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The Crossover



Last updated Monday, July 1, 2019

Author: Kwame Alexander
Date of Publication: 2014
ISBN: 0544107713
Grade Level: 5th    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Jul. 2019

Synopsis: The Bell twins are stars on the basketball court and comrades in life. While there are some differences—Josh shaves his head and Jordan loves his locks—both twins adhere to the Bell basketball rules: In this game of life, your family is the court, and the ball is your heart. With a former professional basketball player dad and an assistant principal mom, there is an intensely strong home front supporting sports and education in equal measures. When life intervenes in the form of a new girl, the balance shifts and growing apart proves painful

Note to readers:
•  It helps to read the poems in order. Start from the beginning (warm-up) which provides the introductions & characters
•  Depending on the time you can read the warm up & First Quarter

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Looking at the cover, what do you think this book is about?
•  What is on the person's finger?

Vocabulary
•  Croatian - a native or inhabitant of Croatia, or a person of Croatian descent. Croatia is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, on the Adriatic Sea.
•  fiberglass - a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber
•  hypertension - high blood pressure
•  sportscaster - someone who appears on television or radio, giving information and news about sports events.
•  Mathematician - an expert in mathematics.
•  Pythagoras - the first pure mathematician. He was born on the island of Samos, Greece in 569 BC.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Do you have a nickname? Do you have siblings with nicknames?
•  Do you know where the patellar tendinitis is? Point it out to the kids.

Craft ideas:
•  Make a wreath with your favorite sports team's colors
•  Sports visor from paper plate & string
•  Table soccer game w/ paper
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/july-2019/

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!