The Crossover

By: Kwame Alexander

Narrated by: Jalyn Hall

Streaming series now on Disney+, with executive producers including NBA great LeBron James! This audio is read by series star Jalyn Hall.

The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award–winning middle grade bestseller! Basketball and heartache share the court in this slam-dunk novel in verse.

“With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. ’Cuz tonight I’m delivering,” raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood—he’s got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it’s all on the line.

In this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood from Kwame Alexander, Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.

©2014 Kwame Alexander (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Filthy Crossover, Clean Shots, Nasty Emotions, and Newberry Deserving

I think the title of this review speaks for itself. For anyone doubting the quality of this book, don’t even look on the back for an idea, just jump in, and you will instantly fall in love with it, faster than JB and Miss Sweet Tea (Sorry for the slight spoil. I will spoil no further. Promise.)! For people who are wanting action, emotion and/or romance, this is definitely the book for you. I personally loved the ending, beginning, middle, mid beginning, AND the mid ending. To be honest, I think the father’s a little too jazzy and stuck in the past, but that’s minor. Jalyn Hall needs a little work, though. Otherwise, I think the title speaks for itself.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book literally made me cry. I love this book so much my favorite character is the dad
I love the hell is the brothers are always friends and even in their bad times they still can get along somehow somewhat

Poetry assigned reading

I not usually read poetry but listening to this book gave me a new appreciation for it. The storyline is engaging. My 12 yo had this book assigned for English class and he identified with the characters so much he was brought to tears when tragedy happens.

Wonderful story of brotherhood & change

The climax will give you whiplash but it’s definitely perfect for readers from 4th to high school ages. My class loved it!

Basketball

I loved this book. I honestly don’t like reading but these is the BEST BOOK EVER

Excellent book

Great for middle schoolers who love basketball. It’s easy to follow and even defines uncommon words.

Powerful

Beautifully written, full of figurative language yet still manages to catch you off guard. Definitely using this with my 6th grade class next year! (I need to learn to rap…or at least give a spoken word. I’m glad audible is available—it’ll help with practice. 😉😊)

The thing that stood out the most was when they were talking about the dad and how he is in the hospital and how he is sick

I really like this book because it was the basketball and I really like basketball.

so engaging

the way the book was written- outstanding, so engaging. my boys loved it, we all did.

I loved this book

Perfect amount of drama. But its drama just to have drama you actually like understand why they did what they did.