Josh and Jordan’s strong bond, as well as their evident love for their parents, propels the plot just as much as the brothers’ basketball dreams.Īlexander was inspired to write the novel, as he says, because “I simply wanted to write a good story about sports, family, friendship, and that first crush, all things that were important to me when I was 12.” In another interview with Sports Illustrated Kids, he elaborated on his reasons for writing: “I guess the first thing is I wanted to talk about the relationship between fathers and sons. However, readers also note the novel’s strong depiction of family love and the power of connection. His concrete poems play with font style and size to mimic a basketball game’s fast and frenetic pace. Alexander’s fresh metaphors (“Your game so sweet, it’s a crêpes suzette,” for example) show a sly sense of humor.

Joyce Sidman, a former Newbery Award winner for poetry, called it a “masterful mixture of rhythm and heart.” Its rhythm and character are apparent. The Crossover, which received praise from poets and fiction writers alike, won the 2015 Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award Honor. His refusal, the brothers’ argument, and Josh’s hopes for a championship season collide during Josh’s final game. However, despite dizzy spells and his wife’s warnings, Mr. Throughout the novel, Josh hints that his dad is seriously ill. The novel charts Josh and Jordan’s eventual path towards reconciliation, while at the same time delivering ominous hints about another member of the family: the boy’s father, a former basketball star who had NBA potential.

When Jordan begins dating “Miss Sweet Tea,” the new girl at school, Josh feels betrayed and isolated, and he takes it out on Jordan on the court. Throughout the novel, Josh struggles to reconnect with his twin brother, Jordan, another family basketball phenom whose “crossovers make even the toughest ballers cry.” Though Jordan never had Josh’s same passion for basketball, Josh grows increasingly frustrated by Jordan’s wish for a separate life, one that’s disconnected from his twin’s love of basketball. Josh's 'Rules for Basketball,' as well as descriptions of important games, repeat throughout the novel.īrotherhood, as well as other aspects of family life, are just as central to the novel.

Basketball provides the story's structure since its main events take place during a spectacular season for Josh’s highly competitive team. The Crossover’s narrator, Josh Bell, captures the highs and lows of adolescence through vivid descriptions of heart-pounding three-pointers and monotonous games spent on the bench. Its author, Kwame Alexander, aims to reach a wide variety of readers, including reluctant ones, through sports stories that are really about family, love, and friendship. The Crossover is a novel in verse about brotherhood and basketball.

Kwame alexander swing