Crossover, by Kwame Alexander is the winner of the 2015
Newbery Book Award. Like last year’s winner, it is written in verse. It seems
kids like reading books in verse these days. I think they like reading short
chapters and few words….like text messages.
It isn’t true poetry, or verse, but the text is definitely
interesting. The reader is engaged in real time with what is happening,
sometimes in staccato during basketball games. I love this book for its energy
and its diversity. The main character, Josh, is black, the son of a famous
basketball player.
The story is about competition between the twins (seems to
be a theme with this year’s ALA award winners. The Printz Award was given to a
book about twins being divided by life.) One twin gets a girlfriend and becomes
distracted. The other is jealous. There are also serious health problems going
on with the father.
This is heavy stuff for middle school readers, but it is
handled with finesse, with words bouncing like a basketball on the court. This
was an enjoyable read for me, and one I think my reluctant middle school reader
would embrace.
No comments:
Post a Comment