The Crossover

Seventh grader Josh Bell lives for basketball. He and his twin brother, Jordan, known as JB, are stars on their school team, and their father, who once played the game professionally in Europe, still has plenty to teach them about the sport and about life. Josh tells the story in quick, rhythmic poems that move like a fast break, catching the trash talk, the family dinners and the rush of a close game. When JB starts spending his time with a new girl at school, the twins' bond begins to change, and Josh has to work out who he is on his own. This novel in verse mixes sports, humor and real family feeling, and it often wins over readers who think poetry is not for them. It suits readers about 9 to 12.