Try a Winter or March Madness Book Club
Inspiration Book:
The crossover by Alexander, Kwame — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014--Fic-; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 4.3 Fourteen-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health. FREE Teaching Resources available for download from Follett
Rationale: As a librarian I rarely “teach” a book as a piece of literature. Instead I give the book and related resources to a language arts teacher to pursue. At the same time, I offer suggestions for how, I, the librarian and the library facility and resources can help. Once in a while, I find a book so profound that I absolutely want to share the whole book with a group of students. The Crossover is one of those profound books.
How do I share such a book that I don’t or can’t teach during time-limited library classes that need to be filled with skills and research? Well, here’s one way...During the winter months when the temperatures are too cold for outdoor activities, I sponsor several book clubs or book activities or projects. For a book club the individuals in the group read the book on their own or we read it together over no longer than a two week period. Sometimes whether individuals read or we read together or I read aloud depends on whether I can get enough copies of the book without buying them. I do both public library and school library interlibrary loans to gather as many copies as I can. At times, the number that can participate in the book club is limited by the number of books I can gather. I can usually count on gathering a dozen, and that’s usually a good number to limit for an indoor extracurricular activity. When a teacher asks about a book being read in book club because the students are talking about it, I KNOW we have made a good choice. When a teacher asks whether a book would be a good one to teach as a literary piece, I KNOW we have made an excellent choice. When a teacher copies some of the activities we do that correlate with a book I KNOW we have made a superior choice. All three happened with The Crossover.
For The Crossover book club, I read aloud, but had enough books for the participants to follow along. I wanted students to see the visual presentations of the poems as well as hear them. I didn’t want students to “analyze” the book or answer specific questions or do homework. I suggested that the students bring up questions for discussion. At times we used the terms at the head of the chapters to begin the discussion, but we wanted to read and enjoy primarily. A few discussion questions that I borrowed from Vermont Libraries http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/CBEC/BookAwards/DCF/DCFBookReviewsQuestions15-16.pdf
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What is the meaning of the title The Crossover? Does it have two meanings?
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There are ten poems in the book called “Basketball Rules.” Discuss these poems and how
they fit into the overall story.
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Why did the boys’ father not want to go to a doctor? How did you feel about that
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decision?
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Discuss the importance of sports in the lives of the Bell family. How did playing
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basketball help each person become who they are or want to be?
Jon Scieszka and his push for books that boys will read and Kathleen Baxter’s presentations promoting nonfiction books have awakened my awareness in searching for high interest books that boys will read. Kwame Alexander expresses that same interest and awareness. Both The Crossover and Booked appeal to middle school boys. I have found that if a book tells an active yet thought-provoking story both boys and girls will read it and enjoy it. If the characters have relateable traits that’s even better. I’m still careful about using girly-girl stories for a mixed group of upper elementary and middle school students.
Procedural How To Ideas:
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Gather sufficient copies of The Crossover.
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Promote the Book Club via classroom visits, library classes, PA system, flyers home, and hallway posters.
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Preview the videos featuring interviews (see teacher resources) with Kwame Alexander and decide which one(s) to use.
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Plan to use the book trailer. Booklist Reader, Book Trailer Thursday http://www.booklistreader.com/2015/02/05/book-trailers/book-trailer-thursday-the-crossover/
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Decide which activities you would like to do throughout the two weeks and as a culminating activity.
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I chose one idea from Vermont Libraries http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/CBEC/BookAwards/DCF/DCFBookReviewsQuestions15-16.pdf encouraging students to perform a poem such as “Filthy McNasty” (p. 10), “The Show” (pp.30- 31), “Ode to my hair” (p. 33), “Man to man” (p. 59), “The last shot” (pp. 221-222).
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The Houghton Mifflin Book Guide Book Guide https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/HMH/TheCrossover_BG.pdf
has several ideas that work well for a book club.
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Have students choose one of the main characters: JB, Josh, Dad, and Mom and jot down character traits as the book is read. At the end of the book each student creates a sketch or collage representing that character.
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Compare and contrast the twins using a Venn diagram. Develop the diagram as a group, adding any new items at the end of each day.
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Share reading via Readers’ Theater. The HM Book Guide suggests these poems because the text is in two parts
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“Conversation” (pp. 17–19)
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“The game is tied” (p. 36)
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“Mom doesn’t like us eating out” (pp. 41–42)
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“The inside of Mom and Dad’s bedroom closet” (pp. 44–47)
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“Dad Takes Us to Krispy Kreme and Tells Us His Favorite Story (Again)” (pp. 63–65)
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“Mom calls me into the kitchen” (pp. 96–98)
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“Phone Conversation (I Sub for JB)” (pp. 106–109)
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“Suspension” (pp. 138–141)
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“I run into Dad’s room” (pp. 165–167)
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“School’s Out” (pp. 188–189)
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“Santa Claus Stops By” (pp. 207–209)
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“Questions” (pp. 210–211)
6. Prepare a display of the Related Titles. All the titles are either sports related, have African American main characters, or are written in verse.
Related Titles:
What is the meaning of the title The Crossover? Does it have two meanings?
There are ten poems in the book called “Basketball Rules.” Discuss these poems and how
Why did the boys’ father not want to go to a doctor? How did you feel about that
decision?
Discuss the importance of sports in the lives of the Bell family. How did playing
basketball help each person become who they are or want to be?
Gather sufficient copies of The Crossover.
Promote the Book Club via classroom visits, library classes, PA system, flyers home, and hallway posters.
Preview the videos featuring interviews (see teacher resources) with Kwame Alexander and decide which one(s) to use.
Plan to use the book trailer. Booklist Reader, Book Trailer Thursday http://www.booklistreader.com/2015/02/05/book-trailers/book-trailer-thursday-the-crossover/
Decide which activities you would like to do throughout the two weeks and as a culminating activity.
- I chose one idea from Vermont Libraries http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/CBEC/BookAwards/DCF/DCFBookReviewsQuestions15-16.pdf encouraging students to perform a poem such as “Filthy McNasty” (p. 10), “The Show” (pp.30- 31), “Ode to my hair” (p. 33), “Man to man” (p. 59), “The last shot” (pp. 221-222).
- The Houghton Mifflin Book Guide Book Guide https://www.teachingbooks.net/media/pdf/HMH/TheCrossover_BG.pdf
- Have students choose one of the main characters: JB, Josh, Dad, and Mom and jot down character traits as the book is read. At the end of the book each student creates a sketch or collage representing that character.
- Compare and contrast the twins using a Venn diagram. Develop the diagram as a group, adding any new items at the end of each day.
- Share reading via Readers’ Theater. The HM Book Guide suggests these poems because the text is in two parts
“Conversation” (pp. 17–19)
“The game is tied” (p. 36)
“Mom doesn’t like us eating out” (pp. 41–42)
“The inside of Mom and Dad’s bedroom closet” (pp. 44–47)
“Dad Takes Us to Krispy Kreme and Tells Us His Favorite Story (Again)” (pp. 63–65)
“Mom calls me into the kitchen” (pp. 96–98)
“Phone Conversation (I Sub for JB)” (pp. 106–109)
“Suspension” (pp. 138–141)
“I run into Dad’s room” (pp. 165–167)
“School’s Out” (pp. 188–189)
“Santa Claus Stops By” (pp. 207–209)
“Questions” (pp. 210–211)
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