A Hometown Author Uses Poetry that Tells a Story: Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Can you imagine how much my excitement grew when I read that Kwame Alexander was from Chesapeake?
In fact, he went to a high school that rivaled my own. Pretty cool, right?
Of course I had to read his book, Crossover. I was excited to pick up my own copy and to read it to bask in the glory that is my hometown. Part of me was worried though. What if I hated the book? How would I tell people about reading this book by a hometown author....but I didn't really like it?
Well I think you have made the inference by now (we have been working on inferences with my fourth graders so I try to bring them up whenever possible) that I would not be writing this blog if I hated the book. And, my dear reader...you are correct!
At first, I was a bit skeptical because the entire book is written in poetry. When I hear poetry, I think of the many hours that I have spent analyzing Romantic poetry (Byron, Shelley, Wordsworth etc.---not poems of love and adoration; I'm not that crazy).
Yes, it is rewarding, but at the same time there is a reason I did not get a Masters in English. However, the poetry in this book worked to enhance the story.
The entire story is from the perspective of a teenager, Josh Bell, who shares his and his twin brother's experiences through middle school--especially the part about being star players on the basketball team.
As Josh describes the game, the rhythm of the words make the sound of the basketball dribbling across the court or the bass beat of a heart accelerated from playing hard. Beautifully executed poetry.
Throughout the book, the story is not just about basketball; it is about Josh's relationship with his family especially his twin brother and his former NBA-star father. He struggles with feelings of loneliness and jealously as suddenly his brother spends more time with a girl than with Josh.
Gradually, as more is unfolded, the title Crossover takes on multiple meanings. It goes from basketball to family to...well you should read it. And the title is not the only thing that changes throughout the story.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book on many levels. The story is fascinating, but all the details that the author includes through the writing style or the nuances implied make the book stellar.
My fourth graders would love this book simply because of the basketball; however, I am not sure if many of them would understand the little details and the nuances of the bigger meaning of the story. Yes the words are simple, but to fully understand it, someone who is in middle school or high school or older would get more out of it. I would recommend this book for teenagers or older.
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU WOULD NOT WANT THE ENDING SPOILED. ~SPOILER ALERT~
After having given my review above, I canot help but take a few minutes and talk about the ending. In fact, if you remember I have done the same thing in a previous review (Bridge to Terabithia). In case you have gotten here simply because you cannot control your curiosity, I will not spoil it completely.
I will say however that someone dies in the end. Aren't I kind? I did not tell you who. Throughout the story, the author foreshadows this event.
However, the only reason that I mention this is not to dissuade you from reading this book. As I wrote about the Bridge to Terabithia, I felt in that story that the ending was too clean; the main character moves on and the pain of death seems to be easily forgotten.
In this story, the death is just as sudden, just as unexpected.
However, the way the author deals with it, the reader understands a more realistic picture of what death is. There is no clean ending where the characters move on with their lives and have completely forgotten the death of their loved one.
At the same time, all hope is not erased. The characters are able to come together to help each other with the loss.
Having experienced the death of my father, I appreciated this painful but hopeful ending. Compared to Bridge to Terabithia, Kwame Alexander was able to handle death reasonably and realistically. With that being said, the ending only enhances what the author does throughout the entire book.
Even with this ending, I still highly recommend the book.
I'm proud to say that this author grew up in the same place that I did.
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