Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover. Houghton Mifflin.
Summary
A great first novel in the series, The Crossover is the story of 12-year old twins Josh and Jordan. On the court, they're unstoppable, and off the court, Josh likes to tell his family's story with his 'mad beats.' Told in verse, The Crossover explores what it's like to be the sons of a former basketball star, while pulling readers into the story of brotherhood and family. With emotional twists and turns, readers will enjoy this initial verse-novel of the series.
A Teacher's Perspective
Last semester, I read Rebound for my child-lit class. This was my obvious choice when I saw Alexander's name on the required reading list.
Basketball, and poetry, are not my favorite (though the more I attend my students' games, the more I understand and appreciate the sport), yet this book wasn't what I was expecting. I loved how the poetic styles changed throughout, and sometimes Josh was 'rapping' through his story. I feel like this book is very accessible to teenagers as young as 7th grade, despite being 'poetry' (that they always 'hate').
Want to know more?
To purchase your own copy of The Crossover: Click here!
To teach this book, there is a great TeachersPayTeachers Novel Study available (not my product): Link
Kwame Alexander reads an excerpt from this book:
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