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The Crossover is a 2014 children's book by American author Kwame Alexander and the winner of the 2015 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award Honor. The book, which is told entirely through verse, was first published in the United States in hardback on March 18, 2014 through HMH Books for Young Readers. The story follows two African-American twin brothers that share a love for basketball but find themselves drifting apart as they head into their junior high school years.

Description
The Crossover is a small format book measuring 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches

Plot
This story focuses on two twin brothers, Josh and JB both 12 years old who are in junior high school. Josh and JB both share the same love for basketball. Their father was a very famous professional basketball player and their mother is an assistant principal, they are very attached growing up very comfortable with their parents. JB gets a girlfriend and begins to lose focus on basketball and Josh starts to notice that and they both begin having problems with each other, JB started treating Josh in a bad way that they started to have problems in the basketball court as well. The twin's father (Chuck) begins to have health problems which leads to his death, JB and Josh are both devastated but the loss of their father makes them realize that aside from their mother, each other is all they really have.

Characters

 * Josh Bell (“Filthy McNasty”) Bell
 * Jordan Bell (JB) Bell
 * Dad: Chuck Bell (“Da Man”), a former professional basketball player
 * Mom: Dr. Crystal Stanley-Bell, the assistant principal at the boys’ school (Reggie Lewis Junior High)

Kwame Alexander
Alexander seems to be a person that is very loving and passionate, specially about his family. "Kwame Alexander has written 18 books, owned several publishing companies, written for the stage and television (TLC's "Hip Hop Harry"), recorded a CD, performed at schools and conferences around the world, produced jazz and book festivals, hosted a weekly radio show, worked for the U.S. Government, and taught in a high school." as it shows above Alexander also enjoys working with kids as well as writing which seems to be the reason why he wrote such a good book with The Crossover.

Reception
Critical reception for The Crossover has been positive and the book has received praise from the Washington Post and New York Times.