The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Summary from Goodreads:

"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.

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.

Review:

I feel like 2020 is the year I’m finally getting to books I’ve been meaning to read for a long time! Also, it’s the second basketball book I’ve read this year. And, the second basketball book that blew me away! I had all the feels in this book. This book, written in verse, about two twin basketball stars moved me so much more than I was expecting.

And now I want to read all of Kwame Alexander’s books. That’s how great this book was. I’ve read his picture books. And I’ve recommended this book to kids at my library before. But, now I’ve finally read it. I get it.

I weirdly connected to Josh. On the surface, I have very little in common with him. I’m an adult, white female who does not play basketball. I do not have a twin. There was just something so universal about his feelings of being left behind, about his not being told about his dad’s health, about being kept out of everything. I connected to his anger about the unfairness of the world. I connected to him. And I guess if I (with my myriad of surface differences) could connect with Josh, so many others could too.

This book wasn’t just about basketball, though a lot of it was. It was about family, love, loss, and growing up. It was just so unique to have a book written in verse accomplish all that this did, and have its focal point be basketball too. I loved this. Some of the poems read more like a regular novel. You’ll read it like you are reading a normal book. And then some come across like poetry that’s meant to be read aloud. Or maybe that’s just my own interpretation? I read some of it out loud to myself. It just sounded like it needed to be read that way.

All in all, I found this book to be powerful. I’m not sure why it took me so long to get to it. I’m just glad to have read it. And I can’t wait to read more by this author. I give it a 9/10.