What is The Crossover about?
This The Crossover summary follows Kwame Alexander's 2014 middle-grade novel, published by Clarion Books and written entirely in free verse. It won the 2015 Newbery Medal and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, and had sold nearly 500,000 hardcover and e-book copies as of a 2018 New York Times report. Alexander followed it with a companion novel, Booked, a prequel about the father, Rebound, and a 2019 graphic novel adaptation; a live-action Disney+ series premiered in 2023.
What genre is The Crossover by Kwame Alexander?
It is a middle-grade verse novel — a story told entirely in poems — blending contemporary realistic fiction with basketball as its central metaphor. Readers who want more sibling tension inside a tight-knit family should try The Outsiders, and those drawn to a quieter coming-of-age story about grief and connection should read R.J. Palacio's Wonder.
Who are the twins in The Crossover?
The Crossover summary
This The Crossover summary follows Josh, the narrator, and his twin Jordan through a season that strains their once-inseparable bond. When Jordan starts dating a girl Josh nicknames "Miss Sweet Tea," Josh grows jealous of the attention pulling his brother away from basketball and from him. His resentment boils over during a practice when he hits Jordan in the face with a basketball, breaking his nose.
Meanwhile, their father Chuck shows worsening symptoms of his old heart condition but refuses to see a doctor, dismissing the family's concern even as his health visibly declines. Their mother, an assistant principal the boys call Dr. Bell, grows increasingly worried as the season builds toward a championship game.
How does The Crossover end?
Who are the main characters in The Crossover?
Josh Bell ("Filthy McNasty"): The narrator, one of twin basketball-playing brothers.
Jordan "JB" Bell: Josh's twin, whose new girlfriend strains the brothers' bond.
Chuck "Da Man" Bell: The twins' father, a former professional player whose heart condition ultimately kills him.
Dr. Bell: The twins' mother, a school assistant principal increasingly alarmed by her husband's declining health.
Alexis ("Miss Sweet Tea"): Jordan's girlfriend, nicknamed by Josh.
Best quotes from The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The most quoted lines from The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, checked against the Goodreads work-quotes page for this title:
"In this game of life your family is the court and the ball is your heart. No matter how good you are, no matter how down you get, always leave your heart on the court."
"If you miss enough of life's free throws you will pay in the end."
"When you stop playing your game you've already lost."
"Sometimes it's the things that aren't said that kill you."
"Silence doesn't mean we have run out of things to say, only that we are trying not to say them."
Frequently asked questions
Is The Crossover based on a true story?
No. It's a work of fiction, though Kwame Alexander has said he wanted to write about universal father-son and sibling dynamics drawn loosely from his own life. The Bell family and its events are invented.
What awards did The Crossover win?
It won the 2015 Newbery Medal for the year's most distinguished contribution to American children's literature and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, along with several other honors including a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award.
Is there a sequel to The Crossover?
Not a direct sequel, but a companion novel, Booked (2016), follows a different character, and Rebound (2018) is a prequel centered on the twins' father as a boy. A graphic novel adaptation of The Crossover itself was published in 2019.
Is there a Disney+ adaptation of The Crossover?
Yes — a live-action, eight-episode Disney+ series premiered in April 2023, executive produced by Kwame Alexander alongside LeBron James's SpringHill Company.
What age or grade level is The Crossover for?
Publisher listings generally recommend it for ages eight to twelve, or grades three through seven, and it's commonly taught in grades five through eight.
Why did Kwame Alexander write The Crossover in verse?
He's said in interviews that he believed poetry would best mirror the energy and rhythm of a basketball game, and that starting reluctant readers — especially boys — with verse is an effective way to draw them into literature.
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