Crossover

Alexander, K. (2014). Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Summary:

Twin brothers, Josh and J.B. enjoy sharing the basketball court and their world with another. Kwame Alexander uses poetry to show the differing personalities of the twins as they begin to question what role they play in their family dynamic, social groups, and handle the difficulties of being teens. With a father who is a former pro basketball player, and a mother an assistant principal at their school both boys know what is expected of them both when life is going great, but what do you do when everything seems to fall apart unexpectedly.

Evaluative Criteria:

Theme/Style:  The author chooses to write this story in the form of poetry using rhymes, free verse, and lyrics, which is something that most readers are not familiar with.  This novel uses the entire family and centers around basketball in this story to help fill the pages with something that is relatable to young readers. The theme of family, love, friendship, sibling rivalry, adolescence, and basketball will entice readers and allow them to connect to their own lives and challenge their views on poetry. The dialogue between the twin brothers, their mother and father flow very easily and is natural in this novel.  While reading the novel, it may seem as if you were the one speaking to a parent or your own sibling. Choosing to use the point of view of the twin Josh allows readers to focus on how he is observing life and the action surrounding him. The mood is light hearted, but delves into deeper regions as the plot progresses and the twins discover new found relationships and the loss of a family member. 

Teacher Resource