Develop 5-6 questions that your group will discuss for the assigned chapters for your Young Adult Novel. Consider the topics and skills we cover in class. Avoid questions that your community members can answer by looking them up in the chapters. 

• Quote: “everytime I’d score, rebound, or steal a ball, Dad would jump up smiling and screamin’, That’s my boy out there. Keep it funky filthy” (Alexander 8-9). 

Connection to society: Oftentimes celebrities influence society whether it be fashion trends, products, or opinions/values. In the text, Josh demonstrates this when he explains the reasons he has locks. For instance, Josh says that one of the reasons he has locks is because his “favorite rappers have them: Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and Wale” (Alexander 14). From the influence the rappers had on Josh’s style, readers see how pop culture can impact society. 

Connection to text: I would connect this text to many works of poetry as it is full of onomatopoeias, rhyme schemes, and words on the page that are set up to visually resemble their meaning. To specify, Alexander writes, “I’m MOVING & GROOVING, POPing and ROCKING–” (Alexander 3), demonstrating all these different styles of writing that are so often seen in poetry. Similarly, in the poem “Grasshopper” E.E. Cummings scatters his words and letters across the page to resemble the movement of a grasshopper.

This quote stood out to me because it shows how much botht he narrators family means to him, as well as the game of basketball. Basketball seems to be something his family bonds over and he even associates his family and love with the game.

1. Josh takes a lot of pride in his hair, and losing a chunk of it embarrasses him. How can something as small as a haircut impact someone’s confidence or sense of identity?

2. JB and Josh have a competitive but loving relationship. How does this moment shift their dynamic? Do you think JB feels guilty for what happened, or is he just focused on winning the bet?

3. Josh is upset after the accident. How does Kwame Alexander use poetry and rhythm to show Josh’s emotions? How do the short lines and spacing affect the intensity of the moment?

4. Josh is very proud of his hair, and losing part of it feels like a loss of control. What do you think his hair represents to him? Are there things in your own life that you see as an important part of your identity?

5. Josh and JB are twins, but they have very different personalities. Based on this section, how do their reactions to the bet and the haircut incident show their differences? How do their personalities shape the way they handle competition and conflict?

Connection to Society: Josh's family has a history of heart disease and his dad has had many symptoms that entail he has a heart condition. This shows the real-life impact of heart disease, which is one of the leading causes of death. Unfortunately, Josh's dad is not a fan of doctors and refuses to get a check-up despite his worsening health. Josh explains" He probably got something stuck in his throat, JB says when I ask him if he thought Dad was sick and shouldn't we tell Mom" (103). This is a very common issue in the world. Many parents will refuse to get the help they need, which puts their child in a very concerned and torn position. They don't want to defy their parents' wishes, however, they want them to get the help they need because they don't anything bad to happen to them.

Connection to text: Alexander's poetic verse writing style, particularly the way he defines words at the start of the chapters is unique and engaging. In "The Crossover", Alexander often defines words that connect to Josh's experiences, such as "i-ron-ic. Having a curious or humorous unexpected sequence of events marked by coincidence" (104)". This stylistic choice helps emphasize themes and emotion. This style of writing is very similar to the writing used by Katherina Applegate in "The One and Only Ivan". She also uses poetic language, specifically one-word chapter titles, and then explains what the words mean in the chapter. Then connect it to what the character is experiencing.

• Connection to self: This part of the book connected to my life because I, like Chuck "Da Man" Bell, was an athlete who wound up with patellar tendinitis. Although my athletic career was not as vast as Mr. Bell’s basketball career, I faced the same injury as him. Both he and I had to stop our athletic pursuits due to injuries. With the loss of his career, “Da Man” shows immense care about both of his sons progression in the sport by making them do things like making extra free throws after games. My injuries taking away the sport I was passionate about has created the same emotions Mr. Bell has toward his sons, leading me towards helping the athletes I coach be the best they can by passing down my knowledge. 

  • Quote: “...but thanks to patellar tendinitis, he went from a superstar with a million-dollar fadeaway jumper to a star whose career faded away.” (Alexander 48 - 49)

• Connection to Society: According to the CDC, in the US, almost one-half of adults experience hypertension, with 48.1% of US adults experiencing hypertension from 2017-2020. High blood pressure is also an important risk factor in cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. In Crossover, we read about the story's main character, Josh, finding out that his father has hypertension, which is why his mother is so observant and overprotective of what Mr. Bell eats. With high blood pressure being so prevalent in the US, many families and individuals go through the same situation as the Bell family in our reading. 

  • Quote: “ As in: Mom doesn't want Dad eating salt, because too much of it increases the volume of blood, which can cause hypertension.” (Alexander 76)

• Connection to Text: Within these pages of the text, Josh and JB are handling many coming-of-age issues like family dynamics, finding self-identification outside of basketball or for Josh also his hair, mental struggles like Josh staying up at night looming on the past, and experiencing a love life like JB and Miss Sweet Tea. Like Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky follows a coming-of-age protagonist, Charlie, who faces family dynamics in and outside school, finding his identity, facing mental battles that hold him back, and experiencing their first romantic relationships. 

  • Quote:  “ I count and recount the thirty-seven strands of my past in the box beneath my bed.” (Alexander 77)

• Quote: “HELLO - Earth to JB? Even though I know he hears me, the only thing JB is listening to is the sound of his heart bouncing on the court of love.” (Alexander 90)

• Tone: 

  • “I am a little worried, though, because, as Coach likes to say, you can get used to things going well, but you’re never prepared for something going wrong” (Alexander 100). 

  • This quote sets an ominous and suspenseful atmosphere as Filthy’s underlying anxiety rises. The suspenseful tone is a tool that the author uses to contrast the current tranquility of Filthy’s life and to foreshadow Filthy’s father's mini heart attack. 

• Mood: 

  • Through the entire section “Showoff”– like many of the other sections illustrating Filthy’s basketball games– Kwame Alexander sets a very playful mood to highlight Filthy’s love for the game. To specify, Kwame writes “Spins, and 

S

I

N

K

S

a sick SLICK SLIDING” (Alexander 94). This style of writing and the prevalence of onomatopoeias create an exciting and playful atmosphere, reflecting Filthy’s feelings while he plays basketball.  

Filthy’s dad: Pg. 66

“Never let anyone lower your goals. Others' expectations of you are determined by their limitations of life. The sky is your limit, son. Always shoot for the sun and you will shine.”

Mom&Dad: Pg. 74

Your father didn't “need” a doctor either. 

He was alive when he went into the hospital. 

So now you're afraid of hospitals? 

Nobody is afraid. I'm fine. It's not that serious. 

These two quotes highlight filthy’s dad in a way that shows the reader who he is as a character in the story. We get a side of his dad that sees his sons having no limitations in life as “Basketball rule #3” while on the other end, we see his stubbornness and self preservation when it comes to his health and acknowledging his weakness. Something I wanted to talk about is the idea that black men always need to be strong, and that they shouldn't be seen as sensitive or weak. In society black men specifically need to be aware of themselves in the world and because of this it is important that they are tough while also being “non threatening” 

This is something that is referenced in a satirical way in the media quite often and this is the first thing I thought of when reading these two sections of the novel. Filthy’s dad wants to be strong for them and wants them to be self confident in their goals and abilities despite what others may think of them. 

Tone: 

Filthy: Pg 43 

“And so each time I count the locks of hair beneath my pillow. I end up with thirty-seven plus one tear, which never adds up” 

This quote is one of the first times we see filthy upset, but it is important to note that only one tear is mentioned. Filthys hair is something he takes pride in and seems to be one of the physical differentiating factors between him and his twin brother. This is possible foreshadowing for later when Jordan meets his girlfriend “sweet tea” and Filthy becomes jealous of the time they spend together or possibly the fact that she's not his girlfriend. 

This is the first time in the novel we see Filthy and his brother not attached to each other’s side, do you think that filthy’s is jealous that jordan is spending more time with his girlfriend than him, or do you think that he's jealous he doesn't have a girlfriend like his brother. 

It seems that as the novel progresses we start to see differences in the twins, which is something that is made very clear from the beginning is not normally the case. They look the same, play the same sport, etc but do you think this chapter is alluding to the fact that they will have further differences and disagreements as the story goes on? 

Filthy even goes as far as to ask his dad to intervene with Jordan and his girlfriend, his dad brushes him off and tells filthy there isn't much sense in talking to his brother. Is this something you found interesting when reading? Their dads main priority for the boys has always seemed to be basketball and basketball related things, why is he not attempting to focus on Jordan?

On the phone call with sweet tea, filthy pretends to be Jordan and talks to her for his brother. At the end of the call sweet tea says she likes Jordan but Filthy hangs up and says “She said she liked me a lot.” Do you think this interaction may play a part later in the novel? If so, what do you think this phone call's impact will be? 

Filthy suddenly gets a vision of his brother JB in the hospital while at basketball practice? Do you think this is foreshadowing a later part of the novel? Or do you think it's just his anxiety and his new found separation between him and his brother?

“In the car I ask Dad if going to the doctor will kill him. He tells me he doesn’t trust doctors that my grandfather did and look where it got him…” (Alexander 123).

• What does Chuck’s distrust of doctors and the healthcare system affect his relationships with his family? Are Chuck’s feelings valid, or is he using confirmation bias to justify them? 

  
  

Game Time 6:00 PM
“At 5:47…I pray Dad won’t get arrested. At 5:48 the cop smiles after verifying Dad’s identity on Google, and says, You “Da Man” (Alexander 126)!   

• How might this interaction have been different if the police officer didn’t recognize Chuck? What does Filthy's fear of his dad being arrested for a broken taillight say about his understanding of race and the legal system?   

  
  

Before

“I dribble over to my brother and fire a pass so hard, it levels him, the blood from his nose still shooting long after the shot-clock buzzer goes off” (Alexander 134).

• This is the first time we see Filthy let his feelings toward his brother get the best of him. How does this instance affect JB and Filthy’s relationship? Do you think Filthy hurt JB on purpose? 

Suspension

Quotes from the conversation between Filthy and his mother, after Filthy injures JB during their game: “Boys with no self-control become men behind bars…When did you become a thug…Boys with no discipline end up in prison” (Alexander 138-140). 

• How does the language Filthy’s mom uses reflect racial stereotypes about black men? What is his mother’s purpose of repeating that undisciplined boys end up in prison? 

This Week, I

In this section Filthy narrates in very short and incomplete sentences like, “Volunteer at the library. Eat lunch alone five times” (Alexander 144). Further, the sentences each take up two lines before moving onto the next paragraph/stanza. How does the style of writing in this section reflect Filthy’s emotions about his current situation? 

Character Development: "Boys, your talent will help you win games, Dad says, but your intelligence, that will help you win at life" (pg. 180). This quote highlights the wisdom and influence of Josh and JB’s father. He values both basketball and education but emphasizes that intelligence is more important in the long run. It reinforces his role as a mentor (connection to archetypes), shaping his sons’ perspectives on success beyond sports. For Josh, who deeply identifies with basketball, this statement challenges him to think about his future beyond the game.

Symbolism: "Sometimes you have to lean back a little and fade away to get the best shot" (pg. 191). This phrase is both a basketball technique and a metaphor for life. The fadeaway shot symbolizes the need to step back, adjust, and find a new perspective when facing challenges. It reflects Josh’s personal journey, which he is learning that sometimes, instead of forcing things (like his relationship with JB or his place in basketball), he needs to give space and adapt. This rule suggests that success sometimes requires stepping back and reevaluating situations, a lesson Josh is struggling to accept as his life changes.

“Even Vondie has a girlfriend now… This is still better than having no girlfriend at all. Which is what I have now” pg. 162-163

Because of my experiences in school with my envy of others, I really related to this part of the novel and felt that this connected heavily to my younger self. 

Connection to Society: during my group’s literature circle discussion we often talk about the health disparities among races. One of our most recent conversations included the topic of distrust of doctors within the black community due to a history of discrimination. In the novel, crossover, Josh’s dad is experiencing what the reader understands as heart problems. Throughout the novel, Josh's dad refuses to go to the doctor, despite his son and his wife encouraging him to do so. He often mentions how his father trusted doctors and looked where it got him. In real life, a history of discrimination leads to a lingering fear of doctors in the black community. A 2018 article published by PBS and NPR discusses how black Americans are more likely to develop health conditions at an early age and about 22% of black Americans say they’ve personally faced discrimination at a hospital and/or avoided seeking medical care for fear of being discriminated against. Within our society, there are numerous disparities between communities and this is one of the ones that I found and a connection to society within the novel. 

“What doctor? When did you go to the doctor?” 

“I go a couple times a week. Dr. Webb MD.”

“Are you serious! This is not some joke, Charles.” Pg 168

Connection to text: in this novel, the author uses poetry as the main stylistic choice in his writing. Almost the entirety of the novel is written in poems, and in some of these poems, the main character Josh is describing vocabulary words. The use of poetry in defining these words throughout the novel is something I have yet to see in many pieces of literature, although this semester in our class while reading Starfish, I was also exposed to authors, conveying ideas through poetry in a novel. Similar to the crossover, in the starfish novel, the author often describes her “fat girl rules” through poems in the novel. Often rhyming and using repetitive language.

“myocardial infraction… occurs when blood flow to an area of the heart is blocked for a long enough time that the heart muscle is damaged or dies. As in: JB says that he hates basketball because it was the only thing that dad loved the most besides us…” pg 201

Connection to self: "Then I got benched for the entire first half. For being late," pg. 133. I connected this to myself as when I played softball in high school there were times I was benched for reasons out of my control such as a teacher having yet to grade an assignment I missed when sick or an injury. I remember the feeling of having to sit out while I watched my team play, sometimes during larger and more important games and feeling defeated that I couldn't be a part of my teams win.

Connection to text: "This week, I get my report card. Make honor roll. Watch the team win game nine. Volunteer at the library. Each lunch alone five times," (pg. 144). I connected this part of the text of Josh doing seemingly everything right and remaining in trouble (grounded) to New Kid when Jordan gets in trouble at school even though he typically does everything right and plays by the rules.

• Connection to Society (current events, history, etc.):

  • In the final sections of the novel Chuck’s unwillingness to have seen a doctor in the past is brought up several times. Specifically, in the section “Article #2 in the Daily News (January 14)” Chuck’s friends reveal that “‘he wasn’t a big fan of doctors and hospitals, that’s for sure’” (Alexander 226). While Chuck’s fear of the healthcare system is something my literature circle group discussed before, we see now in the final sections the consequences of such reluctance. The repetition of Chuck’s lack of trust in doctors and hospitals raises awareness to the injustices present in the healthcare system. In particular, an article published by the National Library of Medicine points out that “70% of physicians showed some level of implicit bias against Black people and Hispanics/Latinos.” These racial biases are real and affect minorities across the nation. Through Chuck’s character, Kwame Alexander highlights the reluctance that minorities might have to trust a corrupt healthcare system and the real consequences it can bring. 

    • source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4638275/

  
  

• Connection to Text. Use textual evidence to support your connections (quotes and page numbers). 

  • These final sections reminded me of the novel Everything Sad is Untrue, specifically in its exploration of family dynamics, grief, and coping with loss. After losing his father Josh underscores feeling lost and hopeless, saying, “My father was the light of my world, and now that he’s gone, each night is starless” (Alexander 229). While Josh’s father died, and Khosru’s father remained in Iran, both young boys struggled to cope with the loss of their father and felt lost without them. Though wildly different, these books convey similar messages about family and loss.

Pg. 207

"We're celebrating Christmas in Dad's hospital room... I hug fourteen people, which is like drowning. When they leave Dad calls me and Jordan over to the bed... I want you both to always be there for each other."

I also want to touch on how the book title is heavily covered in this chapter. Josh’s crossover in the game, Chuck’s crossover at the hospital, and the use of the word "crossover" at the funeral connect main concepts like basketball and Chuck’s health to the title of our book.

Pg. 200 "watching Jordan hold Dad's hand, wondering why I have to push water uphill with a rake to talk to someone who isn't even listening."