Hardcover, pages
Release Date: April 2, 2018Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers
Read from: April 2, 2018The Crossover, #0.5Source: TxLAFor fans of: Poetry, Contemporary History (???), YA, Companion, Sports, Diverse Authors, Diverse MCBefore Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshiping, basketball star his sons look up to.
*MY THOUGHTS*
For someone who doesn’t really like poetry, I’ve been reading an awful lot of it this year. And this is definitely one I’m glad I picked up. I will definitely have to pick up the rest of the series!
Josh and Jordana Bell have been balling, but before them, there was their father. This is their father’s story, told in the same poetic fashion as their stories.
This book is interesting to me because it’s set in 1988. It was so cool to read some of the things that were happening in that time period. I also really loved seeing some of the things that I recognozed now that were popular even then, like Now & Laters and the Harlem Globetrotters. It’s so cool to see what things have lasted the span of time.
I also really liked the mix between comics and poetry. And the poetry that was put into the comics was SO. DOPE. While reading, I could hear myself making it into a song in my head. I put it against an old school sounding beat and it made it so much better. I liked the entire book, but I really wish there were more comic style pages.
I really loved the storytelling. One of the main reasons I don’t like novels in verse, is I feel like a lot of the story gets missed because the author is trying to keep the poem’s form. This book isn’t like that. It tells the entire story and even for those like me who haven’t read Crossover and Booked, it was still easy to follow along and get the full impact of the story.
This isn’t my normal read, but I can see myself reading everything else that has Alexander’s name on it. The mix of comics, basketball, and diverse reads definitely overrpowers my dislike for novels in verse lol
Overall, I give this
Great review! I really need to read a Kwame Alexander book. I (usually) like poetry, so I have a feeling I’d like this book.
Aj @ Read All The Things!