The students at St. Etheldreda's School for Young Ladies are there to learn to behave as proper maidens should. Dad is gone "like the end of a good song. I don't know I danced around my room. Showing this tiny bit of positive regard suggests that JB is now willing to listen to Josh and rebuild their relationship. It refers to a basketball move (described in the . Josh does not have much to say but apologizes. homes for sale in fishersville, va; 22 . 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. Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and theNew York Timesbestselling author. Josh says that earlier, he walked into the gym covered in mud. When he's able to steal the ball out of Josh's crossover, it speaks to the skills he still has on the court and the progress that Josh still has to make in order to become Da Man.. Recently, he lead a delegation of twenty writers and activists to Ghana where they delivered books, built a library and provided literacy professional development to teachers. 10. We begin with the poems of John Agard. At one point, Josh begs his Dad to intervene and talk to JB, to which he replies, Filthy, if some girl done locked up JB, hes going to jail. Mom and Dad are serious, while, few weeks. In a letter to JB, written in two columns that can be read together or separately, Josh says that without his brother, he's empty. Josh struggles to answer and says he's sorry and didn't mean to hurt, Mom insists that's not acceptable and reminds Josh that he'll need to apologize to, doesn't understand how his behavior became so churlish. ;0&0a= 9!AlF_,@Q X26XAn9 yXdPM? In particular, it begins to align him with Dad, who is still highly regarded even though he's also not playing. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character JB appears in, Dad insisted that the music was "fast and free" just like Josh and his brother, he does all the time--even if there's no chance of winning. 5m%4|#w gJVxx3@#vwd)}Dt9h'3S? 0000014880 00000 n Identical twinsare no different from everyone else,except we look andsometimes soundexactly alike. This also offers hope that, if Josh can catch the ball next time, he might be able to make things better. This suggests that the loneliness was easier to deal with when Josh wasn't the one enforcing it. This further allows students to practice at life as they experience Joshs reactions to conflict relevant to their own lives in the story. 0000012380 00000 n No warm-up. This shows how much he respects and leans on his coach to show him the way when he is unsure. He asks if Josh and, On Christmas Eve. 0000008243 00000 n In this way, she tries to distract Josh by talking about anything else to keep him from worrying about Dad. The silence Josh refers to is also a metaphor for JB himself, which turns it around to mean that Josh feels he'll die without his brother too. Joshs interior state as he contemplates these changes in his life is a testament to Alexanders ability to capture the complexity of a teenager. At dinner, Mom is still upset about Josh's hair and makes. Her first job in professional radio was at WVMX in Stowe, where she worked as News Director and co-host of The Morning Show. However, by asking Dad to call him by his real name instead of "Filthy," Josh begins to take control of the kind of person he wants to be going forward by dictating how people talk about him. Plus he has MJ sheets . First, his churlish and aggressive behavior toward his twin has almost severed their relationship. pro-fuse-ly. Published by on October 25, 2020. What does he think, I'm stupid? Climax: Dad dies during the championship game Antagonist: Hypertension and death; change Point of View: First-person Extra Credit for The Crossover The crossover is Joshs signature move, something his Dad taught him. The tension between Josh and Jordan escalates, and they both do regrettable things. We see a strong marriage through the eyes of Josh; a relationship so strong he often alludes to the fact that he knows his parents are having sex; and though this appears to gross him out we can read between the lines to see his relief that all is good. Devon, good question. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Dad tries to break the tension by talking about Christmas and the turkey. I'm not paying attentionto anything he's sayingor to the dummy. endstream endobj 1085 0 obj <>stream 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. They're the big kids at Beeman, In 1944, a disastrous explosion rocked a Naval base in California called Port Chicago. Josh is concerned, asking about Moms advice to take it easy. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. On the way home from the hospital, there is no music and no talking. This begins to show Josh that if he starts to make amends with her, he might also get JB back. the playoffs are in two days, his grades were good, and the team needs him. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. include his brilliant coming of age novel Rebound (published by Andersen Press). Keen editors and support staff will supervise the task for you to guarantee Quality and ORIGINAL . 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. 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. what this means for his family--Dad won't be around to play basketball with him and. 0000009882 00000 n 0000044218 00000 n comes for dinner, she asks for seconds of Mom's veggie lasagna. She lets the news drop: he is suspended from the team. When Dad holds his chest, it's a signal that he's not okay and he's likely lying to Josh. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Dad falls, his eyes roll, and Josh screams. I think Josh was the first character I wrote. Josh feels inspired when he is on the court, and this comes out in the rhymes that flow through him when he plays. As the family drives to the game, Josh sits in the back with, who has them. Vondie giggles. To make matters worse, encourages the rest of the team to step up since Josh isn't playing. Use specific, quoted evidence from the poem to explore and illustrate your ideas. 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. dear jordan poem the crossover. Josh's choice to apply this word to three very different areas of his life brings all of what he's currently worried about--JB, basketball, and Dad--together, illustrating again how language allows Josh to effectively construct his identity and his life. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. Alexander reveals in a subtle and moving way how eventually the brothers start to move incrementally closer together again, such as with Josh writing JB a letter or giving him his vocabulary study materials, but it is realistic in that it is painful and happens in fits and starts. Mom sits Josh down. Then, everything in his world comes crashing down. I would use this book with adolescent students as a way to inspire them to explore self-expression through writing. Essay Topics. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. 0000003226 00000 n Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. When I walk onto the court I prefer silence so I can watch, react, surprise. They are teammates in every sense of the word; able to wordlessly communicate on the court to become the stars of the team. They are depicted as complex, challenging and ever changing. The fact that Miss Sweet Tea's sister attends Duke, the college that Josh wants to one day attend, suggests that Josh might actually like Miss Sweet Tea if he were willing to get to know her. Because of this, his request to stop at the sneaker store becomes something he does purely to show JB he sees him and cares about him and the things he's interested in. Josh is extremely regretful for what he has done, never trying to defend himself, but JB naturally decides to keep his distance all the same. 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. When JB echoes, Yeah, Dad, can we? (189), the word we has never sounded so sweet to Josh. He wonders if she actually plays. Josh wants in, but Mom warns him not to interfere. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. That boy is special, and it doesn't hurtthat Chuck "Da Man" Bell is his father.And mine, too. He tells a joke and, finally, they all laugh. Josh goes about his routine, trying hard to repair what had been broken between JB and him. The boys know theyre getting books like they always do for Christmas, but Dad tells them hes proud of how theyve done in school so they can pick out a gift and hell get it for them. forever. Get this assignment written for you by Expert Writers in this subject. There are sirens. Ruth Bishop said that poetry "has a kind of magic and can help the reader see ordinary things in new ways." The Crossover study guide contains a biography of Kwame Alexander, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. 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. 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. The story is told from Joshs point of view. He did not mean to get upset, he offers. Josh thought that forever was far away, but he knows now forever is close. 0000003945 00000 n 0000013846 00000 n He also wonders how to apologize to, his best to make up for what he did. In this poem, the author uses short, choppy lines to convey a sense of urgency; this narrates the story of Joshs dads heart attack. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. We put their questions a to Kwame Alexander. Can JB run with him, help him heal, slash with him like they used to? Vondie is suffocated by the defense and JB cant make the shot; the Wildcats are down at the end of the first half. I also see many students who are similar to Josh lean on their relationships with their sport coaches for stability. Sons of basketball legend Chuck Da Man Bell, basketball is in their blood. Like Dad, Mom is able to take the long view and believe that this is a temporary phase in her sons' lives. ", How did I react? on tell the reader about what she values and what her priorities are? Mom asks how they met and JB is full of details, explaining how she came into the lunchroom, how he learned she played basketball, and how he told Vondie she was pulchritudinous. The ball goes back and forth and Josh feels like he and, the gym over Thanksgiving break and why he cut his "cute" locks. 1086 0 obj <>/Encrypt 1080 0 R/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<61646262373637383037366663616638366338393836303261386561666634336264323463323264316164333866373366333835346439303963633665616633>]/Index[1079 12]/Info 1078 0 R/Length 55/Prev 879473/Root 1081 0 R/Size 1091/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. His suggestion to write JB a letter again speaks to the power of words and communication. JB and Josh are estranged, but Dads making them play a three-on-three tomorrow at the rec center. Um, so yeah. With six seconds to go, the Wildcats are up sixteen points. GradeSaver, 9 September 2019 Web. The The Crossover quotes below are all either spoken by JB or refer to JB. In other words, the loneliness is one thing, but feeling left behind in this regard is even more painful. Struggling with distance learning? Kwame believes that poetry can change the world and he uses it to inspire and empower young people around the world. (including. Unfortunately, that wouldnt be a middle grade novel. 0000008677 00000 n endstream endobj startxref Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop makes the point that in multicultural literature, a characters humanity should come through. Devon Kibbey: How did you decide that you were going to write the story from Joshs perspective? The Childrens Bookshow is a registered charity no. Josh and, in a hospital and now, Dad hates doctors. This seems to support the stereotype that girls intellect and personality are secondary to their looks. Its fiction but certainly there are parts of my life that I remembered and drew from. Josh does CPR, but nothing changes. He wants the boys to be their own people, and he wants them to know that becoming someone different is okay and expected. Pulchritudinous! After two hours, Mom kicks the relatives out and after they leave, Dad calls. Then, by using Josh's word and sharing a smile with his brother, JB is able to say that he's willing to reopen lines of communication and reconnect with his brother. 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. People are watching; the crowd is growing; Josh and Dad are balling. For Josh, having to sit out and watch his team struggle shows him first how hard they've worked--Vondie and JB are still doing reasonably well--but it also shows Josh what an integral part of the team he was and with this, helps reaffirm his desire to get back on the court. For Josh, however, his world is being turned upside down with Dad's poor health and JB's interest in Miss Sweet Tea, both of which leave Josh feeling alone, so this feels especially fraught for him. In the Old, the people of Israel cross the Jordan. The score of the Wildcats' first game is 35-18. Article #1 in the Daily News (December 14). %%EOF The team thanks JB profusely for getting them to the championship. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Students LOVE reading and analyzing Kobe Bryant's "Dear Basketball" Poem. No practice to get ready. 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 Childrens Literature, Briefly(6th ed.). Their mom is assistant principal at their school. The Crossover, by award-winning children's book author and poet Kwame Alexander, was published in 2014 and won the 2015 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award Honor for children's literature. Come on, tell me. Complete your free account to request a guide. 0000007293 00000 n v4Hc\ vNWzH`V8tWmQo1tpx5$k;#N#iZ4u&p4$l-&cH hmPw&][H6+^a4e 4)%iixYhRqvQ(9hSha?(_? 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. He almost dunks, but an elbow comes up and fouls him to the floor. Here is a poem from The Crossover: Dear Jordan without u i am empty, the goal with no net, seems my life was broken shattered, like puzzle pieces on the court. From the doorway, a stricken Mom says he should go sit down for dinner. 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. Teachers and parents! It refers to a basketball move (described in the . After the game, in the locker room, unexpected bad event that often results in injuries. Josh hugs Mom and tells her how grateful he is for her loving him, Dad, and JB; he says that she is the best mother in the world. 0000002088 00000 n 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. First he would use the word in a poem, then he would write a second poem to define the word. His mother made him cut off the rest. This book presents a realistic view of family life; the constant cycle of joys and hurdles. "Dear Jordan" from The Crossover A cleave poem about twin brothers and basketball. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Ruth Bishop said that poetry has a kind of magic and can help the reader see ordinary things in new ways. InThe Crossover,Alexander takes risks with his writing to authentically represent the culture of Josh, his family and friends. Josh narrates another play-by-play. And after that type of success, Rutland Town seventh grader Joe Anderson wanted to know it theres more to come. Assign this text to deeply engage your students! When my Dad gets pulled over, I worry that he is going to get a ticket; the thought that he would go to jail never crosses my mind. 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. Shes a candy striper and cheerleader, and she talks about her favorite color being purple. What does the postscript say in "Dear Jordan"? 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! Get this assignment written for you by Expert Writers in this subject. And so the next poem starts with a definition: Seventh grader Matthew Goulette wonders where Alexanders ideas for The Crossover came from. "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. Coach gives the team a pep talk. But then, things start to unravel as JB starts to get more interested in girls. Dad encourages Josh and, the second rebound. She said she likes me a lot, I tell him.You mean she likes me a lot? All rights reserved. gives a fry each to Josh and Vondie and then tells Josh that he and, Sweet Tea's divorced parents are estranged. PS. Vermont Public's News CoverageGovernment & Politics | The Vermont Economy | Criminal Justice & Public Safety | Arts & Culture | Education | Health | Energy & Environment | Food & Agriculture | Series & Specials, Investigations | Brave Little State | Vermont Edition | New England News Collaborative (NENC) | VPR Archive. Mahira showed him around the museum, where she and Jordan used to meet. (LogOut/ This belief helps me to experience family dynamics and conflicts both similar and different to my own. Exposing students to verse novels such as this allows them to explore the artistic elements that combine to evoke personal and powerful emotions in the reader. What thoughts and emotions does Josh express in "Dear Jordan"? Seventh grader Dylan DiPietro wonders how that feels. We see this in Joshs description of their playing style. Josh tries talking to JB, but JB does not reply; its been five days. You're twins, not the same person.But that doesn't mean he has to stop loving me. In some ways, Joshs parents defy these stereotypes as Dad stays home with the boys and his mom is an educated, smart assistant principal. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Josh ruefully says he will talk to Mom since he can see how much it means to Dad, but he adds that she is worried about him. Theyre not alone. The two-column structure used in the Crossover's poem "Dear Jordan" stands for; The two-column structure used in Dear Jordan symbolizes the broken relationship between the two brothers Josh and JB. The way the content is organized. n :BSlGrm These relationships (especially for boys) seem to fill a need at this stage in life. As Josh plays in the final game of the season, his Dad dies from a massive heart attack. He knows that this means, to Dad. 0000029230 00000 n These poems are also concrete poems, taking on the shape of the words to further represent how Josh feels when he plays basketball. Dad apologizes to his family for losing his cool as. She also asks where, where it's stuck, wedged between the rim and the backboard. 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." We see how extended family fits into the puzzle and what feelings the main characters has at this time. . Though Miss Sweet Tea didn't intend to pull the boys apart, she now feels compelled to do so since her loyalty lies with JB and not at all with Josh. What does Josh want more in the book? In this poem, Josh makes efforts to repair the cracked friendship between him and his brother. 16 0 obj <> endobj xref 16 46 0000000016 00000 n Full Title: The Crossover When Written: 2009-2014 Where Written: Unknown When Published: 2014 Literary Period: Contemporary Genre: Young Adult Novel; Verse Novel Setting: An unnamed town in the U.S. 0000010458 00000 n Why do you think Josh is seemingly more upset about missing the game than his dads health? She sends Josh luck and says that she made, to play one more game and is afraid that Dad is dying. 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 . In this activity, they will complete a Poem Analysis & Compare/Contrast Paired Text Activity. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Alexander says he came across the name while working on the story. At the End of Warm-Ups, My Brother Tries to Dunk. Said he didn't want to miss Bible school. In the list of Things I Learn at Dinner, Alexander gives her even more nuance in terms of divorced parents, a coping mechanism (She shoots hoops at the Rec to relax" [172]), and troubles of her own (Her mom doesnt want her playing basketball" [172]). The fact that Josh is listening offers hope that, given what he's seen, he'll take Mom's side and take better care of himself in the future.