How did the structure of the poem "Dear Jordan" on page 130 help us learn more about Josh and JB's relationship? Dear Jordan from THE CROSSOVER by Kwame Alexander. 2020 Pro Custom Essays. I agree with you that this book has a WEALTH of useful elements (language, theme, characters, etc) and one needs to make sure not to overanalyze but also allow for the enjoyment AND connection of the reader with the story, the language and the characters. Josh asks, incredulous, about the house, Mom, him, and JB. This belief helps me to experience family dynamics and conflicts both similar and different to my own. Explore the poetry of Michael Rosen in our Joy of Poetry series. 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. First, his churlish and aggressive behavior toward his twin has almost severed their relationship. Josh was estranged from himself when he threw the ball at JB. As the family drives to the game, Josh sits in the back with, who has them. 0000016479 00000 n 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: ). Change). 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. and Tells Us His Favorite Story (Again). His life is broken like puzzle pieces and he can no longer fit. Climax: Dad dies during the championship game Antagonist: Hypertension and death; change Point of View: First-person Extra Credit for The Crossover is wrong. a principal. 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. They will be able to relate to the topic, theme, setting and emotion conveyed in the story. Josh goes about his routine, trying hard to repair what had been broken between JB and him. In this poem, Josh makes efforts to repair the cracked friendship between him and his brother. Coach, Dad, and the crowd all scream for Josh to pass the ball. 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. Struggling with distance learning? The Childrens Bookshow is a registered charity no. 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. All of this is better than no girlfriend at all, which is what Josh has. JB asks.And even though I never opened my mouth,I say, Thanks,becauseit is. are down by seven. The only caution I have for this book is making sure it is not overly analyzed. GradeSaver, 9 September 2019 Web. 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. 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. Josh takes his problem to Dad and says that. She also asks where, where it's stuck, wedged between the rim and the backboard. It began with this 12-year-old-boy, who came to be known as Filthy McNasty. For some adolescents, this is a situation that crops up often. His voice is as loud as thunder. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Basketball is extremely important to them, and they both want to play professionally someday. He unleashes a killer crossover and everyone is hollering as Dad dribbles to the hoop. 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. He asks Dad if they can stop at the sneaker store. Instant PDF downloads. Unfortunately, that wouldnt be a middle grade novel. Josh explains that every night after dinner, Dad insists that he and. The Crossover has been winning top prizes and awards in childrens literature. 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. The score is tied and clock ticks as. 0000003750 00000 n 1162410. Josh also has a strong relationship with his basketball coach and receives much guidance and support from him as well. So, if I could figure out what to do with a sequel to make it still compelling and meaningful and significant and keep it in that era. Its called Booked. / But you cant / drop the ball (146). We put their questions a to Kwame Alexander. %PDF-1.6 % From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Though Josh loves JB and being a twin, he also craves read analysis of Josh Dad Josh and JB's dad. Kwame Alexander: "Oh my gosh! Kyle DelBianco: Why did you choose to write the book in poetry form? comes for dinner, she asks for seconds of Mom's veggie lasagna. 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? Dad picks up the boys; he's cracking jokes, and theyre laughing. How does the structure of the poem convey the speaker's message? Discover award-winning poet Grace Nichols. a7[6se7U>rcf[,+*@j3(9 This seems to support the stereotype that girls intellect and personality are secondary to their looks. Dad's championship ring.Between the bouncingand sobbing, I whisper, Why? 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. Not affiliated with Harvard College. 0000003945 00000 n The characters listen to the same music as they do, covet the same shoes, use the same slang. She asks him sternly if hes lost his mind, and she says boys who dont have self-control end up behind bars. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Literary Awards: Newbery Award (2015), Correta Scott King Award (2015), Focus: Poetry; Contemporary Realistic Fiction. Josh has a plan: he's going to talk to. There is a big vocabulary test tomorrow and Josh is worried for his brother. They were missing Josh Filthy McNasty Bell, though, who is this papers Most Valuable Player. His mother made him cut off the rest. In the locker room. We advise our products to be used with proper referencing. Hes out cold. What does Josh want more in the book? When the game starts, Josh looks up to his parents, but theyre not there. We see how angst ridden sibling rivalries can be and how challenging those relationships can be for both parents and children. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. }t>PPbDd# [:~d>L\GA!jlTbwK0mc.k^s0Ox\,b+vG[/awOz*7;+g'z;Z6Q:HL= mRJ+FWc-} WzH0 f"z77^z@5+BG'2WHQ~Iw}G4x}4GvP{6@hOpZk-'I}%G_k@+Kd tJxqcZw/;j 9/D> =f'(tfu@ g8 (^}Q:Kk3j&Re]=(\jcJska-47-ZCH59K5yD+3$W6eSFTi^1h8GPcGvXxiTH}"P;@6sumtuL FUEmp%L_Xtj-XN(6\a'DS>_Uby2L+WnVm7e `67NL"M}lMlX1Z "Xk'joePIh|Z/vB0eAu9Hl cpF^&=?!+y\S^kLS_X71m m'sJ`U"6="-=8{Ud And when I was born he was a PhD. But Im not there. Her looks not her personality is what first catches JBs attention. Thus, they will be able to create characters based on what they know or what they want to see reflected in literature. I would use this book with adolescent students as a way to inspire them to explore self-expression through writing. I also see many students who are similar to Josh lean on their relationships with their sport coaches for stability. 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. The Childrens Bookshow is celebrating its 20th birthday this year with a brand-new free exhibition. pro-fuse-ly. At dinner, Mom is still upset about Josh's hair and makes. These relationships (especially for boys) seem to fill a need at this stage in life. LitCharts Teacher Editions. 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. I'm not paying attentionto anything he's sayingor to the dummy. Their mom is assistant principal at their school. This further allows students to practice at life as they experience Joshs reactions to conflict relevant to their own lives in the story. Though Josh still thinks highly of Dad, now that he's aware of Dad's unwillingness to care for his health, it suggests that becoming "Da Man" might not be the entirely positive endeavor that Josh once thought it was. 0000038553 00000 n 0000012743 00000 n 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." The title of this book (The Crossover) is an important phrase and idea throughout the book. 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. 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]). How is this condition highlighted in the narrative? (including. "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. Their dad is a former professional baller. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs In other words, the loneliness is one thing, but feeling left behind in this regard is even more painful. Mom tells Jordan she wants to meet his new friend; Dad chimes in that they want to meet the girl who took JB away. 5m%4|#w gJVxx3@#vwd)}Dt9h'3S? Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Dad bites into his third donut and, when, out of you what they expect out of their own lives. In this activity, they will complete a Poem Analysis & Compare/Contrast Paired Text Activity. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. 5. When we asked them how they liked the book, they raved about the book. This leads me to wonder if the stereotypes are portrayed the way they are in order to show accuracy; maybe its more the question of whose voice is missing. JB is on the other side of the backseat, but Josh feels miles away from all of them. 0000020561 00000 n Actively Learn provides free ELA, science, and social studies digital contentshort stories, primary sources, textbook sections, science articles, novels, videos, and moreand embeds them with assignments aligned to standards for all 50 states that you can assign immediately or customize for your students. To get ready for the season, I wentto three summer camps. The way the content is organized. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. JB is running and gunning; he is a shooting star. Josh does not have much to say but apologizes. 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. Dear Jordan Josh writes his letter. His suggestion to write JB a letter again speaks to the power of words and communication. Alexiss parents are estranged. Advertisement bfordjohnson atonement in the Crossover using the poem "Dear Jordan" . 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. That it was going to be a 12-year-old boy. "I love that word! He founded a K-12 writing program called The Write Thing. This Book-in-a-Day writing and publishing program has created more than 3000 student authors. Oh my goodness! Write an essay for ONE of the following topics: Essay Topic 1. Other of his many books (hes written 35!) Josh isnt a clich; he truly seems to be a living, breathing boy who experiences real feelings of despair, triumph, pride, jealousy, and confusion. In this poem, the author uses short, choppy lines to convey a sense of urgency; this narrates the story of Joshs dads heart attack. What was the main purpose of the Declaration of Independence? Doing this will take away students enjoyment of the story further supporting their belief that poetry is uninteresting. Suddenly, Josh sees, team in Italy. JB only went to one. By bringing up Dad's championship ring again, Josh reminds the reader that his goal in life is to one day be good enough to wear the ring. 1090 0 obj <>stream And so the next poem starts with a definition: Seventh grader Matthew Goulette wonders where Alexanders ideas for The Crossover came from. I think basketball and is father are reflections of each other. Instant PDF downloads. He's survived by his wife (Mom) and his twin sons, Josh and, to look in the coffin. This site is using cookies under cookie policy . As his relationship unravels with his brother, he finds himself at odds more and more with his parents. Though Josh never says so outright, this moment also suggests that he may have inherited or learned his love of English from Dad as well. 10. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Because the only thing that matters is swish.Because our backboard is splintered. 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/. We begin with the poems of John Agard. Josh and JB generally get along; but they have very different personalities. Joshs interior state as he contemplates these changes in his life is a testament to Alexanders ability to capture the complexity of a teenager. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in. 0000044218 00000 n Vondie passes to, that they're going to go home. Dad races down the stairs to yell at the ref that what happened to, call the doctor or else. In "Dear Jordan," the poem describes Josh's apology to his brother and his emptiness without him. She was a VPR contributor from 2006 to 2020. What does he think, I'm stupid? becauseI'm watching Jordan pass notesto Miss Sweet Tea. After the game, in the locker room, unexpected bad event that often results in injuries. denly giving just brief visual descriptions and using lots of ellipses? At the stoplight, JB and Josh look out the window at the same time, and Josh knows what his brother is thinking. How are family relationships depicted? Ruth Bishop said that poetry "has a kind of magic and can help the reader see ordinary things in new ways." JB is standing there and saying nothing; his eyes are looking past Josh. forever. Kwame Alexander is able toto seamlessly bring different poetry elements, forms of poetry and genres of writing together to help the reader experience Joshs life and his humanity, as opposed to just reading about it. 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. "Filthy McNasty" is described as being what mythical creature in the poem by the same name? This also offers hope that, if Josh can catch the ball next time, he might be able to make things better. dear jordan poem the crossover. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser. The Crossover is a wonderful mentor text for adolescent writers. 0000029230 00000 n The Crossover is flying off library shelves like a half-court sinker. Vondie passes the ball to Josh and Josh passes to. My mom was a school principal My dad played basketball before I was born. The Crossoveris a wonderful mentor text for adolescent writers. Vondie giggles. What thoughts and emotions does Josh express in "Dear Jordan"? 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. the playoffs are in two days, his grades were good, and the team needs him. Shes a candy striper and cheerleader, and she talks about her favorite color being purple. Theyre having a fantastic time, and everyone there is watching. 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. Males are mostly depicted in the role of sports hero; strong, popular and at the center of society. And thats not the only story Alexander has been working on. 16 0 obj <> endobj xref 16 46 0000000016 00000 n Take a look! I am writing a prequel to The Crossover. By analyzing how Alexander is able to use voice, word choice, sentence fluency and original ideas to write a powerful story, students will be able to create a story that reflects their own original idea.

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