The Crossover

Citation:

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

Summary:

Josh, aka Filthy McNasty, is the best basketball player in his middle school. The only other player who even comes close is his twin brother, JB. The two are sometimes best friends and sometimes worst enemies, but their love of family and the game of basketball link them with a bond that can never be broken. Told entirely in poetry, this book is divided into quarters, just like a real basketball game. Only the story tells much more than just what happens on the court in one small game. It covers Josh’s story of what unfolds both on and off the court as his team prepares for the championship game. Along the way, he learns that the court is like his family and that his heart is like a basketball, so no matter what happens in the game, the ball stays on the court.

Response:

The format of this book is fiction told through a series of poems, so it is of course appealing for students who are poetry lovers. It is also appealing to young male readers or those who are interested in basketball, since the protagonist is a middle school boy who plays the game. Though this book definitely targets a specific audience, its depth of topics and themes make it about so much more than the sport. The poems definitely include action poems describing what happens in games, but they also show Josh’s struggles throughout the year. He deals with changing relationships as his twin brother seemingly abandons him for a girlfriend. He deals with the loss of a parent as his father dies unexpectedly towards the end of the novel. Josh struggles to make amends for a bad decision that left his brother hurt and himself suspended from the team. Because the challenges he faces are deeper than surface-level basketball problems, this book reaches a wide variety of audiences. The poetry is easy to read and enjoyable for a wide array of students.

Other Resources:

Book review with reader Q&A 

Author’s website 

Discussion and activity guide for The Crossover 

Textbook Connections:
Genre: fiction
Format: poetry
The poems included are all different styles. Some rhyme. They all have different rhythm patterns. Most are free verse poetry with some concrete poems.
This book includes foreshadowing which points towards the eminent death of Josh's father, including his mother's worry for his diet and the mentioning of their grandfather's untimely death.