The Crossover: A Newbery Award Winner

By Kwame Alexander and Dawud Anyabwile

Series streaming now on Disney+, with executive producers including NBA great LeBron James!

The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award–winning middle grade bestseller! Basketball and heartache share the court in this slam-dunk novel in verse.

“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,” raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood—he’s got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it’s all on the line.

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9780544289598

Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander is a poet, an educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty-five books, including his Newbery Medal–winning middle grade novel The Crossover. Some of his other works include Booked, which was longlisted for the National Book Award; The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life; Swing; the picture books How to Read a Book and How to Write a Poem (coauthored with Deanna Nikaido), both illustrated by Melissa Sweet; and The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and won the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. He is a regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, currently serving as their poet ambassador. He lives in Virginia with his family. Visit his website at kwamealexander.com. 

Book preview

Cover: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. The cover image depicts a man standing and using his index finger to balance several words that form the shape of a basketball. The images of the John Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award are on the left side of the cover page. The quote from Nikki Giovanni on the top reads, “Bold! Explosive. I love the crossover. Everyone will.”Title page: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Clarion Books, Boston, New York.

Contents

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Cover

Title Page

Contents

Dedication

Copyright

Warm-Up

Dribbling

Josh Bell

How I Got My Nickname

At first

Filthy McNasty

Jordan Bell

On the way to the game

Five Reasons I Have Locks

Mom tells Dad

Conversation

Basketball Rule #1

First Quarter

JB and I

At the End of Warm-Ups, My Brother Tries to Dunk

The Sportscaster

Josh’s Play-by-Play

cross·o·ver

The Show

The Bet, Part One

Ode to My Hair

The Bet, Part Two

The game is tied

In the locker room

Cut

ca·lam·i·ty

Mom doesn’t like us eating out

Missing

The inside of Mom and Dad’s bedroom closet

pa·tel·la ten·di·ni·tis

Sundays After Church

Basketball Rule #2

Girls

While Vondie and JB

pul·chri·tu·di·nous

Practice

Walking Home

Man to Man

After dinner

After we win

Dad Takes Us to Krispy Kreme and Tells Us His Favorite Story (Again)

Basketball Rule #3

Josh’s Play-by-Play

The new girl

I Missed Three Free Throws Tonight

Basketball Rule #4

Having a mother

Mom shouts

hy·per·ten·sion

To fall asleep

Why We Only Ate Salad for Thanksgiving

How Do You Spell Trouble?

Bad News

Gym class

Second Quarter

Conversation

Conversation

Basketball Rule #5

Showoff

Out of Control

Mom calls me into the kitchen

35–18

Too Good

I’m on Free Throw Number Twenty-Seven

He probably

i·ron·ic

This Is Alexis—May I Please Speak to Jordan?

Phone Conversation (I Sub for JB)

JB and I

Boy walks into a room

At practice

Second-Person

Third Wheel

tip·ping point

The main reason I can’t sleep

Surprised

Conversation

Game Time: 6:00 p.m.

This is my second year

Basketball Rule #6

Josh’s Play-by-Play

Before

Third Quarter

After

Suspension

chur·lish

This week, I

Basketball Rule #7

The Nosebleed Section

Fast Break

Storm

The next morning

pro·fuse·ly

Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)

Mostly everyone

Final Jeopardy

Dear Jordan

I don’t know

No Pizza and Fries

Even Vondie

Uh-oh

I run into Dad’s room

Behind Closed Doors

The girl who stole my brother

Things I Learn at Dinner

Dishes

Coach’s Talk Before the Game

Josh’s Play-by-Play

Text Messages from Mom, Part One

The Second Half

Tomorrow Is the Last Day of School Before Christmas Vacation

Coach comes over

es·tranged

School’s Out

The Phone Rings

Basketball Rule #8

When we get to the court

At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad

Fourth Quarter

The doctor pats Jordan and me on the back and says

my·o·car·di·al  in·farc·tion

Okay, Dad

Mom, since you asked, I’ll tell you why I’m so angry

Text Messages from Vondie

On Christmas Eve

Santa Claus Stops By

Questions

Tanka for Language Arts Class

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to

Basketball Rule #9

As we’re about to leave for the final game

During warm-ups

Text Messages from Mom, Part Two

For Dad

The Last Shot

Overtime

Article #2 in the Daily News (January 14)

Where Do We Go from Here?

star·less

Basketball Rule #10

There are so many friends

Free Throws

Educator’s Guide

Sample Chapters from BOOKED

Buy the Book

Sample Chapters from REBOUND

Buy the Book

Read More from Kwame Alexander

Find Your Story

Books from Versify

About the Author

Connect on Social Media

Footnotes

Dedication

For Big Al and Barbara,

also known as Mom and Dad

Copyright

Copyright © 2014 by Kwame Alexander

Educator resources additional content © HarperCollins Publishers LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.

clarionbooks.com

Cover photo © 2014 istockphoto.com/ostill

Cover design and hand lettering by Lisa Vega

The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file.

ISBN 978-0-544-10771-7 hardcover

ISBN 978-0-544-93520-4 paperback

eISBN 978-0-544-28959-8

v11.0821

Six dots are connected in a zigzag pattern. The text below the pattern reads, Warm up.

Dribbling

At the top of the key, I’m

Moving & Grooving,

POPping and Rocking—

Why you Bumping?

Why you Locking?

Man, take this Thumping.

Be careful though,

’cause now I’m CRUNKing

CrissCrossing

Flossing

flipping

and my dipping will leave you

S

   L

      I

         P

            P

               I

                  N

                     G on the floor, while I

Swoop in

to the finish with a fierce finger roll …

Straight in the hole:

Swoooooooooooosh.

Josh Bell

is my name.

But Filthy McNasty is my claim to fame.

Folks call me that

’cause my game’s acclaimed,

so downright dirty, it’ll put you to shame.

My hair is long, my height’s tall.

See, I’m the next Kevin Durant,

LeBron, and Chris Paul.

Remember the greats,

my dad likes to gloat:

I balled with Magic and the Goat.

But tricks are for kids, I reply.

Don’t need your pets

my game’s so

fly.

Mom says,

Your dad’s old school,

like an ol’ Chevette.

You’re fresh and new,

like a red Corvette.

Your game so sweet, it’s a crêpes suzette.

Each time you play

it’s ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL net.

If anyone else called me

fresh and sweet,

I’d burn mad as a flame.

But I know she’s only talking about my game.

See, when I play ball,

I’m on fire.

When I shoot,

I inspire.

The hoop’s for sale,

and I’m the buyer.

How I Got My Nickname

I’m not that big on jazz music, but Dad is.

One day we were listening to a CD

of a musician named Horace Silver, and Dad says,

Josh, this cat is the real deal.

Listen to that piano, fast and free,

Just like you and JB on the court.

It’s okay, I guess, Dad.

Okay? Did You Say Okay?

Boy, you better recognize

greatness when you hear it.

Horace Silver is one of the hippest.

If you shoot half as good as he jams—

Dad, no one says hippest anymore.

Well, they ought to, ’cause this cat

is so hip, when he sits down he’s still standing, he says.

Real funny, Dad.

You know what, Josh?

What, Dad?

I’m dedicating this next song to you.

What’s the next song?

Only the best song,

Reviews for The Crossover

[jennybeast · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fast paced basketball and family focused novel in verse that packs a huge emotional punch with an amazingly small number of words. Relevant, gripping, powerful.

[reader1009-863136 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Middlegrade novel in verse (basketball, school, 9th grade twins). Kwame writes good poetry (with vocabulary-boosting words, even), and this would do well with certain 6th-9th grade boys who can't find books that speak to them otherwise. I generally want to skim over poetry novels and just find out what happens, but it becomes fairly clear that (1) the father will have some terrible health calamity happen to him and (2) this new girl will come between the two twins. Once I figured that out I stopped reading, since I wasn't really interested in the characters and how that would affect them so much (maybe because I didn't relate to them at all).

[electrascaife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic middle grade novel in free verse about twin brothers and their changing lives both on and off the basketball court. It's beautifully done, with varying methods of verse that reflect the situations and emotions as they change throughout, and with a story that grabs you right from the beginning and holds you to the end.A reread for me - Charlie read it for a school project and I decided to join him. (He loved it, too!)

[ssperson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was struggling to find a book to fit the "Read a book about sports" challenge in the 2017 BookRiot Read Harder Challenge. Although my children are athletes, and they and my husband enjoy watching sports, there's never really been a sport that I liked enough to want to read about it.

Thankfully, one morning on my way to work I was listening to "All the Books," a podcast from BookRiot, and one of the hosts mentioned that The Crossover, in addition to being a match to the listener's request, would be a great book for this particular challenge. I had a eureka moment, because I'd bought this book a couple of years ago for my boys. It was still sitting on Littlest's shelf. I was in.

I was immediately drawn in by the verse. The way the verse fluctuated in length, and the way different size fonts and spacing were used, really brought the feelings and emotions of the 13-year-old narrator to life. Really well done.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just finished reading this incredible, lovely, wrenching book. And now I am sobbing like a fool. This is one of those books that has incredible potential for all ages.

[brytniewheeler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Crossover book is about the life of a 12 year old basketball player, Josh Bell, in his 7th grade year at Reggie Lewis Middle School. This book is very relatable to junior high students, especially those that are involved in sports. This book talks about a lot of junior high topics such as love, loss, family, and sports.

[bookbrig-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been curious about this since it came out, and it was absolutely fantastic. Yes, I know, the fact that it's award winning probably highlights that, but I don't like ALL award winning books, so. It's a quick read, so while I'm not usually patient enough to make it through novels in verse it worked well for me. I also enjoyed that the story touched on so many things without slowing down or dragging. AND I TEARED UP. Maybe read this with some tissues.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A quick, unforgettable read written in hip hope verse. On the surface The Crossover is about sports, but it's about so much more than that. Josh and his twin Jordan are real ballers. They are the stars of their middle school basketball team and if they weren't twins they would probably hate each other. Their relationship starts to sour when Jordan starts spending more of his time with a new girl then with Josh or basketball. To top it off he's worried about his dad and he wants the basketball championship trophy more than anything. Wonderfully written, appealing to boys and girls of all ages as well athletes, poets, and pretty much everyone. Definitely worthy of the Newbery medal.

[rabidgummibear-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is amazing.
I hate basketball, but I loved this book.
The verses are insane and it all falls together so quickly.
I ended with tears in my eyes and amazed it was over so quickly.

Can't recommend this enough to anyone looking for a good different read.

[jenica_flores-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a very well written chapter book that is written in verses. This book is about two brothers that are very good at basketball. These brothers stop talking to each other because of a girl that comes between them. The main character josh discovers information about his father that he has trouble overcoming. This book had a sad ending but it was very good. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to students in grades 4th-8th grade. Kwame makes the josh a relatable character and makes the book a smooth read.

[lisa5127 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My kids' school read this book a few years back as an all-district read, but I never picked it up. I wish I would have read it while my son did. There are lots of good life lessons in this book, like ask questions of those you love rather than just not speaking. And the need to work through the bad times rather than let them get worse.

[matesewiggns · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Crossover by written in verse is the story of African American twins Josh and JP who are in middle schoolers with excellent grades and are basketball stars in their school. Although Josh and JP are twins they are completely different on the basketball court and hairstyles. Josh and JP relationship is tested when JP is attracted to the new girl in school and Josh is left fending for himself. The novel theme is family, basketball, dreams, and rhythm. The novel's format is especially important while reading this book because it flows like a basketball game through rhythm.

[lissabeth21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Who knew a book about basketball loving pre-teen twin boys could give you all the feels, send you careening back to those confusing in between years of middle school, and tear your parental apart in under 300 pages?! Bravo!

[kmann63 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a poetry novel that uses a variety of engaging style of poetry to draw the reader in. I could see this being particularly of interest to sports fans. It is a 2015 Newbery Medal Winner,2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner, and New York Times Bestseller.

[terris-7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this YA book on basketball, family, grief, and life. And I liked the way it was written in blank verse, rhyme, and rap. Very interesting and a quick read!

[lycomayflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A novel in verse about twin boys who play basketball. Enjoyable, though kind of heartbreaking in the end. Better poetry than it is a novel, though that's not really a criticism as such. Some of the poems about actually playing basketball on the court are amazing.

[jothebookgirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Josh and JB are twins, amazing on the basketball court, almost 13 years old. This is the year when everything changes. The story is written in beautiful verse.

Josh and JB’s world is one in which both parents are professionals. Their father is a former European league basketball player, and their mother is an assistant principal at the boys’ junior high school. The fact that the twins are both college-bound is an understated given. This the sweet story of av successful, close-knit African-American family in the Obama era.

“The Crossover” doesn’t ignore contemporary issues involving race. There is a traffic stop on the way to a game, in which the boys’ father (like many an African-American man) is pulled over for a minor infraction; Josh is warned by his mother about what happens to young black men who let their tempers get the better of them; his parents fight not over money or fidelity but over the father's diet and hereditary hypertension.

This story has not been sugar coated.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A basketball story told in free verse. Might be great for reluctant readers. Twins are both basketball players. One starts to have a girlfriend and the other is jealous and ends up throwing a basketball right at the twin's face and almost breaking his nose. Meanwhile the father suffers from heart issues related to his diet.

[lydia1879 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is incredible.

I would absolutely say that to read this book you have to listen to it on audiobook. It's written in verse, so that makes the experience of it all the more powerful. It's rhythmic, melodic, prosaic and probably one of my favourite audiobooks ever. The author has such great little riffs and tricks that he can pull with his words, I didn't know a book could be so smooth, so effortless.

If you like Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, you'll love this book.

I know nothing about basketball, but it actually doesn't matter because the story is great, and the characters are so well-developed for a young adult novel. It really surprised me.

I feel like I swallowed this book whole. Maybe I'm officially out of my reading slump thanks to this book.

Either way, I have a new favourite genre. Thank you, Kwame Alexander, may you make poetry for the rest of your damn life.

[mcorbink · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very fun to read aloud! The themes, basketball and loss, went very well together and the boys in my 5th grade class loved the book! (and the girls) We then made our own poems using the same type of format, very fun!!

[iudita_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my second experience at reading a book in free verse (Brown Girl Dreaming) and I have loved it both times. This was an incredible book. Great story, wonderful characters and absolutely incredible use of language. I was so impressed at the way the author was able to say so much with so few words. But what awesome words he uses! If you are someone who really appreciates the creative use of language in a book, I would highly recommend this. It can be read in one sitting and it would make a great read-aloud at home or in a classroom.

[jpemmrich5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. I read it with my son who I thought would enjoy it because he loves basketball. It is written in poems or raps which made it a little difficult for my son to follow at first but he did end up getting into the book. The design of the words on the pages was fun to see and the descriptions of the twins in action on the court were beautifully written. I didn't share those as my passages because you really have to SEE the words and read the poems in context to enjoy them properly. I would recommend this book for middle school age children.

[rosa.mill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

At first I was kind of bleh, but as I continued to listen I have to admit that the language is beautiful and the story is one that drew me in even though I'm not really into basketball. The family relationships and themes are universal.

[debnance_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two twin brothers, the son of a great basketball player, play ball together but grow apart when one of the twins has a girlfriend. Things between the two brothers grow worse as their father shows signs of illness. All written in poetry. Newbery Award winner, and deservedly so.

[asomers_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had to see if it lived up to all of the praise that I had heard and it certainly did. This is a book in verse that will sing to your reluctant readers and fly off the shelves into the hands of middle school boys.

[rdwhitenack · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A book in verse that I read in an hour or two. Suffers from many of the awkward nuances that sports books do, but pairing it with verse makes it work a lot better. Josh is a twin and son of a former pro player. His father suffers from a heart disease which looms as a threat. Girls, basketball, his mom (also his school's AP), and his dad's disease combine to make this young mans life tumultuous.

[jenw1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book for my MLIS "Resources for Children" class. It's a great read that makes you feel while at the same time entertaining you. Told from a 12yo boy's point of view, in poetic form, it was fun and sad and real. Recommended.

[daniellemd-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book ripped my heart out. The ending was devastating. Wow.
It's one of the most original children's fiction books I've read. Written in verse. Extremely readable. Very well done.

[brangwinn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Free verse is a powerful tool in the hands of a gifted author. This Newberry award winner shows how it is done right. Twins, Josh and Jordan, live for their middle school basketball games. With their mother the assistant principal at the school and their father a professional basketball ball player they are expected to keep grades up and play hard. The crossover, moving ball from hand to hand to deceive the opponent, is tough, but dad is insistent they can do it. Continual worry about their dad proves right when he is hospitalized for heart trouble and dies. The characters are true to life and likeable middle schools crossing over to adulthood.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Exhilarating and heartfelt.