The Crossover

Bibliography: Alexander, Kwame. 2014. THE CROSSOVER. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ISBN 9780544107717

Audiobook: Hoopla. Ebook. Read by Corey Allen. Unabridged

Plot Summary: Twins, Josh and Jordan are in middle school and play basketball. Their dad is a retired professional basketball player and their mom happens the be an assistant principal at their school. The boys are talented and handsome. Josh is into basketball and very talented like his dad. His brother, Jordan or JB as they call him enjoys playing the game but is coming of age and discovering his hormones.  The boys find themselves growing apart because their shared interest of basketball cannot keep them together forever. At one point, the boys find their dad's championship ring as well as letters that explain why their dad had to retire early from basketball. Josh and JB go through the highs and lows of being teenage boys: competing for the same girl, having each other's back even though it'll cause trouble between them, and loving each through the hard times.

Critical Analysis: Listening to Kwame Alexander's, The Crossover was good.  The sound quality is great and although the narrator is flat, I take advantage of the speed feature. If you are not familiar with this feature, it allows the listener to speed up the story so it doesn't sound slow.  The story is introduce with standard information and the narrator begins reading. The audiobook is two hours and fifteen minutes; it is good for a car ride to the beach, country, or road-trip. I do prefer reading print and I enjoy making the words flow to my own rhythmic vibe.  Corey Allen does capture the rhyme of the words but he reads the story with little excitement. I chose to read the print copy of The Crossover and I like how Mr. Alexander uses contemporary references throughout the story: talking about jazz and mentioning Dizzy Gillespie; the fact that Mr. Bell was invited to play for the Lakers; and even talking about eating cronuts, a cool doughnut/croissant combination. Mr. Alexander also writes with ease about life in an African American middle class family: mother and father are together and actively parenting; both work or had worked. He also adds a serious layer in addressing health issues and how they tend to be ignored by adults.  Even when the words are not rhyming, there is still a flow of words on the page that capture the reader. Mr. Alexander also writes about teenage growth, family, love, health issues and challenges, and loss. This is a book that readers young and old will enjoy and can relate to the story.

Review Excerpt(s):

Kirkus Reviews-" 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."

Connections:

When introducing stories written in verse, this would be a great example to book talk. This book can also be used to discuss legacy and family expectations.

When exploring themes found in literature, have students read this and discuss what themes are found in the story.

Have students go online and  find sports legacies; people who come from a family of athletes and coaches.  This is can be a fun activity to introduce the book.

Have students explore the genre of jazz in music and listen to the artists that are mentioned in the story.

This review are my own words and are part of a graduate studies class at Sam Houston State University.