The Crossover Book Review













The Crossover

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alexander, K. (2019). The Crossover. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 978-0-544-10771-7

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Twins Jordan and Josh are basketball stars at their middle school. Their dad is a legendary pro basketball player who is devoted to the boys’ success. A series of events lead to rifts between the twins. Ignored health warnings by their dad led to his untimely death. Jordan and Josh find their way back to each other off and on the court.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The main characters, Josh (aka Filthy) and Jordan (JB) are easily relatable as middle schoolers. They come from a nuclear family. The reader cares about the characters because their love is apparent. The boys are twins who both love basketball and have a retired professional basketball dad. The plot is believable because the day-to-day life is described first person by Josh. Middle school experiences such as friendships, girlfriends, and basketball games will resonate with readers. The brothers have a rift between them as their dad is ignoring warning signs of his health. The setting is believable because most of the story is at the basketball court or the boys’ home. The mood switches between fast-paced action and hum drum everyday life events. The theme is blood thicker than water. The bond between the twins is evident even when they're in a fight. The style of the novel is written in verse. It is written in first person from Josh’s point of view. When he is speaking the verses are italicized, and when others are speaking it is print verses. The Crossover won the Newberry Award in 2015 as well as the Coretta Scott King Author Honor. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist (July 2019 (Vol. 115, No. 21))

Grades 5-8. This adaptation of Alexander’s Newbery-winning novel in verse brings each character and event to life through Anyabwile’s dynamic line work and portions of Alexander’s beautiful poetry. The artwork, in a palette of black, white, gray, and orange, evokes the imagery of the basketball, ensuring that readers feel Josh Bell’s experiences come to life. Josh and his brother, Jordan, sons of a basketball legend, rule the court, especially when they cooperate. But when the two find themselves growing further apart, as hormones increase and a girl enters the picture, life on and off the court falls into chaos. Although larger portions of the text in this adaptation exist in prose form, the poetry of the novel still exists at various stages to bring readers back to Alexander’s original lively style. An energetic and lively re-envisioning, this transformation of the original text into a combination of visuals, poetry, and changing font styles will be sure to engage young readers who are both familiar and unfamiliar with Alexander’s original work.

5. CONNECTIONS

Related Books:

There are 2 other books in this series. 


Alexander, K. (2016). Booked. Andersen Press. ISBN: 9781783444656

Alexander, K., & Dawud Anyabwile. (2018). Rebound. Farmington Hills Thorndike. ISBN: 9781432861988


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