Hi everyone, this week’s post will feature the reviews of a series of teen reads I found which has a special attraction to them. Yes, sports and high school do play a role but with a twist. If you’re ready to find out more, go ahead and press the button below…
Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover series starts off with The Crossover (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; NY, 2014.) This book was more than a captivating read but more of an experience. I say this because it’s told entirely in either free verse or rap lyrics. We meet teen basketball heroes Jordan, “JB”, and Josh Bell, twin sons to former pro-basketball player, Chuck “Da Man” and Crystal Bell. The Bell boys and their father are kings of the court but Josh has more than hoops in his blood. He’s got a river of rhymes flowing through him – a sick flow that helps him find his rhythm when everything’s on the line. This amazing teen read captures the lives of one African American family as they navigate their way through middle school amidst forces that are beyond the control of the twins. In this heartfelt novel, basketball and brotherhood intertwine to show Josh and Jordan that life doesn’t come with a playbook and, sometimes, it’s not about winning.
Winning Alexander both the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Book Award for Author Honor in 2015, The Crossover, was a book that can only be described as an experience. Told in Josh’s voice completely in verse and rap we get a snapshot of his life, which is mostly basketball. I hadn’t read that many books about basketball until I read this one, and the format of the verse and rap just elevated it to another level. Poetry is something that fills my mind with images from the beginning, and this was just mind-blowingly amazing!! Josh’s unique voice as he narrates his fears, joys, and his grief was such a poignant and heartfelt experience for me. I’m super excited that this is now on Disney+ as a drama series!!
The second title is Booked (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, NY, 2016) and tells the story of Nick Hall, star of the school soccer team. As he gathers courage to ask out the girl of his dreams, his home life crumbles when his parents divorce and it starts affecting his schoolwork. Told entirely in verse, we are witness to Nick’s final year of middle school. Soccer player, word ninja and good friend may describe him, but he’s so much more than all of that combined. I love how the poetry used in this amazing read has a way of adding even more depth of emotion to stories than prose and I especially love how Alexander has created another masterpiece in this teen read. Family drama, bullying, young love and school scenes fill the pages of Booked giving another award-winning read!! Sports fans will really love this awesome soccer-filled teen read. What I really loved mostly was the character of Mr Mac – the librarian that Nick looks up to and the English teacher Ms. Hardwick!! Booked has been nominated for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2016 and the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers book award in 2018.
“Change is hard, Nicholas, for all of us.
We figure out how
To cope, how to adapt, and eventually things
Do get back to
Normal
Yeah!”
The last book by Kwame Alexander is Rebound (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; NY, 2018), which is illustrated by David Anyabwile. This is actually the story of the Bell twins’ father, Chuck. Before he’s Chuck “Da Man” Bell, proud father of Jordan and Josh Bell, Charlie was a kid who dreamed of basketball glory. In his mind he can steal, jump, dunk, and make the crowd go wild just like a pro bowler. But when tragedy strikes, Charlie can’t help but make all the wrong moves. Will a series of missteps keep him benched or can he learn how to rebound?
This prequel story to The Crossover is just as enchanting. Again told entirely in verse, we hear Chuck Bell’s story of the summer he spent with his grandparents in Washington D.C not long after his own father had passed away. The raw emotion, grief, and acute loss of a troubled tween trying to figure out what life is without his father, pours out from every page. His friendships, the bonds between him and his family and his own identity are all tested. I loved how you could almost feel that tension in each scene as it played out!! That’s the power that free verse does for me. The basketball scenes are the best. Each stanza creates an amazing image for me and the way the character arc grows is exceptional! I really loved how you learned about Chuck’s backstory in this read and I found that the illustrations added an extra punch to the overall story.
“…Look, son… aim high, reach for the sky, take
your piece of this world and make it into something sweet.”
I hope you all enjoy these amazing teen reads by award-winning author Kwame Alexander!!
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 