Book Review: The Crossover

Title: The Crossover

Written by: Kwame Alexander

Illustrated by: Dawud Anyabwile

Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers; Illustrated edition September 24, 2019

ISBN:  978-1328575494

Plot Summary

The Crossover tells the story of Josh Bell, a twelve-year-old basketball phenom, as well as his twin brother and their parents. Josh goes through changes as his brother seemingly becomes more interested in "Sweet Tea Girl", as Josh refers to her, than basketball. Josh grows increasingly frustrated with his brother's distraction as well as worried about his father's health issues, until both issues come to a head.

Critical Analysis

The graphic novel version of this novel in verse adds to its rich language with vibrant illustrations and text design that make the words pop off of the page. The basketball theming is present throughout the story. The graphic novel's illustrations are all done in grey tones with only a bold orange, which represents the basketball itself, to add in a pop of color. The book is divided into sections named after the parts of a basketball game- beginning with the warm-up and then moving through Quarters 1-4 before ending in Overtime. There are also pages that are titled "Basketball Rules" and in the graphic novel, they are shown on what looks like a page that has been torn out of a playbook. These "rules" apply both to the game of basketball as well as to what is currently happening in Josh's life. 

The book makes frequent use of metaphors- Josh is "covered in more dirt than a chimney", his friend's girlfriend has "a mouth as big as Vermont", and "the stubble on my head feels like bugs are break-dancing on it." These phrases help to paint a picture and allow the reader to better see and feel Josh's experiences in their own mind. Since the book is written in the first person, you can almost "hear" Josh saying the metaphors aloud while you read. 

The book centers on Josh's close relationship with all of his family members. Of course, he and his twin, JB, share a love of basketball, although they are also different in many ways. Their mother is the assistant principal at their middle school and their father a former professional basketball player in Europe who had to retire due to health reasons. His health conditions are a constant undertone running throughout the book until they take center stage when he suffers a heart attack and has to be rushed to the hospital. Their close family dynamic is a major theme in the book, alongside basketball. 

The book uses rhyme at different points throughout the story. The opening section in the Warm-Up chapter is comprised of rhyming lines that give the text a rhythmic flow, much like the sound of a basketball being dribbled. Many of the rhymes throughout the book come in groups of threes, such as on page 14, "But watch out when he shoots or you'll get schooled, fooled, uncooled." The assonance is also reflected in the word "you'll" used in the verse.

Josh mentions in the book that he is studying for an important vocabulary test. This is something that he would usually do with his brother, helping him since he is a stronger student. However, since his brother is spending more time with his girlfriend, Josh finds himself studying alone. Many of the book's sections begin with a vocabulary word that fits the moment and its definition, for example, "churlish" is used when the brothers' fight comes to a climax and along with the definition, the word is used in several sentences, starting with one that is unrelated to the current events and then moving towards the action in the book. 

Excerpt

    Dear Jordan

                                Without You

I am empty,

                                The goal

with no net.

                                Seems

my life was

                                broken,

shattered,

                                like puzzle pieces

on the court.

                                I can no longer fit.

Can you

                                help me heal,

run with me,

                                slash with me

like we used to?

                                Like two stars

stealing sun,

                                like two brothers

burning up.

                                Together.

        P.S. I'm sorry.

Use

This excerpt from the book is both a meaningful part of the story's plot as well as one that really captures the writing style in its rhythm and use of symbolism. Read the excerpt aloud to the class once and then invite students to join in a choral reading to hear the rhythm structure. Students can discuss how they think Josh was feeling when he wrote this note as well as how they think JB may have reacted to reading it.