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The Crossover #0.5
Rebound
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Poetry (2018)Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshipping, basketball star his sons look up to.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2018
1338 people are currently reading
13857 people want to read
About the author
Kwame Alexander
78 books3,113 followersKwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. Kwame writes for children of all ages. His other works include Surf's Up, a picture book; Booked, a middle grade novel; and He Said She Said, a YA novel.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
Kwame believes that poetry can change the world, and he uses it to inspire and empower young people through his PAGE TO STAGE Writing and Publishing Program released by Scholastic. A regular speaker at colleges and conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Singapore, Brazil, Italy, France, Shanghai, etc.). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,689 reviews
November 24, 2019
Operation diversify my reading for 2020 is underway. I am easing back into fiction reading and who better to start with than acclaimed children’s and young adult writer Kwame Alexander. He has a Midas touch and is able to go back and forth between age groups effortlessly. I’m not sure if a children’s author would qualify, but Alexander gets my vote as a future poet laureate; his work of poetry is that good, and even better that it encourages middle school and high school students to enjoy reading.
I loved the Crossover. It features twin high school basketball phenoms Jordan and Joshua Bell who hope to make it to the NBA one day. They are the children of former star Chuck Bell, who in his prime was supposed to be one of the best. Readers were treated to poetry in motion that went back and forth from Jordan and Joshua’s points of view. Their dad was supposed to be one of the best but Alexander did not tell his story. Rebound is Chuck Bell’s story. It has been marketed as a sequel but is a prequel, the story of Chuck’s twelfth year of loss, recovery, and the usual teenaged angst.
Rebound takes readers back to 1988. Chuck Bell does ok in school, has two best friends in Skinny and CJ, and is looking forward to hiking in national parks with his dad when his dad suddenly dies of a brain hemorrhage. Chuck retreats into himself, grades suffer, his interest in basketball and anything other than comic books disappears. Chuck is looking forward to a summer reading comic books and skating with CJ when his mother announces that he will be spending the summer at his grandparents house. Of course, Alexander inserts his signature onomatopoeic words flowing down the page here. His grandparents? How could mom? And the story flows from there.
Chuck’s grandparents Percy and Alice and wholesome characters who straighten him out. Alexander writes the backstory of the entire family history and even treats readers to a family barbecue on July 4th. Basketball genes run deep in the family as we meet Chuck’s cousin Roxie, a budding phenom who holds her own against the boys, and is a beneficiary of new interest in women’s basketball in the 1990s. Alexander knows he is writing for a 21st century teenaged audience so inserting Roxie as an athletic stud and CJ aka Crystal aka Mom from the Crossover as a genius is to me the novel’s defining moment. Empathic characters, poetry, and pop culture anecdotes make Rebound fun, easy reading for young adult audiences.
If one has not read Kwame Alexander’s work yet, than they are in for a treat whenever they choose to pick up one of his books. Each one gets better and better regardless of the target age range. Alexander has also shared his talents with educators by giving workshops around the country. He is a treasure and his books get better and better whenever I read them. He is a must have for teachers in encouraging kids to read and has my vote for poet extraordinaire.
4+ stars
I loved the Crossover. It features twin high school basketball phenoms Jordan and Joshua Bell who hope to make it to the NBA one day. They are the children of former star Chuck Bell, who in his prime was supposed to be one of the best. Readers were treated to poetry in motion that went back and forth from Jordan and Joshua’s points of view. Their dad was supposed to be one of the best but Alexander did not tell his story. Rebound is Chuck Bell’s story. It has been marketed as a sequel but is a prequel, the story of Chuck’s twelfth year of loss, recovery, and the usual teenaged angst.
Rebound takes readers back to 1988. Chuck Bell does ok in school, has two best friends in Skinny and CJ, and is looking forward to hiking in national parks with his dad when his dad suddenly dies of a brain hemorrhage. Chuck retreats into himself, grades suffer, his interest in basketball and anything other than comic books disappears. Chuck is looking forward to a summer reading comic books and skating with CJ when his mother announces that he will be spending the summer at his grandparents house. Of course, Alexander inserts his signature onomatopoeic words flowing down the page here. His grandparents? How could mom? And the story flows from there.
Chuck’s grandparents Percy and Alice and wholesome characters who straighten him out. Alexander writes the backstory of the entire family history and even treats readers to a family barbecue on July 4th. Basketball genes run deep in the family as we meet Chuck’s cousin Roxie, a budding phenom who holds her own against the boys, and is a beneficiary of new interest in women’s basketball in the 1990s. Alexander knows he is writing for a 21st century teenaged audience so inserting Roxie as an athletic stud and CJ aka Crystal aka Mom from the Crossover as a genius is to me the novel’s defining moment. Empathic characters, poetry, and pop culture anecdotes make Rebound fun, easy reading for young adult audiences.
If one has not read Kwame Alexander’s work yet, than they are in for a treat whenever they choose to pick up one of his books. Each one gets better and better regardless of the target age range. Alexander has also shared his talents with educators by giving workshops around the country. He is a treasure and his books get better and better whenever I read them. He is a must have for teachers in encouraging kids to read and has my vote for poet extraordinaire.
4+ stars
March 20, 2018
My heeeeaaaarrrtttt.
Y'all know I love The Crossover (for obvious reasons!). This companion book takes a step into the past, telling the story of Josh and JB's dad when he was a middle-schooler. Reeling from the sudden loss of his father, Charlie Bell is struggling. His mom's unable to reach him and afraid that he's going to end up in trouble, so she sends him to spend the summer with his grandparents in Washington DC. There, Charlie gets to know his family and, against his better judgment, starts playing basketball.
If you read and loved The Crossover, you NEED to read this book. If you haven't read The Crossover, this book will still resonate with you. You'll find strong characters and emotions deftly crafted into prose poems and even comic sections (young Charlie Bell would much rather read comics than pick up a ball).
Y'all know I love The Crossover (for obvious reasons!). This companion book takes a step into the past, telling the story of Josh and JB's dad when he was a middle-schooler. Reeling from the sudden loss of his father, Charlie Bell is struggling. His mom's unable to reach him and afraid that he's going to end up in trouble, so she sends him to spend the summer with his grandparents in Washington DC. There, Charlie gets to know his family and, against his better judgment, starts playing basketball.
If you read and loved The Crossover, you NEED to read this book. If you haven't read The Crossover, this book will still resonate with you. You'll find strong characters and emotions deftly crafted into prose poems and even comic sections (young Charlie Bell would much rather read comics than pick up a ball).
February 20, 2018
This is a review of the ARC.
The first poem in Rebound is a lovely series off fleeting, non-rhyming couplets that capture a time, a place, a memory. I pulled the book to my chest. "This is it," I thought.
The second poem in Rebound captured the manic, frenetic energy of Alexander's masterful The Crossover: it was all sound and feeling, energy and zip, breathlessly exciting poetry. I pulled the book to my chest. "I want to savor this," I thought.
Then I got to the first comic, which, in the ARC, is still in sketch mode. Even in its zygote stage, I thought, "How fresh is this!" I pulled the book to my chest. "All the feels," I thought.
Alexander's poetry has always struck me as new and innovative, something to marvel at and pore over. Unfortunately, that kinetic power starts to feel really forced about fifty pages into Rebound. It starts to feel less like poetry and more like a gimmick, where dialog is stacked in italicized couplets, stanzas just become paragraphs, and toying with space and font size just feels like... toying with space and font size.
I still had hope, though.
Until page 74.
That's a rumor. Plus, she's asleep. Now come on, keep ya head up, let's do this.
That's Tupac, Skinny whispers.
I put the book down. "Did I miss something?" I thought.
I flipped back to the book's beginning. Nope. There it was. 1988. Summer of 1988, to be more precise. I was 11 years old in the summer of '88. There was no Tupac in 1988. I distinctly remembered being a freshman in high school when Tupac made a name for himself. Even if you didn't like hip-hop, you knew who Tupac was in 1991.
Just in case my own memory was faulty, I consulted Our Friend the Interwebz. Memory had not failed me. In fact, "Keep Ya Head Up" came out in 1993. Five years after the events of the book.
Now this isn't a terrible thing - it's a mistake in an ARC, so it should be corrected by publishing time. But this little slip up forced me to put up my radar, and soon, every time Alexander mentioned a pop culture staple of the late 1980s, I became suspicious - either because it butted against my own memory or I just stopped trusting Alexander.
I started fact checking. And things did not shake out in Alexander's favor.
1. Slick Rick, whose new single and video protagonist Chuck and his friend Skinny can't wait to see, didn't release his first single until November of 1988. Arguably, Rick's first massive hit wasn't even released until April of 1989.
2. Allen Iverson, who Chuck is told has already won a couple of high school championships, had just turned 13 in June of 1988. Probably not winning any high school championships when he's still in junior high.
3. When Chuck and his cousin Roxie go to the Harlem Globetrotters game, Chuck is picked to play C.U.R.L.Y. with Globetrotter extraordinaire Curly Neal. Neal retired from the Globetrotters in 1985.
This is just lazy research. Or relying on a faulty memory.
"You're being nit-picky, Joe," you might say. And yes, I am. But I want Alexander to win another four million awards for his amazing poetry. Factual inaccuracies can keep that from happening!
But so, too, can lousy poetry. True: Alexander's poetry in Rebound is never particularly lousy. But it does feel done before. It rarely feels fresh or energizing or even inviting. It feels shopworn and, at times, a little lazy. And after 250 pages, it's exhausting. It's even more exhausting when you realize, at the 250 mark, that you still have about 175 pages to go. Truly: the events of this book could have been edited down to fewer than 300 pages. The emotional payoff in the final poem is more like receiving a half-hearted high five than a trophy for the tribulations that came before.
What works here is - what is fresh and groundbreaking - is the graphic novel components. I really enjoyed the comics sprinkled throughout. Because Chuck is so obsessed with comics, these graphic poems operate on multiple levels: they illustrate how Chuck sees himself, they showcase Alexander's innate ability to play with language, and they provide a visual trajectory for the words as well. I'd never seen anything like it before. It's inspiring stuff. I wish the whole book had been rendered in this style.
I will revisit this title once it's published in its definitive state. I hope the storytelling will be tightened by a lot, and I hope those errors are corrected. And I hope the graphic components are even more dynamite in the finished product. And maybe there will be more of them.
For now, though, 2 stars.
God, I hate that I just gave Kwame Alexander two stars.
It hurts my heart.
The first poem in Rebound is a lovely series off fleeting, non-rhyming couplets that capture a time, a place, a memory. I pulled the book to my chest. "This is it," I thought.
The second poem in Rebound captured the manic, frenetic energy of Alexander's masterful The Crossover: it was all sound and feeling, energy and zip, breathlessly exciting poetry. I pulled the book to my chest. "I want to savor this," I thought.
Then I got to the first comic, which, in the ARC, is still in sketch mode. Even in its zygote stage, I thought, "How fresh is this!" I pulled the book to my chest. "All the feels," I thought.
Alexander's poetry has always struck me as new and innovative, something to marvel at and pore over. Unfortunately, that kinetic power starts to feel really forced about fifty pages into Rebound. It starts to feel less like poetry and more like a gimmick, where dialog is stacked in italicized couplets, stanzas just become paragraphs, and toying with space and font size just feels like... toying with space and font size.
I still had hope, though.
Until page 74.
That's a rumor. Plus, she's asleep. Now come on, keep ya head up, let's do this.
That's Tupac, Skinny whispers.
I put the book down. "Did I miss something?" I thought.
I flipped back to the book's beginning. Nope. There it was. 1988. Summer of 1988, to be more precise. I was 11 years old in the summer of '88. There was no Tupac in 1988. I distinctly remembered being a freshman in high school when Tupac made a name for himself. Even if you didn't like hip-hop, you knew who Tupac was in 1991.
Just in case my own memory was faulty, I consulted Our Friend the Interwebz. Memory had not failed me. In fact, "Keep Ya Head Up" came out in 1993. Five years after the events of the book.
Now this isn't a terrible thing - it's a mistake in an ARC, so it should be corrected by publishing time. But this little slip up forced me to put up my radar, and soon, every time Alexander mentioned a pop culture staple of the late 1980s, I became suspicious - either because it butted against my own memory or I just stopped trusting Alexander.
I started fact checking. And things did not shake out in Alexander's favor.
1. Slick Rick, whose new single and video protagonist Chuck and his friend Skinny can't wait to see, didn't release his first single until November of 1988. Arguably, Rick's first massive hit wasn't even released until April of 1989.
2. Allen Iverson, who Chuck is told has already won a couple of high school championships, had just turned 13 in June of 1988. Probably not winning any high school championships when he's still in junior high.
3. When Chuck and his cousin Roxie go to the Harlem Globetrotters game, Chuck is picked to play C.U.R.L.Y. with Globetrotter extraordinaire Curly Neal. Neal retired from the Globetrotters in 1985.
This is just lazy research. Or relying on a faulty memory.
"You're being nit-picky, Joe," you might say. And yes, I am. But I want Alexander to win another four million awards for his amazing poetry. Factual inaccuracies can keep that from happening!
But so, too, can lousy poetry. True: Alexander's poetry in Rebound is never particularly lousy. But it does feel done before. It rarely feels fresh or energizing or even inviting. It feels shopworn and, at times, a little lazy. And after 250 pages, it's exhausting. It's even more exhausting when you realize, at the 250 mark, that you still have about 175 pages to go. Truly: the events of this book could have been edited down to fewer than 300 pages. The emotional payoff in the final poem is more like receiving a half-hearted high five than a trophy for the tribulations that came before.
What works here is - what is fresh and groundbreaking - is the graphic novel components. I really enjoyed the comics sprinkled throughout. Because Chuck is so obsessed with comics, these graphic poems operate on multiple levels: they illustrate how Chuck sees himself, they showcase Alexander's innate ability to play with language, and they provide a visual trajectory for the words as well. I'd never seen anything like it before. It's inspiring stuff. I wish the whole book had been rendered in this style.
I will revisit this title once it's published in its definitive state. I hope the storytelling will be tightened by a lot, and I hope those errors are corrected. And I hope the graphic components are even more dynamite in the finished product. And maybe there will be more of them.
For now, though, 2 stars.
God, I hate that I just gave Kwame Alexander two stars.
It hurts my heart.
March 4, 2018
I'm not going to say anything about this book until you've had a chance to read it.
But, I can tell you this. . .I am so happy. . .like so many of you. . .to get in on the "ground floor" with Kwame Alexander. Reading those first books of a shining star of literature for young people.
REBOUND is special. And it hits every post a prequel should hit.
Oh. I've said too much.
But, I can tell you this. . .I am so happy. . .like so many of you. . .to get in on the "ground floor" with Kwame Alexander. Reading those first books of a shining star of literature for young people.
REBOUND is special. And it hits every post a prequel should hit.
Oh. I've said too much.
May 2, 2019
This book has an amazing ending. TOTALLY 4 stars!!!!!!!
January 27, 2019
I hope Alexander continues writing novels in verse that revolve around sports and coming-of-age. I love the way he can intertwine the two and make it relatable (to my younger self).
February 3, 2018
The way this story stands on its own while beautifully weaving into The Crossover is genius.
April 3, 2018
You know, Chuck,
he says.
You’re not always gonna swish.
...
You gonna miss some.
Heck, you gonna miss a lot.
That’s the way the real world works.
But you gotta grab the ball and
keep shooting. You understand?
Yessir.
I tell you what, though,
you’ll make a lot more
than you miss if
you’re not always going for
the flash
and flair.
Try using
the backboard, son.
You got me.
You got your grandmother.
You got Roxie.
You got your mother.
You got all of us,
remember that!
•
•
•
Kwame “Da Man” Alexander has done it again with his new book, Rebound! In this prequel to his award-winning book, The Crossover, we learn a lot more about young Charlie (AKA Chuck) before he became Josh and JB’s dad. I have a feeling this one won’t see the bookshelf once students get their hands on this after spring break!
he says.
You’re not always gonna swish.
...
You gonna miss some.
Heck, you gonna miss a lot.
That’s the way the real world works.
But you gotta grab the ball and
keep shooting. You understand?
Yessir.
I tell you what, though,
you’ll make a lot more
than you miss if
you’re not always going for
the flash
and flair.
Try using
the backboard, son.
You got me.
You got your grandmother.
You got Roxie.
You got your mother.
You got all of us,
remember that!
•
•
•
Kwame “Da Man” Alexander has done it again with his new book, Rebound! In this prequel to his award-winning book, The Crossover, we learn a lot more about young Charlie (AKA Chuck) before he became Josh and JB’s dad. I have a feeling this one won’t see the bookshelf once students get their hands on this after spring break!
February 15, 2018
I loved reading Rebound. Especially the ending.
And his grandpa. Love him fiercely.
And the comics (poetry slam in comics!!!!!)
And the corny jokes -- burst out laughing in several places (too much sax & violins!)
But really, the power of metaphor to open your heart.
For all of us when we feel storm-beaten and shattered, how we can hold onto hope. Thank you.
And his grandpa. Love him fiercely.
And the comics (poetry slam in comics!!!!!)
And the corny jokes -- burst out laughing in several places (too much sax & violins!)
But really, the power of metaphor to open your heart.
For all of us when we feel storm-beaten and shattered, how we can hold onto hope. Thank you.
April 9, 2018
First of all, the good:
- Another book that looks and sounds like The Crossover is alright with me.
- Roxie should have her own story!
- I enjoyed seeing Chuck and CJ's relationship blossom.
- The addition of some graphic story panels is awesome and really fitting of Chuck's voice.
- Chuck's grandfather drops more wisdom than I could keep track of. I earmarked his conversation with Chuck after Chuck's run-in with the police. The conversation about surrounding yourself with good teammates. So good!
- Speaking of cops, it was a bit refreshing to see the police treat Chuck ok and give him the benefit of the doubt. In this climate, it would have been real easy to write this scenario in a different way.
Now, on to what I really think:
- I think this "prequel" should have been Roxie's story. Alexander still could have incorporated the grandfather and still could have introduced readers to Chuck as a child, albeit, as a supporting character. As I read through this book, I wondered more and more WHY we needed this story...
- I also couldn't help but wonder why we needed this story in verse. Sometimes verse fits the character (like Josh in The Crossover, or Nick in Booked) but I would argue it doesn't exactly fit Chuck's persona. Much of it doesn't even read like verse either, more like prose broken up.
- Chuck's somewhat late arrival to basketball felt awfully contrived to me. There aren't too many NBA superstars who would tell you that they didn't pick up a basketball until age 12. It's possible, but extremely rare.
- The ending, the jump to 2018, will be a rough transition for anyone picking this book up who hasn't read The Crossover. I wonder if it will even make sense...
- And finally, the historical inaccuracies pointed out by a friend of mine in his Goodreads review, stood out like a sore thumb, especially to someone who was a fan of Tupac, Allen Iverson, and the Harlem Globetrotters. Some may gloss over them, and I could have done that if we were talking one measley little error. But these errors just stacked up and made the overall project feel a bit sloppy.
In conclusion:
- I liked this, but really, really wish I had LOVED it. I wanted to LOVE it.
(BTW, I read an ARC. Maybe some elements will be tweaked in the published material.)
- Another book that looks and sounds like The Crossover is alright with me.
- Roxie should have her own story!
- I enjoyed seeing Chuck and CJ's relationship blossom.
- The addition of some graphic story panels is awesome and really fitting of Chuck's voice.
- Chuck's grandfather drops more wisdom than I could keep track of. I earmarked his conversation with Chuck after Chuck's run-in with the police. The conversation about surrounding yourself with good teammates. So good!
- Speaking of cops, it was a bit refreshing to see the police treat Chuck ok and give him the benefit of the doubt. In this climate, it would have been real easy to write this scenario in a different way.
Now, on to what I really think:
- I think this "prequel" should have been Roxie's story. Alexander still could have incorporated the grandfather and still could have introduced readers to Chuck as a child, albeit, as a supporting character. As I read through this book, I wondered more and more WHY we needed this story...
- I also couldn't help but wonder why we needed this story in verse. Sometimes verse fits the character (like Josh in The Crossover, or Nick in Booked) but I would argue it doesn't exactly fit Chuck's persona. Much of it doesn't even read like verse either, more like prose broken up.
- Chuck's somewhat late arrival to basketball felt awfully contrived to me. There aren't too many NBA superstars who would tell you that they didn't pick up a basketball until age 12. It's possible, but extremely rare.
- The ending, the jump to 2018, will be a rough transition for anyone picking this book up who hasn't read The Crossover. I wonder if it will even make sense...
- And finally, the historical inaccuracies pointed out by a friend of mine in his Goodreads review, stood out like a sore thumb, especially to someone who was a fan of Tupac, Allen Iverson, and the Harlem Globetrotters. Some may gloss over them, and I could have done that if we were talking one measley little error. But these errors just stacked up and made the overall project feel a bit sloppy.
In conclusion:
- I liked this, but really, really wish I had LOVED it. I wanted to LOVE it.
(BTW, I read an ARC. Maybe some elements will be tweaked in the published material.)
February 11, 2018
Thanks to HMH Kids for the advance copy of this book for review - all opinions are my own.
I adore THE CROSSOVER, as do my students, and this prequel is just as wonderful. While it technically could be read as a stand alone, this story is so much more meaningful when read with the context of Chuck Bell as the basketball star father from THE CROSSOVER. I highly recommend this stellar novel in verse for purchase in all middle grade libraries - I will be purchasing for both my elementary and middle/high collections.
I adore THE CROSSOVER, as do my students, and this prequel is just as wonderful. While it technically could be read as a stand alone, this story is so much more meaningful when read with the context of Chuck Bell as the basketball star father from THE CROSSOVER. I highly recommend this stellar novel in verse for purchase in all middle grade libraries - I will be purchasing for both my elementary and middle/high collections.
April 7, 2018
I didn’t think this was possible, but I love this even more than The Crossover. This prequel is expertly written as it makes you forget what you know is coming, but is also so very satisfying as it puts some bows on some answers.
The writing is phenomenal, but the characters are even better. I love every, single one..yes, Charlie/Chuck, mom, CJ are all amazing, but the grandparents stole the show for me. Granddad is sassy and sweet and tender and tough.
You’ll love it.
The writing is phenomenal, but the characters are even better. I love every, single one..yes, Charlie/Chuck, mom, CJ are all amazing, but the grandparents stole the show for me. Granddad is sassy and sweet and tender and tough.
You’ll love it.
March 9, 2018
My goodness, does Kwame Alexander know how to write. I could not put this down, even with tears streaming down my face. I cannot wait to share this one with my students. They are all big fans of his work, and I know this is no exception.
March 8, 2020
I finally realized after reading the first couple of pages that the storyline was going to revolve around the father of the main characters of Crossover! Charlie, (their father), at first didn't seem like a basketball player, more or less a nerd. He loved reading comics and always hanged out with his friends. It isn't until Charlie goes to his grandparents and truly starts playing the game of basketball. The author of both these books likes to show the theme coming-of-age, where there are tragedies that the main characters have to overcome, which in the end shapes them to who they are. I liked how this book read like more of a story and showed you details that weren't shown in Crossover. It showed great emotion with many people that were close to Charlie which brought the book together. I would recommend this book to someone who wants a quick read and is into basketball.
April 6, 2018
OMG. I'm in love with this.
January 6, 2019
A lyrical prequel with a slam dunk ending. We meet Charlie Bell when his life has been turned upside down by the loss of his father. Summer is coming and read his comic books and hope life will go back to normal. His mother decides to send him to stay with his grandparents. That summer was a formative time for the Chuck Bell we meet in Crossover. Highly recommended!
January 18, 2019
It was a good read.
March 10, 2020
It was really good and you really got to connect with the characters and it is cool reading it if you have read the crossover because you can connect the characters and stuff they talk about.
July 8, 2023
This book was so similar to the Crossover that I felt like I just read the same book twice.
April 9, 2018
There are verse novels, and then there are verse novels written by Kwame Alexander. I was at a speaking event of Alexander's when I found out his next book was a prequel to The Crossover, and I may or may not have squealed like a fangirl. Rebound has the same rhythm, the same flow, the same punch in the gut--and even though it takes place three decades ago, Chuck's story will be just as relatable and accessible to my students.
I felt quite emotional reading this one--probably because 1) Like Chuck, I also lost my father very suddenly, and 2) I know where Chuck's story will eventually end because of The Crossover. There was also a nice shot of nostalgia. I also grew up in the 80's--just a few years younger than Chuck--and I lived without air conditioning, listened to records, and wrote letters to my friends during the summer. The Globetrotter game took me back to my own experience watching the goofy ballplayers--right down to the bucket full of confetti.
The verse moves from hard to flowing and back again, and there are even some graphic novel pages included--which highlight Chuck's love of comic books.
My students are going to be SO excited.
I felt quite emotional reading this one--probably because 1) Like Chuck, I also lost my father very suddenly, and 2) I know where Chuck's story will eventually end because of The Crossover. There was also a nice shot of nostalgia. I also grew up in the 80's--just a few years younger than Chuck--and I lived without air conditioning, listened to records, and wrote letters to my friends during the summer. The Globetrotter game took me back to my own experience watching the goofy ballplayers--right down to the bucket full of confetti.
The verse moves from hard to flowing and back again, and there are even some graphic novel pages included--which highlight Chuck's love of comic books.
My students are going to be SO excited.
September 25, 2019
This book was really amazing, it is the sequel to the book crossover. This book is about Joshes, and JB's dad when he was twelve years old. There dad's name is Charles and his mom made him go to Washington for summer because she thought that it would be good for him since his dad recently passed away. He stayed with his grandparents where his cousin Roxie taught him how to play basketball. I would recommend this book to anyone who like poetry and basketball. It's about 400 pages and if you sit down and just read it will take you about 2 days to read not even.
June 24, 2018
I read this to see if Owen would like it. I think he will. It's tough to find things for him to read right now. The writing style is fun to follow, and the quick chapters keep the story moving. We will see what he thinks. Very appropriate story for middle schoolers.
February 24, 2021
I love novels written in verse, and Kwame Alexander does such an amazing job. I've read almost all of his books. This one isn't my favorite, but it was still so great. It's a prequel telling the story of when the twin's (from his book Crossover) father first fell in love with basketball at the age of twelve.
April 5, 2018
I love Kwame Alexander’s books for how excited kids are about reading them. I had it out yesterday while I read a little bit during our independent reading day, and I already had multiple kids ask me if they could borrow it next.
September 29, 2018
Much longer than the other novels in verse by Kwame Alexander. This is the story of the twins from The Crossover's dad during the summer of 1988. Some fun cultural throwbacks, but mostly a story about growing up and letting go.
July 16, 2018
If you are looking for a book that takes you on a journey about learning to accept and love your family, friends and the game of basketball, this novel.in verse is for you.
August 4, 2018
A really beautiful story of a boy dealing with the sudden and tragic death of his father. I can't think of any other children's book about grief that is handled in such a profound way without ever being heavy-handed or saccharine. There are lots of wonderful moments that will mean a lot more if you have read The Crossover, but the book definitely stands alone and has its own story to tell. Now excuse me, I am going to listen to some Horace Silver and feel all the feels.
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April 4, 2019I thought this book was amazing! I found it a little bit better than The Crossover. I found it very exciting to read about the dad as a kid in 1988. I highly recommend this book.
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