Lets use rhyme, lets use free verse, lets use different types of poetry to sort of mimic and mirror that action on the court and do that on the page. We see a deep bond between all the family members in the weekly traditions they have, the way they interact with each other, the things they say to each other. Again, Josh's desire to help and be a part of the game in some way speaks to his sense of loyalty to Dad and to the rest of the team, especially JB. Coach isn't worried; he starts blasting his favorite dance music. JB asks.And even though I never opened my mouth,I say, Thanks,becauseit is. He knows that this means, to Dad. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. To make matters worse, encourages the rest of the team to step up since Josh isn't playing. Dad's heart attack here makes it clear that Mom is right: Dad shouldn't play anymore if he wants to preserve his health. Unfortunately, that wouldnt be a middle grade novel. When the game starts, Josh looks up to his parents, but theyre not there. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Their mom is assistant principal at their school. 0000003945 00000 n You're twins, not the same person.But that doesn't mean he has to stop loving me. He unleashes a killer crossover and everyone is hollering as Dad dribbles to the hoop. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs This is a life lesson that many young readers have a strong reaction to and would welcome the opportunity to discuss in a safe environment to voice their anger, fear and outrage. VPR's coverage of arts and culture in the region. Plus he has MJ sheets . Vondie giggles. Its completely fiction. 0000001216 00000 n Being named the MVP even though he's currently suspended speaks to how good a player Josh is. Vondie passes to, that they're going to go home. like two stars stealing sun, like two brothers burning up. JB comes running out of the bathroom.What'd she say, Josh? And while Dad is telling us another story for the hundredth time, Mom removes the saltfrom the table and JB goes to the buffet.He brings back three packages of duck sauce and a cup of wonton soupand hands them all to me.Dad pauses, and Mom looks at JB.That was random, she says.What, isn't that what you wanted, Filthy? "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." There is a big vocabulary test tomorrow and Josh is worried for his brother. Josh chooses to give her the note for his brother and takes the rap for cheating. First Quarter Quotes To get ready for the season, I went to three summer camps. Now lets go get some doughnuts (pg 92). Other of his many books (hes written 35!) Josh's stay in the hospital while caring for his sick father, his father's eventual demise further made him lonely and he frantically sought to repair the relationship. "I love that word! He said, "I listen to instrumental jazz when Im writing, and I looked over to see what song it was and it was a song by Horace Silver called Filthy McNasty, and decided I am so going to use that name in this book.". After dinner, Dad takes Josh and. 0000031472 00000 n Mom's reminder that behavior like this could land Josh in jail one day again points to the state of race relations in the US--as a black man, Josh is more likely than a white peer to end up in jail for a crime. This suggests that the loneliness was easier to deal with when Josh wasn't the one enforcing it. The title of this book (The Crossover) is an important phrase and idea throughout the book. However, I will tell you this. I don't know However, this also means that Dad then isn't properly managing his condition, which puts him at risk of ending up in the hospital for an emergency. They were missing Josh Filthy McNasty Bell, though, who is this papers Most Valuable Player. homes for sale in fishersville, va; 22 . "Jordan" is thought by most critics to allude to the Jordan River that is important to the people of Israel in the Old and New Testaments. With his eyes on a future at Duke, Josh seems to have it all. 0000038553 00000 n (including. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . Josh and JB generally get along; but they have very different personalities. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. In particular, it begins to align him with Dad, who is still highly regarded even though he's also not playing. Come spring, these Rutland Town readers may be inspired to head out to the soccer pitch as well. (21) $1.99. Devon Kibbey: How did you decide that you were going to write the story from Joshs perspective? Josh is studying by himself. Though Josh loves JB and being a twin, he also craves read analysis of Josh Dad Josh and JB's dad. Joshs mom is the assistant principal at his school, a fact he doesnt love. Family relationships are the epicenter of this novel. Before. He turns out the light to go to sleep and hears his brother say Thanks.. As in: Dad's in a comabecause of a myocardial infarction,which is the same thingmy grandfather died of.So what does that mean for meand JB? This family creates a strong foundation for the boys to continuously go back to as they seek to find their way through the muck of adolescence. drives home from the hospital, the car is silent. Even though he is. Suduiko, Aaron ed. Joshs interior state as he contemplates these changes in his life is a testament to Alexanders ability to capture the complexity of a teenager. becauseI'm watching Jordan pass notesto Miss Sweet Tea. 0000057497 00000 n The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. 0000007152 00000 n My wife and I danced My daughter, whos seven-years-old, in second grade, she woke up and she came in the room and said, Whats all the commotion for? And we said, Daddy just won the Newbury Medal. And she said, Yay! He also thinks that it's ironic that, drills, Coach leads the team in meditation. Kwame Alexander: "Oh my gosh! Its called Booked. JB is on the other side of the backseat, but Josh feels miles away from all of them. Joshs earlier sense that everything was going well in his life and something bad was certain to happen soon has now revealed itself to have been very prescient. Joshs Dad gives him the nickname Filthy McNasty after the name of a famous jazz song (and also because he was generally dirty). The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. These poems are also concrete poems, taking on the shape of the words to further represent how Josh feels when he plays basketball. Though Josh is once again able to use his vocabulary words to make his life make more sense, he also indicates that his ability to effectively communicate is waning. denly giving just brief visual descriptions and using lots of ellipses? Dad falls, his eyes roll, and Josh screams. Thus, readers come to know how the power of words and vibrant language evoke deep emotional responses as we read about Joshs life. Dad tries to break the tension by talking about Christmas and the turkey. n :BSlGrm Pre-made quizzes on The Crossover Eight Week Quiz D that include 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions for a quick in-class quiz. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Showing this tiny bit of positive regard suggests that JB is now willing to listen to Josh and rebuild their relationship. Mom tries to reassure him that JB will always love him. Josh has a plan: he's going to talk to. What seemed to be a great disappointment for Myrtle concerning her marriage to George? As the boys walk home from practice, Josh peppers, After dinner. Missing the game is similar to not attending to his father. At Rutland Town School, the students put themselves in Joshs shoes and tried writing their own letters to Jordan, whose nickname is JB. 0000012066 00000 n In the book "The Crossover" there is a poem called "Dear Jordan" where Josh is explaining how sorry he is. The heart attack Chuck suffers during the one-on-one game at the end of this section is not the last warning we hope it is: rather, its a sign that there is no going back. gives a fry each to Josh and Vondie and then tells Josh that he and, Sweet Tea's divorced parents are estranged. When JB asks for seconds of salad, it shows that he recognizes that eating well is a good way to impress girls. JB is on fire and blazes from baseline to baseline. The students at Rutland Town School had some questions for the author. 1090 0 obj <>stream Josh gets a lot of accolades for being the Junior High MVP but Miss Sweet Tea tells him frankly that he is mean and did not deserve that award because of what he did to JB. No practice to get ready. Basketball is extremely important to them, and they both want to play professionally someday. The fact that Dad does his best to correct himself and call Josh what he wants to be called shows that Dad is happy to show Josh the same kind of understanding that he showed JB when he asked him to invite Miss Sweet Tea for dinner. 1162410. In other words, this interest shows that Josh recognizes that the doctor isn't bad, and that unlike Dad he knows he should trust the doctor/. On page 26, he says, JB likes to taunt and trash talk during games like Dad used to do when he played. How are family relationships depicted? / together (159). Kwame Alexander: Wow, never been asked the question before. include his brilliant coming of age novel Rebound (published by Andersen Press). In Mom, since you asked the author uses repetition to illustrate Joshs venting of everything that is causing his inner turmoil and anger. Vondie is suffocated by the defense and JB cant make the shot; the Wildcats are down at the end of the first half. (LogOut/ Josh's letter offers the reader multiple ways to read it, though each way offers the same main point: Josh's loneliness is killing him, and he misses his brother. Josh walks home alone after practice, which feels strange since he usually walks with, finds The Giver. Thus, readers come to know how the power of words and vibrant language evoke deep emotional responses as we read about Joshs life. And so, I was like, 'I gotta use this word.' We are not liable to third-parties. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Can JB run with him, help him heal, slash with him like they used to? Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and theNew York Timesbestselling author. The two-column structure used in the Crossover's poem "Dear Jordan" is a symbol of: question about the great Gatsby chapter 2: Dad's message does much the same thing, though it seems much more in character for Dad. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. In this poem, Josh makes efforts to repair the cracked friendship between him and his brother. 0000001668 00000 n I can feel what some of the experiences in the book are like for Josh because I can draw on my own life experiences to empathize with him. ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How does the structure of the poem convey the speaker's message? Dad's championship ring.Between the bouncingand sobbing, I whisper, Why? Dad races down the stairs to yell at the ref that what happened to, call the doctor or else. Kyle DelBianco: Why did you choose to write the book in poetry form? Rebounding / is the art / of anticipating, / of always being prepared / to grab it. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. endstream endobj 1080 0 obj <>>>/Filter/Standard/Length 128/O(+vtyd#\nOxe\))/P -1052/R 4/StmF/StdCF/StrF/StdCF/U(DJyd )/V 4>> endobj 1081 0 obj <> endobj 1082 0 obj <>>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> endobj 1083 0 obj <>stream Dad sighs that the boys are getting older and they will manage. For many students, reading this book with no ulterior motive could be the catalyst into a lifelong interest in poetry and inspire them to read more works like it. instead, tells him that being early is always better than being a little bit late. When JB echoes, Yeah, Dad, can we? (189), the word we has never sounded so sweet to Josh. And for the first time in my lifeI don't want to be. ", "THIRD QUARTER" to "At Noon, in the Gym, with Dad". His postscript reads that he's sorry. kresge foundation jobs; dwarf rat vs mouse; sky internet down bolsover; terroni restaurant menu; lewis county, wa breaking news; Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. He did not mean to get upset, he offers. This suggests that as Josh and JB grow up, part of their coming of age will be having to learn to accept each other as they grow rather than just deciding to grow apart. Use specific, quoted evidence from the poem to explore and illustrate your ideas. Devon, good question. For example, Joshs mother tells him, Boys with no self-control become men behind bars. This is a reality for African American boys in todays society. Symptoms like this suggest that Dad is at high risk for a heart attack or a stroke. Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14). JB and Josh are estranged, but Dads making them play a three-on-three tomorrow at the rec center. Mom texts a few times that she and Dad needed to leave because Dad did not feel wellhes fine, just tired. When we asked them how they liked the book, they raved about the book. 1079 0 obj <> endobj This is the new name Josh has for Alexis. JB is standing there and saying nothing; his eyes are looking past Josh. Advertisement bfordjohnson If you could take one poem out of The Crossover to represent one of the themes in the book, which one would it be and why?Choose only one theme and only one poem.Use specific, quoted evidence from the poem to explore and illustrate your ideas. 0000028950 00000 n 0000002682 00000 n Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. All of this is better than no girlfriend at all, which is what Josh has. Eighth grader Amy McGee's letter starts out this way: The apology poem that author Kwame Alexander wrote from Josh to JB in The Crossover is called "Dear Jordan." If you have read this book, can you tell me what poetic type the poem "Dear Jordan" is. His life is broken like puzzle pieces and he can no longer fit. After the funeral, Josh makes another attempt to reconcile with JB when JB gives him his fathers championship ring by saying, We Da Man. The author leaves us with the sense that the brothers will find their way back to each other. The Crossover Summary The narrator of the novel (which is told in verse) is Josh Bell, an 8th-grade boy. Because he's relying on physical communication and violence to express himself, he's less successful and therefore, more upset. I think Josh was the first character I wrote. "FOURTH QUARTER" to "Free Throws" Summary and Analysis, "Bad News" to "Before" Summary and Analysis. It doesnt help that his Dad keeps having health issues, but wont go to the doctor because he thinks this is a stupid waste of time. %%EOF By doing so we are pulled into Joshs life in the most intimate way; allowing us to make connections to our own lives and experiences. Oh my goodness! Mom's phone rings and she shrieks. a principal. The only caution I have for this book is making sure it is not overly analyzed. The realization that JB is masturbating in the shower again shows Josh that JB is developing much faster than he is, though the lack of judgment in Josh's tone suggests he's becoming more used to the idea of JB changing. Identical twinsare no different from everyone else,except we look andsometimes soundexactly alike. He's nearly six feet tall and has a twin, JB. There are sirens. The score is tied and clock ticks as. Choose only one theme and only one poem. When JB seems willing to laugh and agrees with Josh's request, it suggests that he sees this as the olive branch that it is and is now willing to start to move forward. Josh's assessment that Vondie's girlfriend (who he appears to think little of) is better than being single speaks to Josh's intense desire to join his friends in reaching this milestone. Assign this text to your students for free. 0000011426 00000 n At 7:45, she asks about the score and how. We only learn more about her personality towards the end of the book when she comes to dinner with JBs family. (including. on tell the reader about what she values and what her priorities are? ", How did I react? The fact that Josh was driven to (unintentional) violence at all speaks to the intensity of his feelings, which are made even more intense by the fact that Josh is entering puberty and starting to grow up. As Josh plays in the final game of the season, his Dad dies from a massive heart attack. Kwame Alexander: No, its not autobiography. And when I was born he was a PhD. With Dad no longer in the bleachers, it suggests that he'll be the one in trouble this time, while JB was the one who suffered last time. Mom acts like an umbrella and shuts Dad down. At the End of Warm-Ups, My Brother Tries to Dunk. His family unit is strong, though it is not always perfect. LitCharts Teacher Editions. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. The girls' lives are mundane under the, The fifth and sixth graders file down the stairs and into the school library, like they've done hundreds of times before. They have the added bonus of helping people realize that he isn't, Mom always makes Dad sit at the very top of the bleachers during Josh and. One of the big changes in Joshs world is that his twin brother Jordan has started spending more time talking to girls and less time playing ball with him. Shay was envious of Mahira because Edward was giving her way more attention than he had ever given to Shay. 6yOk5qTo1?WIo(l _MR-a`3+"1@ He tells Josh it was something he ate, and he changes the subject to how he just got a coaching job at a nearby college. This belief helps me to experience family dynamics and conflicts both similar and different to my own. In this poem, Josh makes efforts to repair the cracked friendship between him and his brother. What thoughts and emotions does Josh express in "Dear Jordan"? He even uses the word churlish to describe himself. Josh is making moves and dribbling; Dad gets the ball, winks, dips, and sweats. They are like "two stars / stealing sun" and "like two brothers / burning up. JB is running and gunning; he is a shooting star. Its made-up. Yes, what attracts the junior high boys to her immediately is her pulchritude, but she quickly reveals herself to be smart, opinionated, talented at basketball, and a caring friend. thinking less and less aboutbasketball, and more and more aboutGIRLS. This also offers hope that, if Josh can catch the ball next time, he might be able to make things better. Josh's concern that Dad won't be around to parent him shows again that he's still very much a kid and isn't ready to grow up yet. The students at St. Etheldreda's School for Young Ladies are there to learn to behave as proper maidens should. 0000012743 00000 n And so that was the first character that I created. As the family drives to the game, Josh sits in the back with, who has them. He was only 39 and might have had a chance if he had seen a doctor sooner. I have never had this worry. 2016, pg 98). Her looks not her personality is what first catches JBs attention. At dinner Josh sits next to. But then, things start to unravel as JB starts to get more interested in girls. This implies that Josh dropped the proverbial ball when he passed to JB. View The_Crossover__Notes__4.2.21.docx from ENGLISH 606 at Dulles H S. The Crossover Notes: Second & Third Quarter Second Quarter Second Quarter begins with two back-to-back poems titled . Josh watches, Vondie brings the ball up the court, but the defense presses close. He suggests writing him a letter, and Josh thinks that could work. The racially segregated Navy base had dangerous and unfair working, For this month's Dorothy's List, seventh graders at Green Mountain Union in Chester have been reading the novel Unfriended by New York author Rachel, Subscribe To 'The Frequency,' Our Daily Morning Newsletter, Dorothy's List: 'The Scandalous Sisterhood Of Prickwillow Place'. Josh does not know if JB read his letter, but on the bus, he made a joke about Vondies forehead being a five-head and he could feel JB laughing a little. JB is playing like Superman, and he gets the team to the championship with his lightning plays. On page 185, Coach shares with Josh that he got into a fight with his brother in high school and now they are estranged. Instant PDF downloads. This illustrates how a person can use language to shape their identity. JB and I look outthe windowat the exact momentwe pass by the malland I know exactlywhat JB wants.Dad, can we stop at that sneaker storein the mall?Yeah, Dad, can we? When Dad holds his chest, it's a signal that he's not okay and he's likely lying to Josh. Jordan insists that everyone call him JB.

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