Write an essay for ONE of the following topics: Essay Topic 1. ", How did I react? Dad jokes about the name. what this means for his family--Dad won't be around to play basketball with him and. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop makes the point that in multicultural literature, a characters humanity should come through. What does Josh want more in the book? Josh decides to sit with the team today instead of up with Mom and Dad. Josh is studying by himself. When the game starts, Josh looks up to his parents, but theyre not there. Josh ruefully says he will talk to Mom since he can see how much it means to Dad, but he adds that she is worried about him. Fights between friends usually end in a cutting off of the relationship as opposed to engaging in healthy conflict to find a resolution. "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. Dad falls, his eyes roll, and Josh screams. include his brilliant coming of age novel Rebound (published by Andersen Press). 0000012743 00000 n I think basketball and is father are reflections of each other. Basketball is extremely important to them, and they both want to play professionally someday. The Childrens Bookshow is celebrating its 20th birthday this year with a brand-new free exhibition. -Graham S. Though Josh offers no insight into JB's thought process, it's worth considering that Josh's violent pass likely came as a surprise and was therefore even more hurtful than it might have been. This sets an example that his health isn't important, which puts Josh and JB at risk. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. 1086 0 obj <>/Encrypt 1080 0 R/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<61646262373637383037366663616638366338393836303261386561666634336264323463323264316164333866373366333835346439303963633665616633>]/Index[1079 12]/Info 1078 0 R/Length 55/Prev 879473/Root 1081 0 R/Size 1091/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Thus, readers come to know how the power of words and vibrant language evoke deep emotional responses as we read about Joshs life. Alexander also found a way to sneak some of his favorite words into the book. Dear Jordan. 'Dear Edward' Episode 7: Recap And Ending, Explained: Why Did John Move You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Its a novel-in-verse about identical twins Josh and Jordan who are basketball stars at their middle school. Can JB run with him, help him heal, slash with him like they used to? When Josh tells the reader about Mom's dislike of standards and giving JB the vocabulary words, Josh demonstrates his growing maturity and that he cares for others. endstream endobj startxref Josh's stay in the hospital while caring for his sick father, his father's eventual demise further made him lonely and he frantically sought to repair the relationship. She and Coach try to control Dad. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Now that Josh's actions have hurt someone, his sense of loneliness gets even worse. Exploration of this text can be a gateway into students writing. The crossover is Joshs signature move, something his Dad taught him. First, his churlish and aggressive behavior toward his twin has almost severed their relationship. he asks. 0000013846 00000 n The students at Rutland Town School had some questions for the author. is blocked, which results in that part of the heart muscle suffering damage or dying. Joshs Dad gives him the nickname Filthy McNasty after the name of a famous jazz song (and also because he was generally dirty). Coach gives the team a pep talk. The two-column structure used in the Crossover's poem "Dear Jordan" is Mom asks how they met and JB is full of details, explaining how she came into the lunchroom, how he learned she played basketball, and how he told Vondie she was pulchritudinous. Its fiction but certainly there are parts of my life that I remembered and drew from. This book presents a realistic view of family life; the constant cycle of joys and hurdles. Dad tells Mom that he looks online and that thats better than a doctor, but Mom angrily insists that she will make an appointment for him. My wife and I danced My daughter, whos seven-years-old, in second grade, she woke up and she came in the room and said, Whats all the commotion for? And we said, Daddy just won the Newbury Medal. And she said, Yay! The only caution I have for this book is making sure it is not overly analyzed. uses it in a sentence and says that in Mom and Dad's closet, he and, all the teasing dies down, the game begins. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. At the End of Warm-Ups, My Brother Tries to Dunk. The Crossover has been winning top prizes and awards in childrens literature. 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. Shay was envious of Mahira because Edward was giving her way more attention than he had ever given to Shay. The Crossover Quotes and Analysis | GradeSaver This week, Josh makes the honor roll, watches the team win Game Nine, eats lunch alone, walks home alone, tries to atone day and night, sits next to JB at dinner (JB moves), does JBs chores (JB says nothing), and says hes sorry (JB doesnt listen). Apology Poem and Epistolary Poem "Dear Jordan" (p. 159) Found Poems "Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14)" (p. 155) "Article #2 in the Daily News (January 14)" (p. 225-226) . 0 At one point, Josh begs his Dad to intervene and talk to JB, to which he replies, Filthy, if some girl done locked up JB, hes going to jail. Again, Josh's desire to help and be a part of the game in some way speaks to his sense of loyalty to Dad and to the rest of the team, especially JB. Before the three-on-three, Josh challenges Dad to a quick one-on-one. Hes out cold. Dad passes to Josh, Josh passes to, use it in another sentence, he wonders why pulchritudinous Miss Sweet Tea is talking to, Walking Home. They are like two stars / stealing sun and like two brothers / burning up. Sherry Taylor. His Dad has a heart attack and slips into a coma. In the book "The Crossover" there is a poem called "Dear Jordan" where Full Title: The Crossover When Written: 2009-2014 Where Written: Unknown When Published: 2014 Literary Period: Contemporary Genre: Young Adult Novel; Verse Novel Setting: An unnamed town in the U.S. I danced around my room. This offers some hope that his eventual return will be accepted by all. By staying engaged with the team during his suspension, Josh is able to show them that he still cares for them and wants to support them. However, some parts of the book are written as a lyric poem, which is melodic and soundlike. This is also an attempt to make Josh understand this, since Josh's narration implies that he doesn't see JB's relationship as something normal or expected. "I love that word! 0000031472 00000 n The words and rhythmic flow of these words on the page depict Joshs inner thoughts; his flow on the court. VU- endstream endobj 17 0 obj <>>> endobj 18 0 obj <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 19 0 obj <>stream 0000010458 00000 n 0000021078 00000 n Thus, readers come to know how the power of words and vibrant language evoke deep emotional responses as we read about Joshs life. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. There is a hint of a smile for Josh with that. Josh goes about his routine, trying hard to repair what had been broken between JB and him. Charles's financial troubles were causing Dee Dee a lot of crises. And thats not the only story Alexander has been working on. Like Dad, Mom is able to take the long view and believe that this is a temporary phase in her sons' lives. "FOURTH QUARTER" to "Free Throws" Summary and Analysis, "Bad News" to "Before" Summary and Analysis. (including. In "Dear Jordan," the poem describes Josh's apology to his brother and his emptiness without him. 0000009118 00000 n He unleashes a killer crossover and everyone is hollering as Dad dribbles to the hoop. endstream endobj 1085 0 obj <>stream 0000029230 00000 n 0000007875 00000 n One of those actions leads Josh to write an apology letter to his brother. This seems to support the stereotype that girls intellect and personality are secondary to their looks. Coach, Dad, and the crowd all scream for Josh to pass the ball. Because of this, his request to stop at the sneaker store becomes something he does purely to show JB he sees him and cares about him and the things he's interested in. drives home from the hospital, the car is silent. Outside their classroom, seventh and eighth graders at Rutland Town School are bounce passing and showing off their basketball moves, including the move their latest read was named for the crossover. The girls' lives are mundane under the, The fifth and sixth graders file down the stairs and into the school library, like they've done hundreds of times before. Dad is gone "like the end of a good song. Both are skilled basketball players. are down by seven. Joe Anderson: Will there be a sequel with Josh and Jordan playing high school basketball? Dads blood pressure was so high during the game that his nose started bleeding profusely. She also asks where, where it's stuck, wedged between the rim and the backboard. Rebounding / is the art / of anticipating, / of always being prepared / to grab it. Josh thought that forever was far away, but he knows now forever is close. 2016, pg 98). I have never had this worry. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . These poems are also concrete poems, taking on the shape of the words to further represent how Josh feels when he plays basketball. When JB and Josh are in a fight, she takes JBs side without question because this is the expectation for her as a girlfriend. It refers to a basketball move (described in the . She said she likes me a lot, I tell him.You mean she likes me a lot? Teaching "Dear Jordan" from The Crossover - Actively Learn We put their questions a to Kwame Alexander. Dad bites into his third donut and, when, out of you what they expect out of their own lives. Joshs mom is the assistant principal at his school, a fact he doesnt love. And Iwonder what's in the notes. Seeing the proverbial ghost again suggests that things are about to change. He admits he is empty: he is the goal with no net. Evidence: He has one pair of Air Jordan sneakers for every month of the year including Air Jordan 1 Low Barack Obama Limited Editions, which he never wears. Dad is screaming, running down the stairs, and yelling at the ref. And Im so thankful. Just because he is elated to be the Daily News Junior MVP, doesnt mean it doesnt sting when Alexis and JB dont seem pleased at all. pro-fuse-ly. However, this also means that Dad then isn't properly managing his condition, which puts him at risk of ending up in the hospital for an emergency. Mom and Dad are silent and serious in the front. Josh gets a lot of accolades for being the Junior High MVP but Miss Sweet Tea tells him frankly that he is mean and did not deserve that award because of what he did to JB. Dad wakes up. VPR's coverage of arts and culture in the region. At Rutland Town School, the students put themselves in Joshs shoes and tried writing their own letters to Jordan, whose nickname is JB. Oh my gosh! I'm not paying attentionto anything he's sayingor to the dummy. She was a VPR contributor from 2006 to 2020. Assign this text to your students for free. 0000044218 00000 n The Crossover Study Guide | Literature Guide | LitCharts Kwame Alexander: No, its not autobiography. Asked by jayionna m #1050276 on 9/23/2020 9:09 PM Last updated by jill d #170087 on 9/23/2020 9:41 PM Assign this text to deeply engage your students! Do depictions of all cultures avoid oversimplification or offer genuine insights? Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Alexiss parents are estranged. The ball goes back and forth and Josh feels like he and, the gym over Thanksgiving break and why he cut his "cute" locks. Josh also has a strong relationship with his basketball coach and receives much guidance and support from him as well. Josh was estranged from himself when he threw the ball at JB. Come on, tell me. The Crossover Character Analysis | LitCharts Down on the court, Storm. Take a look! For example, Joshs mother tells him, Boys with no self-control become men behind bars. This is a reality for African American boys in todays society. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. On page 185, Coach shares with Josh that he got into a fight with his brother in high school and now they are estranged. Family relationships are the epicenter of this novel. Mom and Dad's closet is off limits. 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.

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