The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The Crossover 

Bibliography 

Alexander, Kwame.  2014. The Crossover. New York, NY: Clarion. ISBN 9780544107717 

Plot Summary 

The novel in verse is told from the perspective of Josh, a.k.a. Filthy McNasty, one of the star players on his middle school basketball team. His brother, Jordan, a.k.a. JB, is also on the team. Their father is a former basketball star, and their mother is the assistant principal at his school. Throughout the book, Josh becomes isolated as he and his brother drift apart, sparked by JB getting a girlfriend, and then exacerbated by Josh throwing a ball at JB’s face during a game in a fit of rage. Josh gets suspended from the team, and JB becomes the star. Around the time of the playoff game, the twins’ father has a heart attack while they are practicing and is hospitalized. JB is unable to play out of guilt for being on the court with his father when he went into cardiac arrest, but Josh helps his team with the game. Josh finally pulls off his father’s signature basketball move successfully, the crossover, and his father has a second heart attack and passes away during the game. 

Critical Analysis 

From the moment that Josh loses his dreadlocks at the hand of his brother, we know that he is going to struggle throughout the book, and most of this struggle has to do with his brother. They are both growing up, and with that they start to grow apart. As JB spends more time with his girlfriend, Josh’s loneliness turns to rage on the basketball court, driving a wedge even farther between them. It’s not until after their father’s heart attack that they start to reforge their relationship, although it will never be exactly the same between the brothers. There was also a great deal of foreshadowing regarding their father’s heart health. When we read about his nausea and dizziness, we know that the boys are going to lose their father before the end of the book. 

Alexander’s poetic style greatly accentuates the story. He includes different styles of poems, some free-form and some rhyming. The arrangement and size of the words on the page evoke quick actions and loud sounds during basketball games, and he also included short “Basketball Rule” poems that are rules of life, not just the court. The poem that I thought was the most impactful was “Dear Jordan;” this two-column poem about how Josh misses JB is arranged is split into two sides, similar to how JB and Josh are split apart. Each column can be read on its own, or they can be read together, alternating sides, as one whole poem. 

Review Excerpts 

2015 John Newberry Medal Winner 

2015 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Author Honor 

2015 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award Winner 

2015 Charlotte Huck Award Honor 

School Library Journal Starred 3/1/2014 “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.”—Kiera Parrott 

Horn Book Guide 10/1/2014 “Josh's narration is a combination of exciting play-by-play game details, insightful observations on middle school, and poignant meditations on sibling dynamics and familial love. This verse novel has massive appeal for reluctant readers.” 

Connections 

This book would be good for getting boys to read, especially those interested in sports. Readers may also enjoy Kwame Alexander’s sequel Booked ISBN 9781328596307 or Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson ISBN 9780399545436