh's beloved locks are a source of pride for him  They remind him of some of his favorite rappers, as well as an all-start Croatian basketball player featured on ESPN's Best Dunks Ever.  This player's locks looked like wings helping him fly above the basket, and this image has inspired Josh to "fly", as well.  Josh's nickname, Filthy McNasty, comes from the Horace Silver song.  This jazz musician was a favorite of Josh's father, and his son's failure to appreciate the greatness of Silver's songs is what initially earned him the nickname Filthy McNasty.

I especially loved the portrayal of Josh and JB's parents.  Not only are they highly successful in their professional lives (Crystal Bell is a high school assistant principal and Chuck Bell was a professional basketball player), they are loving and supportive parents, as well.  The boys have much admiration and respect for their parents.  As a mother of two young children, I couldn't help but hope this is how my children will view me when they are 12.

The Crossover was a moving read that will stay with me for a long time.  I look forward to exploring more of Kwame Alexander's writing.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

2015 Newbery Medal Winner

2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner

2015 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Honor for Outstanding Fiction for Children

2015 Penn State/Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

2015 Paterson Poetry Prize for Young People's Literature

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - "Josh is a likable, funny, and authentic character. Underscoring the sports and the fraternal tension is a portrait of a family that truly loves and supports one another. Alexander has crafted a story that vibrates with energy and heart and begs to be read aloud. A slam dunk."

From BOOKLIST - "An accomplished author and poet, Alexander eloquently mashes up concrete poetry, hip-hop, a love of jazz, and a thriving family bond. The effect is poetry in motion. It is a rare verse novel that is fundamentally poetic rather than using this writing trend as a device. There is also a quirky vocabulary element that adds a fun intellectual note to the narrative. This may be just the right book for those hard-to-match youth who live for sports or music or both."

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "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-worthy triumph to profound pain. This verse novel delivers a real emotional punch before the final buzzer."

CONNECTIONS

Nicknames are important in this novel.  Most of the characters have one (Filthy McNasty, JB, Miss Sweet Tea, Da Man).  Make a list of the nicknames with your students and discuss the significance of each one.  Ask students to share their own nicknames with the class and how they earned theirs.

The poems Josh creates while playing basketball are pure magic.  Discuss some examples of these poems from the book.  Then, ask students to write a lyrical poem to describe their experiences when they are doing something they enjoy.

Share this video with your students of Kwame Alexander discussing The Crossover.

If your students enjoyed Alexander's writing, introduce them to more of his work.

• Alexander, Kwame. He Said, She Said. ISBN 978-0062118981
• Alexander, Kwame. Crush: Love Poems for Teenagers. ISBN 978-1499364781

Have your students think about Josh and JB's future.  Will they continue to play basketball?  How will they move past the tragedy at the end of the book?  Discuss their thoughts and envision what their future might look like.