New York Times bestseller ∙ Newbery Medal Winner ∙ Coretta Scott King Honor Award ∙ 2015 YALSA 2015 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults ∙ 2015 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers ∙ Publishers Weekly Best Book ∙ School Library Journal Best Book ∙ Kirkus Best Book “A beautifully measured novel of life and line.”—The New York Times Book Review “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 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.

What Kind of Book is The Crossover (Graphic Novel)

What Should I Know As a Parent

Families are unique and have different expectations for the books they choose to read. The following are concepts included in this book that some parents may wish to seek out or avoid.

Note that this list is not exhaustive and there may be concepts in this book that are not included or have been insufficiently or incorrectly detailed here.

Sex

Presence of Death

Reviews

The Goodfather

6.50

I really enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation. The poetry is remarkable and brimming with energy. The storyline about sports, family, and relationships is moving, relatable, and meaningful.

Book Lists That Include This Book

Books about Coretta Scott King Award Winners

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Books about family

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

Books about fiction

The Creatives Behind the Book

Author

Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander is a poet, an educator, a New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one books, and recipient of the Newbery Medal for his novel The Crossover. The founder of two organizations, Book-in-a-Day and LEAP for Ghana, he regularly travels the world as a literacy advocate and expert. Kwame has owned several publishing companies, written for stage and TV (TLC’s “Hip Hop Harry”), recorded a CD, produced jazz and book festivals, hosted a radio show, and taught high school English. In 2015, Kwame served as Bank Street College of Education’s first writer-in-residence.

Illustrator

Dawud Anyabwile

Dawud Anyabwile is an Emmy Award winning artist, illustrator and co-creator of the groundbreaking Comic Book Series, Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline. Anyabwile has worked with companies such as Cartoon Network, Turner Studios, NBA TV, Nickelodeon, and many others as a character designer, storyboard artist, illustrator and concept artist. Anyabwile illustrated the graphic novel adaptation of the New York Times best selling novel, Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA Anyabwile now volunteers, teaches art classes to young students, and gives lectures when he isn’t working on his art. Instagram @brothermancomix