A“In this game of life

your family is the court

and the ball is your heart.

No matter how good you are,

no matter how down you get,

always leave 

your heart 

on the court.”

-Basketball Rule #1 The Crossover

Attention basketball lovers, this one’s for you! If you want something exciting, fast-paced, and full of epic basketball action, Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover is the book for you. The Crossover is an uplifting but tragic coming-of-age story told in verse that perfectly captures the feeling of running full speed down the court while your life is falling apart.

Josh and JB have always done everything together. They’ve always been on the same basketball team and always had the same friends, but now, everything’s changing. JB has a girlfriend, and their dad is sick. Really sick.

When Josh and JB get into a fight, everything starts to collapse. Josh longs to be back on the court with his brother, “Can you help me heal, run with me, slash with me like we used to? Like two stars, stealing sun, like two brothers burning up, together?”

Their dad ends up in the hospital, and Josh is devastated. His dad is the one who taught him the game, his dad is the one who was there for him when JB wasn’t, his dad means the world to him, and he can’t imagine life without him. 

I can recommend The Crossover graphic novel, illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile, for fans of graphic novels. He did a fantastic job bringing The Crossover to life.

Prepare for some awesome basketball action and beautiful poetry, because Josh and JB are ready to dribble down the court. Go ahead, and put on your basketball shoes, and get ready to:

“Hustle dig

Grind push

Run fast

Change pivot

Chase pull

Aim shoot

Work smart

Live smarter

Play hard

Practice harder.”

-Basketball Rule #2 The Crossover

because, when it comes to The Crossover, you’ll want to 

Read fast

Finish faster.