The novel charts Josh and Jordan’s eventual path towards reconciliation, while at the same time delivering ominous hints about another member of the family: the boy’s father, a former basketball star who had NBA potential. When Jordan begins dating “Miss Sweet Tea,” the new girl at school, Josh feels betrayed and isolated, and he takes it out on Jordan on the court. Throughout the novel, Josh struggles to reconnect with his twin brother, Jordan, another family basketball phenom whose “crossovers make even the toughest ballers cry.” Though Jordan never had Josh’s same passion for basketball, Josh grows increasingly frustrated by Jordan’s wish for a separate life, one that’s disconnected from his twin’s love of basketball. Josh's 'Rules for Basketball,' as well as descriptions of important games, repeat throughout the novel.īrotherhood, as well as other aspects of family life, are just as central to the novel. Basketball provides the story's structure since its main events take place during a spectacular season for Josh’s highly competitive team. The Crossover’s narrator, Josh Bell, captures the highs and lows of adolescence through vivid descriptions of heart-pounding three-pointers and monotonous games spent on the bench. Its author, Kwame Alexander, aims to reach a wide variety of readers, including reluctant ones, through sports stories that are really about family, love, and friendship. The Crossover is a novel in verse about brotherhood and basketball.

Swing by kwame alexander sparknotes