Alexander, Kwame. (2014). THE CROSSOVER. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing: New York, NY. ISBN: 9780544107717
Josh Bell, nicknamed by his dad as Filthy McNasty, is a 13 year old student rapper and basketball player with a twin brother, Jordan, who also likes basketball but becomes a bigger fan of a particular new girl. Their mom, an assistant principal, and their dad, a former professional basketball player, have high expectations for their sons. When Josh and JB begin drifting apart, Josh becomes angry and lonely, longing for the days when his brother was his best friend and basketball partner. When his father collapses during a basketball game, Josh is unsure what the future holds for his family. He has one last chance to visit with his father, but decides to play in the championship game. Throughout the book Josh learns that life is about dealing with the consequences of the decisions he makes.
Kwame Alexander grasps his audience on page one with this incredible poetic masterpiece that is a realistic fiction story told in various styles of verse. The rich and unfamiliar vocabulary become chapter titles that the character explains with multiple sentences in the chapter. For example, the word pulchritudinous is defined and then explained in sentences on page 55. “As in: I’ve never had a girlfriend, but if I did, you better believe she’d be pulchritudinous.”The author has a good balance between thoughts of the protagonist and the dialogue with his family and friends. The mix of font and words read vertically add to the style and rhythm of the poetry. The well-developed characters experience change throughout the book by going through real-life experiences that often affect teenagers and families. The devastating conclusion will leave the reader wishing for an alternative ending, but understanding that authors write to mimic true life. The book is a quick-read and would be most appropriate for ages 11-15.
Reviews
2015 Newbery Honor Book
2015 Coretta Scott King for Author Award
"Alexander has crafted a story that vibrates with energy and heat and begs to be read aloud. A slam dunk." --School Library Journal
"This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. . . . Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch."—Kirkus
"An accomplished author and poet, Alexander eloquently mashes up concrete poetry, hip-hop, a love of jazz, and a thriving family bond. The effect is poetry in motion."—Booklist
Telgemeier, R., Lamb, B., & Falco, P. (2014). SISTERS. (Pbk.) (Smile #2). New York: Graphix. ISBN: 9780545540605
Raina, along with her mother, sister and brother are setting off on a roadtrip to visit extended family in Colorado. As the family travels Raina experiences memories of her previous years as being the oldest sibling. At first, Raina wanted a little sister and couldn’t wait to help care for the baby. Then Amara was born and was nothing like she imagined; she was cranky, grouchy, and spoiled. The older Amara gets the less they seem to get along and Raina wonders why she ever wanted a little sister. A little brother is born to make them a family of five. The trip includes experiences with rainstorms, dead animals, rush-hour traffic problems, live king snakes in the van, being stranded in the desert, her mom as a hitchhiker and then the admission that her parents needed to spend time apart. Raina realizes that even though they may not always get along, they are still family and experiences create memories of love and support.
Based on the experiences of growing up, Telgemeier writes and draws a humorous story of being an older sister dealing with the conflicts in a family. This graphic novel is engaging and entertaining and holds the attention of the reader in a comic book style format (like the Sunday comics in a newspaper). Through the flashbacks of the main character’s previous years, the struggles of being the oldest sibling shows in pages that are yellow. The present situation is shown in white pages. The author uses a variety of large fonts to display emotions from the characters along with emphasized facial expressions. Tween and younger teenage readers can identify with the trials of being a sibling and a family that is not always perfect. The author includes real pictures at the conclusion of the book of she and her sister to make the real-life connection.
Reviews
"A wonderfully charming tale of family and sisters that anyone can bond with." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Telgemeier's art complements her writing to great effect, offering a cheerful, vivid cartoon simplicity that allows readers to instantly engage even as it leaves room for deeper truths to take hold." -- Booklist
