The Crossover
Kwame Alexander (2014)
“A novel written in slam-poetry verse about twin brothers, basketball, and the shot clock running out on childhood.”
Character Analysis
Named after a Miles Davis album — the nickname signals a family where Black cultural heritage is currency. Josh is twelve, intense, possessive, and defined by two things: his dreadlocks and his crossover dribble. He narrates in verse that reflects his interior rhythm — fast, percussive, emotionally unfiltered. His fatal flaw is also his greatest strength: he feels everything at maximum volume. He cannot modulate his jealousy, his anger, or his grief. The novel is his education in learning that the world does not bend to the force of his feelings.
Hip-hop inflected, rhythmic, heavy on slang and basketball terminology. Internal monologue is more poetic than his spoken dialogue — he's a writer who doesn't know it yet.