Embedded Files
Work
Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band (2011)
Awards
- 2014 Michigan Reads One Book Selection
- 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children
- Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor
- NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor
- Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
- Paterson Poetry Prize
Although Kwame Alexander has been on the writing scene for quite a while, he achieved new heights of fame with his verse novel The Crossover, which became a break-out hit, and earned him the above awards (“Bio” http://kwamealexander.com/about/me/).
The book has taken the YA world by storm. Through a series of short, first-person verse entries, the story is related by Josh Bell, an incredible basketball player with a love-hate relationship with his brother. Although Josh is from a loving family, problems develop that challenge Josh in ways he never imagined. The high-interest material is paired with extremely accessible writing to make this a go-to choice for reluctant readers, especially boys. Underneath the hardcover’s dust jacket, the book’s cover is patterned to look and feel like a basketball, adding a tactile dimension to this engaging work.
Here is a brief sample passage from the novel:
“Never let anyone
lower your goals.
Others’ expectations
of you are determined
by their limitations
of life.
The sky is your limit, sons.
Always shoot
for the sun
and you will shine.”
(Alexander 2014)
The Crossover (2014)
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