Review of The Crossover by Kwame AlexanderBest book ever! By the way, it is not a poetry book. It is a novel, that happens to be written in verse. Usually I don't start off book suggestions with three word sentences. However, the book is as smooth as Allen Iverson's crossover so I thought it deserved 3 words, like Iverson's number. Meanwhile the whole first paragraph was 23 words like the G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan. The book The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is not about basketball. It is about a young man, Filthy McNasty, who struggles with loss. He sees success on the basketball court, but he struggles to keep it together off the basketball court. My poem, inspired by Kwame Alexander, summarizes The Crossover in one word: sensational. Sensational senˈsāSH(ə)n(ə)l adjective: (of an event, a person, or a piece of information) causing great public interest and excitement. As in, I couldn't put the book down, my eyes leapt from page to page, zig zagging, tongue waging, like MJ in Madison Square Garden where ballers put up or shut up. As in, you must read this to understand that words have power and meaning because they create change within students, in teachers and in every reader. As in, readers get swept away with emotion the way Kwame sets you up with a soft cross and then hits hard with the real filthy crossover McNasty style. Kwame Alexander does more than just bring readers into the world of the hoop star, Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell. We get to see how Filthy is engrossed in his own world. He's got so much going for him. With being a basketball ball star who's got hops, a twin brother, Jordan, by his side, and a mom and dad who support him, what could bring someone like that down to earth? I won't be the bearer of bad news but let's just say that when bad choices are made and basketball is removed from Filthy's life, things get interesting. This book was more than authentic to me, as many of the scenarios either happened to my friends or myself. After staying up until 5 am to finish reading the book in one night I knew I was going to read the book as a read aloud to my students. It goes without saying but I'll say it anyways, the students in my class loved it. Here's what some of my students had to say about the book: Students Discussion of The CrossoverLink to request the book through Cary Memorial Library. Other similar titles worth reading in case you've already read The Crossover.
To get more information about The Crossover, check out Kwame Alexander's website. Below is the official summary from Goodreads.com. Remember, Brufftopians prevail with a growth mindset. "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." Book Trailer for The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
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