Notable Books

In the young adult realm, besides The Crossover, Alexander has several other titles, including Booked, which is not the plot-sequel to The Crossover that it appears to be, but rather a thematic companion novel. Solo, co-written with Mary Rand Hess, moves from sports to music. He Said, She Said blends hip-hop, sports, and social protest, with an undercurrent of teen romance. And Flying Lessons & Other Stories was specifically created by the We Need Diverse Books program, collecting short pieces that feature a wide-ranging cast of characters, written by some of YA’s hottest writers, including Mr. Alexander.

In addition to his YA work, Alexander has authored several children’s book titles, each of which carries a strong educational component to help young readers learn as they enjoy engaging stories and poems. Indigo Blume and the Garden City shows kids that no matter where they live, they can engage with nature. Animal Ark is “an exploration of Earth’s endangered creatures through poetry and photography” that utilizes images from the National Geographic Photo Ark and haiku crafted by Alexander (“It Begins with Listening | Up Close With Kwame Alexander” http://www.slj.com/2016/11/interviews/up-close/it-begins-with-listening-up-close-with-kwame-alexander/). Acoustic Rooster and his Barnyard Band encourages kids to learn about music with its glossary of musical terms, as well as characters named after famous jazz singers, like Mules Davis, Ella Finchgerald, and Duck Ellington. And Surf’s Up shows that reading a great book can be just as much fun as a day at the beach!

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