Rachel S. White recommends The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The Crossover

By Kwame Alexander (Clarion Books, 2014)

Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover is a young adult novel written in narrative poetry about a public school kid navigating school, relationships, family, and basketball. The poetry matches Josh’s basketball style, with “crossovers that make even the toughest ballers cry” and “a sick flow that helps him find his rhythm when everything is on the line.” Undoubtedly, there are crossovers and sick flows in this book that will make you laugh and cry only seconds apart.

Like Josh (whose mom was the principal), I had a parent who was deeply intertwined in my school — my dad was elected to the school board just after I turned 1 year old (and is still on it to this day). And, like Josh, I loved basketball. The Crossover reminded me of not only the intersections of my personal life and professional path, but also of who kids in schools are at their core and what schools can provide. Like Josh, school for me was not just for academics. It was also a place where I could step on a basketball court to boldly and sometimes painfully learn how many open shots I’d get by out-hustling my defender, how to recover from a missed shot, and how to succeed and fail gracefully — educational experiences I carry with me today.

As someone who studies education policy, politics, and governance — and a former varsity coach and school board member — I know that schools do not and should not produce one thing, like kids with high test scores. The Crossover reminds readers that a critical component of educators’ work — teaching, researching, shaping policy — is supporting kids as they discover that “sick flow that helps [them] find [their] rhythm when everything is on the line.”

And the book imparts wisdom like:

“Basketball Rule #8

Sometimes/you have to/lean back/a little/and/fade away/to get/the best/shot”

This, in my experience, is one of the healthiest ways to think about school policy, politics, and governance.

This article appears in the February 2023 issue of Kappan, Vol. 104, No. 5, p. 69.