The Crossover
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is a Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning middle grade novel presented in free verse, akin to rap lyrics. It follows 12-year-old twin brothers, Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell and Jordan "JB" Bell, as they navigate their passion for basketball, evolving family dynamics, and the challenges of growing up. The narrative captures their triumphs on the court, their developing relationships, and a significant family health crisis, all while exploring themes of brotherhood, identity, loss, and the game of life. The book is celebrated for its engaging, fast-paced poetic style that appeals to both avid and reluctant readers, making pages fly by with its unique wordplay and visual presentation of poetry. It delves into the honest emotions of adolescence, including jealousy, sibling rivalry, first crushes, and the profound impact of grief. The story also touches on the importance of family and atonement for mistakes. "The Crossover" is widely used in middle school classrooms and is praised for its ability to convey a rich, multifaceted story with poignant language and relatable characters. While the content includes emotional intensity, mild violence, and themes of loss, it is generally considered appropriate for its target middle-grade audience, offering valuable discussion points for families and educators on sportsmanship, familial love, and coping with adversity.
Concerns
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe story features highly intense and emotionally impactful content surrounding a parent's serious illness and eventual death. This central plot point can be heartbreaking and distressing for readers, requiring emotional maturity to process.
Josh and JB's father, Chuck Bell, suffers from hypertension and a heart condition. The narrative describes his declining health, a heart attack during a one-on-one game with Josh, and ultimately his death from a second heart attack, which is a major, emotional climax. The brothers experience significant grief and loss, and the book explores their struggles to cope with this traumatic event and its impact on the family.
Violence
MediumThe book contains instances of mild physical violence and aggressive behavior, primarily related to sibling conflict and competitive sports. These acts have clear emotional and physical consequences for the characters involved.
Josh intentionally throws a basketball at his twin brother, JB, during a game, hitting him hard enough that it almost breaks JB's nose. This action leads to Josh's temporary suspension from the team. Players engage in "trash talk" on the court, which, while not overtly profane, contributes to an atmosphere of verbal aggression during games.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe romance in the book is mild, typical of middle-grade relationships, focusing on first crushes and early teenage affection. There are some suggestive comments and implied intimacy between adult characters.
JB develops a relationship with a girl nicknamed "Miss Sweet Tea," and Josh discovers them kissing, causing jealousy. JB expresses his romantic feelings by stating his girlfriend is the "apple of his eye" and he "wants to peel her and get under her skin," which is mildly suggestive. The narration briefly alludes to parental intimacy when Josh notes his parents stop their discussion and are quiet in the next room, implying they are becoming intimate.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe book includes instances of disrespectful behavior and rebellion, particularly concerning sibling conflict and a parent's refusal to follow medical advice. These actions lead to significant negative consequences within the family.
Josh displays significant anger and hostile behavior towards his brother, JB, culminating in him deliberately throwing a basketball at JB during a game, causing injury. This act of defiance against teamwork and sibling respect leads to his suspension. The father, Chuck Bell, exhibits rebellion against authority (medical advice) by refusing to visit doctors or maintain a healthy diet despite his known heart problems, which ultimately contributes to his tragic death.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowDespite explicit searches for LGBTQ content, detailed plot summaries and content reviews for "The Crossover" book do not indicate the presence of LGBTQ characters or themes within the narrative itself. One source, a general blog's tag list, included 'Gay character' and 'LGBTQ Literature' as potential categories, but this does not directly reflect the book's canonical content.
No specific LGBTQ characters, relationships, or themes are explicitly developed within the main storyline of "The Crossover" according to multiple content reviews and plot summaries. The mention of 'Gay character' and 'LGBTQ Literature' as tags on one blog's general list of topics, not specific to the book's content, is the only related reference found.
Profanity
LowThe book generally avoids overt profanity, with sources noting a lack of strong curse words. However, the dialogue includes instances of "trash talk" during basketball games, which can be considered mild, competitive verbal sparring.
Content reviews explicitly state there is "no overt profanity" in the book. The most significant instance of inappropriate language is players engaging in "trash talk" during basketball games, which involves competitive and sometimes disrespectful banter, but not explicit curse words.
Witchcraft & Occult
LowThere is a very brief and unelaborated mention of a supernatural occurrence. No explicit witchcraft, sorcery, or detailed occult practices are depicted or explored as central themes.
Josh and JB have a "strange experience where it seems like they both see a ghost at the same time," but this event is not discussed further or given significant plot development. The book does not feature any magic rituals, spellcasting, demons, or significant supernatural elements.
Substance Use
LowThe book does not contain any depictions or significant mentions of alcohol consumption, illegal drug use, or smoking by any characters.
No characters are shown consuming alcohol, using illegal drugs, or smoking. The narrative does not involve themes of addiction or substance abuse.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe family in "The Crossover" is depicted as attending church regularly, indicating a Christian background. While there are no overt references to God or explicit faith discussions as central themes, there are also no anti-Christian themes or mockery of Christian beliefs.
Josh and his family are noted to attend church regularly, establishing a positive, if not deeply explored, connection to Christian practices. JB uses Bible school as an excuse to see a girl he likes, suggesting a casual rather than fervent religious engagement, but not disrespect towards the institution itself.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
The Crossover is best suited for readers aged 10-14 (grades 5-8). This recommendation is based on the book's themes of growing up, complex family dynamics, sibling rivalry, and the significant emotional impact of a parent's serious illness and death. While the verse novel format can be accessible to younger readers, the depth of emotional content, particularly concerning grief and mortality, requires a certain level of maturity to process.
Additional Notes
The novel's verse format may initially seem unconventional but is praised for making the book highly engaging and accessible, particularly for reluctant readers. The book serves as an excellent tool for discussing complex themes such as family relationships, grief, communication, anger management, and the importance of health awareness. It encourages empathy and introspection in young readers.
Related Reviews
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