The Crossover

The Crossover

By Kwame Alexander

41 ratings 75 reviews 60 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grades 3 - 8X4.316888

2015 Newbery Medal Winner
2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner
New York Times Bestseller 



"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I’m delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander.


   Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780544935204
ISBN-10: 0544935209
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 240

Book Reviews (77)

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This book is written in verses, and though I usually don't enjoy poems, I find myself loving this book. I originally picked it out since I love basketball and I read another poem book and it was very good. It is very humorous and heart-warming, hopefully, there is a sequel. I would definitely recommend it!

In the book The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. It is a realistic fiction book and it is also written in poetry. It takes place in school, on the basketball court, and in the hospital. The two main characters are Jordan and Josh who are both good basketball players. They are both trying to fill their dad's shoes and play professional basketball, but along the way there are some obstacles that they have to overcome. This book is about family, love, and sports. I loved this book and it made me want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

It gives good life lessons to you

very inspirational

This book was amazing! I don't normally read poetry, and it was the first book in that style I had read in years, but it was worth it! Josh "Filthy McNasty" and Jordan "JB" Bell dedicated most of their lives to basketball, taking after their father Chuck "Da Man" Bell who was a former pro player. They have done so as a team until the twins meet Alexis (more commonly known as "Miss Sweet Tea" here) and JB falls in love. In a fit on the court after JB calls him filthy as an insult, he hits him in the face with a ball, and they don't speak for a while. His mom decides to suspend him from the team after the incident. To add on to that problem, their parents tell them the reason Chuck retired was because of heart problems, and refused to see a doctor. His symptoms had started appearing again and he had to go to the hospital on multiple occasions. With an ailing father, a stressed mother, and a furious brother, Josh doesn't know what to do. Will the two brothers get over the hardships and fix their bond? Find out in The Crossover!

I wasn’t sure at first if I would like this book! It was written in a style I don’t normally read, and I don’t really like basketball. But this book wasn’t at all what I expected! Josh Bell plays basketball. So does his twin brother JB. Their dad is the famous basketball star Chuck Bell. Josh and JB were very close until JB meets Alexis, or “Miss Sweet Tea”, and dedicates all his time to her. Josh gets mad at JB, and he throws a basketball at his face. JB won’t speak to Josh, and then their dad goes to the hospital. Josh and JB make it through the sadness and worry and become close again. Don’t judge a book by its cover! (Or it’s length!)

Have you dribbled a ball? Have you stepped between the lines on the court? Have you gotten that feeling when you run so fast you can feel the wind against your face, legs, and your whole body? In my book The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, one of the main characters Josh faces some consequences after what he did. The setting is mainly at the basketball court and just play basketball or at his house. Josh and his twin brother don’t really get along unless they play basketball. During this one basketball game, Josh had the ball and was going to pass to Jordan, but Josh's nickname is Filthy McNasty. So just before Josh was going to pass to Jordan, Jordan said can you just give me the ball Filthy McNasty? When Josh was so mad he threw the ball at Jordan as hard as he could and after that Jordan got a bloody nose. That night his mom suspended Josh from the team. Josh’s, again and again, is when people always call him Filthy McNasty and he will tell them to stop but he knows that will never happen. If you like basketball I think you would really like this book. It’s not too easy or too hard. It’s a little like a poem. It’s interesting if you like basketball. So if you like a just-right read, poems, and basketball this book is for you definitely.

This book is very interesting because this book is different than any type of book.

I love this book. It is a novel in verse(that means poems!). I read it for school and I want to read more of this author's books.

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