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)

Add a Rating

Kwame Alexander is the author of the book The Crossover - The reader is a basketball who describe himself with metaphor and simile has the best and his father who played in the Euro league of basketball and he's a dad health problem and his mom. The setting of The Crossover takes place at school and it takes place in the gym and at home . The main characters in The Crossover Is JB and Josh Bell the twins and their father Da Man and their Mom. Reader are introduced with funking names and it about boy who known for playing basketball and his twin brother and the readers talks about their father playing in the Euro Basketball League and there mom has their parents in their it also has some feeling to it with his dad's health problem. Alexander writing style is a poetic writing with describe the characters and it get to point of a feeling and gives me a sense of the setting like when jb and josh are on the court playing basketball and how his father played in the Euro Basketball League and I have enjoy this book because it's all about basketball and how the author used lot of rhyming. For Example This is the quote from the book the crossover “At the top of the key I’m MOVING & GROOVING POPping & ROCKING flossing flipping and my dipping will leave you slipping on the floor while I swoop in to the finish with fierce finger roll straight hole swoooooooooooosh. The Crossover Book is a amazing book it made think of a place writing all poetic things to image things about jb playing basketball it made see a boy who loves to play ball with his twin brother and a life of tough times and it's good for people love sports and tough times. The Crossover won John Newbery the Honor Award and the Coretta Scott Key Award. Kwame Alexander published the book 2014 Alexander grew up in Reston Virginia.

Kwame Alexander is the author of the book The Crossover - The reader is a basketball who describe himself with metaphor and simile has the best and his father who played in the Euro league of basketball and he's a dad health problem and his mom. The setting of The Crossover takes place at school and it takes place in the gym and at home . The main characters in The Crossover Is JB and Josh Bell the twins and their father Da Man and their Mom. Reader are introduced with funking names and it about boy who known for playing basketball and his twin brother and the readers talks about their father playing in the Euro Basketball League and there mom has their parents in their it also has some feeling to it with his dad's health problem. Alexander writing style is a poetic writing with describe the characters and it get to point of a feeling and gives me a sense of the setting like when jb and josh are on the court playing basketball and how his father played in the Euro Basketball League and I have enjoy this book because it's all about basketball and how the author used lot of rhyming. For Example This is the quote from the book the crossover “At the top of the key I’m MOVING & GROOVING POPping & ROCKING flossing flipping and my dipping will leave you slipping on the floor while I swoop in to the finish with fierce finger roll straight hole swoooooooooooosh. The Crossover Book is a amazing book it made think of a place writing all poetic things to image things about jb playing basketball it made see a boy who loves to play ball with his twin brother and a life of tough times and it's good for people love sports and tough times. The Crossover won John Newbery the Honor Award and the Coretta Scott Key Award. Kwame Alexander published the book 2014 Alexander grew up in Reston Virginia.

Kwame’s writing style is like a young boy sharing about what goes on in his life. He talks about what goes on in basketball and with his family and friends. Kwame’s writing style makes the reader feel like they are best friends with the main character because they know so much about their life. The author has many good quotes in the story. My favorite is “ If you’ve stopped playing the game, you already lost.” This is my favorite quote because it’s very inspirational and teaches to never give up. The Crossover- made me smile, tear up a little and get to learn a lot about what the life of a teen basketball player is like. This book is very great and I would recommend it for everyone!

Kwame Alexander, the author of The Crossover - takes his readers on a journey through the life of two boys that love baskball. Also they are brothers that always are there for each other. The Crossover - won the John Newbery Medal in 2015. Kwame Alexander has always loved writing, ssnd loved writing poems. So one day he wrote a story that was all poems. “I tried to write the book to show boys — and girls — that poetry could be cool,” Kwame Alexander said. The setting of The Crossover - takes place in two different places. When the story starts, the reader is in the Bell’s family’s house. As the story goes on, the reader is transported to the school, and then back to the house. The main characters in The Crossover- The Bell family, Mr. Bell, Mrs. Bell, Josh Bell (or Filthy McNasty) and Jordan Bell. (or JB) As you read through The Crossover, you get to see some heartbreaking moments that might leave you wondering and wanted more. Also you get to go through life in the eyes of both JB, and Josh Bell. Also, one of the quotes in the books are, “If you stop playing the game, you have already lost. “ This quote shows that you should never give up and always have persistent in life. Kwame Alexander’s writing style is much like a time line throughout the story. He tells the story about the Bell family out of poems. The poems in the books are good because, one it’s easer, and two each poem takes you through a different place in the timeline. Lasty, The Crossover - made me laugh, almost cry, and learn to love the Bell family. I felt like these made the story more interesting, and wanting more. Readers will read the book in the eyes of the Bell family, and in the eyes of two boys that love basketball, and never stop having love in their hearts.

KOCHUBA KOCHUBA

“My father was the light of my world, and now that ‘s gone, each night is starless.” this quote expresses his dad in many ways. I really love this quote a lot. The Crossover made me laugh, and i was about to cry at many parts of the story. I Learned many things about the Bells family. I felt like I was in the book at Josh’s basketball games because the author really made the book interesting. It was a great way to experience a really good book and a way to help solve problems in the real world.

Kwame Alexander is the author of the book The Crossover - The reader is a basketball who describe himself with metaphor and simile has the best and his father who played in the Euro league of basketball and he's a dad health problem and his mom. The setting of The Crossover takes place at school and it takes place in the gym and at home . The main characters in The Crossover Is JB and Josh Bell the twins and their father Da Man and their Mom. Reader are introduced with funking names and it about boy who known for playing basketball and his twin brother and the readers talks about their father playing in the Euro Basketball League and there mom has their parents in their it also has some feeling to it with his dad's health problem. Alexander writing style is a poetic writing with describe the characters and it get to point of a feeling and gives me a sense of the setting like when jb and josh are on the court playing basketball and how his father played in the Euro Basketball League and I have enjoy this book because it's all about basketball and how the author used lot of rhyming. For Example This is the quote from the book the crossover “At the top of the key I’m MOVING & GROOVING POPping & ROCKING flossing flipping and my dipping will leave you slipping on the floor while I swoop in to the finish with fierce finger roll straight hole swoooooooooooosh. The Crossover Book is a amazing book it made think of a place writing all poetic things to image things about jb playing basketball it made see a boy who loves to play ball with his twin brother and a life of tough times and it's good for people love sports and tough times. The Crossover won John Newbery the Honor Award and the Coretta Scott Key Award. Kwame Alexander published the book 2014 Alexander grew up in Reston Virginia.

aprmoon aprmoon

It was a great book. Everyone should read it.

I think the Crossover is one of the most moving books I've ever read. In the Crossover, I felt like I was really connecting to Josh and JB, and I felt like I could see what was happening as if I've seen it with my own eyes. In the book, there are a lot of very sad moments (trying not to spoil), and I don't really ever get emotional when reading books. In the Crossover, though, I could actually feel the tears in my eyes as this happened. Most poetry books don't even appeal to me, but this one exceeded expectations. If you are in need of a good book the Crossover is definitely the one for you! Sammy K

I think the Crossover is one of the most moving books I've ever read. In the Crossover, I felt like I was really connecting to Josh and JB, and I felt like I could see what was happening as if I've seen it with my own eyes. In the book, there are a lot of very sad moments (trying not to spoil), and I don't really ever get emotional when reading books. In the Crossover, though, I could actually feel the tears in my eyes as this happened. Most poetry books don't even appeal to me, but this one exceeded expectations. If you are in need of a good book the Crossover is definitely the one for you.

This book is really cool. You don't have to like basketball to enjoy this book, the whole book is amazing. The plot is really good, and the book is impossible to drop.

Show More