Essay Topics. For many students, reading this book with no ulterior motive could be the catalyst into a lifelong interest in poetry and inspire them to read more works like it. The fact that Josh is listening offers hope that, given what he's seen, he'll take Mom's side and take better care of himself in the future. Actively Learn provides free ELA, science, and social studies digital contentshort stories, primary sources, textbook sections, science articles, novels, videos, and moreand embeds them with assignments aligned to standards for all 50 states that you can assign immediately or customize for your students. "Jordan" is thought by most critics to allude to the Jordan River that is important to the people of Israel in the Old and New Testaments. Unfortunately, that wouldnt be a middle grade novel. 0000038553 00000 n And thats not the only story Alexander has been working on. 0000011426 00000 n We see how angst ridden sibling rivalries can be and how challenging those relationships can be for both parents and children. 0000016479 00000 n ;0&0a= 9!AlF_,@Q X26XAn9 yXdPM? trailer <<35AB4B5BD4F54B6294CFA91B5522B120>]/Prev 252765>> startxref 0 %%EOF 61 0 obj <>stream My mom was a school principal My dad played basketball before I was born. I was going to sort of remember what I went through during that age and I sort of knew that that was going to be the point of view, from his perspective. We only learn more about her personality towards the end of the book when she comes to dinner with JBs family. And so the next poem starts with a definition: Seventh grader Matthew Goulette wonders where Alexanders ideas for The Crossover came from. And, eventually after maybe a draft of it I knew that I wanted him to have a twin brother. Complete your free account to request a guide. 0000028950 00000 n Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and theNew York Timesbestselling author. Dad sighs that the boys are getting older and they will manage. In the book "The Crossover" there is a poem called "Dear Jordan" where Josh is explaining how sorry he is. I mean, you imagine Steph Curry going back behind his back with the ball or Allen Iverson doing his crossover or Michael Jordan or LeBron James moving to the basket in this rhythmic, energetic, really awesome way. Dad's championship ring.Between the bouncingand sobbing, I whisper, Why? Josh, mine it. together. We kept her home all day and just sort of got on the couch, lit the fire, smiled, laughed, danced and sort of basked in the joy of this wonderful honor. Suduiko, Aaron ed. Instead of passing JB the ball when he was wide open, he smashes him in the face with a pass hard enough to draw blood. Dad picks up the boys; he's cracking jokes, and theyre laughing. Dad falls, his eyes roll, and Josh screams. His mother made him cut off the rest. View The_Crossover__Notes__4.2.21.docx from ENGLISH 606 at Dulles H S. The Crossover Notes: Second & Third Quarter Second Quarter Second Quarter begins with two back-to-back poems titled . He wants Dad to talk to Mom because he feels like he needs to be in the playoffs and is letting his teammates down. I also see many students who are similar to Josh lean on their relationships with their sport coaches for stability. At 7:45, she asks about the score and how. For example, Alexis is mostly described by her looks and her loyalty to JB. JB is on fire and blazes from baseline to baseline. endstream endobj 1085 0 obj <>stream We see this in Joshs description of their playing style. %PDF-1.6 % Josh wants a world outside of basketball, and he wants his relationship with JB to remain unchanged. Mom texts a few times that she and Dad needed to leave because Dad did not feel wellhes fine, just tired. Now can you go make my French toast please?. Joshs earlier sense that everything was going well in his life and something bad was certain to happen soon has now revealed itself to have been very prescient. The Crossover has been winning top prizes and awards in childrens literature. Oh my gosh! what motivates joe starks to assume "the ruling chair" in eatsonville . dear jordan poem the crossover Mobile: 07904191715 Office Number: 020 37124640 Email :smax3ddesignstudio@gmail.com berkshire pigs for sale in georgia I'm not paying attentionto anything he's sayingor to the dummy. 4. Kwame is the Founding Editor of Versify, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that aims to Change the World One Word at a Time. As Josh pulls out the book, he sees Miss Sweet Tea and, also afraid that Mom will reach her tipping point and ban basketball if he and, tomorrow, concerned about Dad, and hates how his hair feels, he can't sleep mostly because, Surprised. Josh writes his letter. Speaking of Alexis, even though the main characters of this book are obviously boys, Alexander does not make Alexis merely an object of desire or a dull cipher. So I didnt get the cool dad, I got the academic scholar dad that made me read books. The Childrens Bookshow is a registered charity no. As with the last time this happened, sharing this look allows the boys to feel unified and as though they're a team in whatever's to come. And while Dad is telling us another story for the hundredth time, Mom removes the saltfrom the table and JB goes to the buffet.He brings back three packages of duck sauce and a cup of wonton soupand hands them all to me.Dad pauses, and Mom looks at JB.That was random, she says.What, isn't that what you wanted, Filthy? More books than SparkNotes. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Dad tries to break the tension by talking about Christmas and the turkey. Both Joshs parents and basketball coach provide non-didactic moral education for students to consider. The Question and Answer section for The Crossover is a great We see a strong marriage through the eyes of Josh; a relationship so strong he often alludes to the fact that he knows his parents are having sex; and though this appears to gross him out we can read between the lines to see his relief that all is good. This book presents a realistic view of family life; the constant cycle of joys and hurdles. She and Coach try to control Dad. For example, when Joshs dad is pulled over by the police officer for a broken taillight, Josh is worried he is going to go to jail. So Im very excited about that. Osborne-Bartucca, Kristen. As Josh plays in the final game of the season, his Dad dies from a massive heart attack. During November we'll be sharing our love of poetry, by focussing on an excellent children's poet each week. In "Dear Jordan," the poem describes Josh's apology to his brother and his emptiness without him. I think basketball and is father are reflections of each other. Given that Dad's dad died in the hospital of hypertension, it's understandable that Dad is unwilling to seek help out of fear. Devon, good question. Assign this text to deeply engage your students! For Josh, however, his world is being turned upside down with Dad's poor health and JB's interest in Miss Sweet Tea, both of which leave Josh feeling alone, so this feels especially fraught for him. Keen editors and support staff will supervise the task for you to guarantee Quality and ORIGINAL . Josh walks home alone after practice, which feels strange since he usually walks with, finds The Giver. JB is playing like Superman, and he gets the team to the championship with his lightning plays. Kwame Alexander: I like to think that basketball is like poetry in motion. 0000009461 00000 n Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. I have never had this worry. It refers to a basketball move (described in the . All rights reserved. Seeing the proverbial ghost again suggests that things are about to change. Other of his many books (hes written 35!) Ruth Bishop said that poetry has a kind of magic and can help the reader see ordinary things in new ways. InThe Crossover,Alexander takes risks with his writing to authentically represent the culture of Josh, his family and friends. This seems to support the stereotype that girls intellect and personality are secondary to their looks. 10. Climax: Dad dies during the championship game Antagonist: Hypertension and death; change Point of View: First-person Extra Credit for The Crossover Now that Josh's actions have hurt someone, his sense of loneliness gets even worse. Jordan insists that everyone call him JB. We raised nearly 7000 in our online auction! He tells a joke and, finally, they all laugh. We put their questions a to Kwame Alexander. Coach isn't worried; he starts blasting his favorite dance music. ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How does the structure of the poem convey the speaker's message? In Dear Jordan, we see the authors use of similes and metaphors in the letter Josh writes to JD in order to convey how sorry he is. Sons of basketball legend Chuck Da Man Bell, basketball is in their blood. Reproduced by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. However, I will tell you this. Josh struggles to answer and says he's sorry and didn't mean to hurt, Mom insists that's not acceptable and reminds Josh that he'll need to apologize to, doesn't understand how his behavior became so churlish. When we asked them how they liked the book, they raved about the book. The score of the Wildcats' first game is 35-18. ", How did I react? As a consequence for his actions, his mom suspends him from the team. Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14). Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. 0000012743 00000 n This suggests that the loneliness was easier to deal with when Josh wasn't the one enforcing it. Just because he wants to repair his relationship with JB, does not mean he still doesnt have trouble with Alexis. Or what is his goal? On page 26, he says, JB likes to taunt and trash talk during games like Dad used to do when he played. uses it in a sentence and says that in Mom and Dad's closet, he and, all the teasing dies down, the game begins. He says it all started with one synonym for "beautiful," in this passage from The Crossover: "Oh my goodness, what a word, Amy," said Alexander. Again, Dad's desire to yell at the ref speaks to a desire to feel relevant and useful on the court, even though his playing days are over. Here is a poem from The Crossover: Dear Jordan without u i am empty, the goal with no net, seems my life was broken shattered, like puzzle pieces on the court. Hi Abby, Once again you have given detailed examination of the authors use of language. Mom's amendment in particular betrays that this is likely more serious than she's letting on. In other words, just as the boys have choices in regards to their basketball success, they also have the choice to make up or continue their feud. H\@. After the funeral, Josh makes another attempt to reconcile with JB when JB gives him his fathers championship ring by saying, We Da Man. The author leaves us with the sense that the brothers will find their way back to each other. endstream endobj startxref The crossover is Joshs signature move, something his Dad taught him. Mom's reminder that behavior like this could land Josh in jail one day again points to the state of race relations in the US--as a black man, Josh is more likely than a white peer to end up in jail for a crime. 2020 Pro Custom Essays. Josh grows resentful of JBs new relationship with his girlfriend as he feels left out and lonely.