The Crossover
Written by Kwame Alexander

Summary:
Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

Primary Source Pairing:
For Josh and Jordan Bell, basketball is life. The term crossover, also the title of the book, is a basketball maneuver where the player dribbles the ball and switches the ball rapidly from one hand to the other to change direction of play. The primary source pairing is a drawing made by Layet Johnson. His image artfully shows this basketball move and will connect with students’ prior knowledge and create a framework for students still learning about basketball.

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• What people and objects are shown?
• How are they arranged?
• What words do you see?
• What other details can you see?
• What can you learn from examining this image?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Crossover Drawing: created by Layet Johnson