The Crossover

by

Kwame Alexander

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Crossover makes teaching easy.

The Crossover Characters

Josh

Josh is the twelve-year-old protagonist of the novel. He's nearly six feet tall and has a twin, JB. Both are skilled basketball players. Though Josh loves JB and being a twin, he also craves… read analysis of Josh

Dad

Josh and JB's dad. As a young man, Dad was known as "Da Man" and played professional basketball in Europe. At some point in his career, he received a championship ring, which the boys… read analysis of Dad

JB

JB is Josh's twin. Like Josh, he's good at basketball, and to differentiate himself from his twin, he wears his hair shaved. He describes himself as the cool one, and he's especially good at free… read analysis of JB

Mom

Josh and JB's mom; she's the assistant principal at their middle school. Mom is a fun, supportive, and loving parent. She encourages the boys to play basketball, gives hard-hitting pep talks when necessary, and supports… read analysis of Mom

Miss Sweet Tea/Alexis

Miss Sweet Tea is a new girl at Josh and JB's school. She's beautiful and often wears pink Reeboks. All the boys are taken with her, but she's especially interested in JB. At first, Miss… read analysis of Miss Sweet Tea/Alexis
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Vondie

One of Josh and JB's teammates and friends. Like Josh and JB, he's very interested in talking about basketball, though he's not as inclined to practice as much; Josh implies that Vondie tries his best… read analysis of Vondie
Minor Characters
Grandfather/Dad's Dad
Josh's grandfather died of hypertension when he was 45. This means that Dad has a genetic predisposition for hypertension, as do Josh and JB.
Coach
Josh and JB's coach. He refers to the boys as his stars and when their feud stretches on for weeks, he encourages Josh to make up with JB for the sake of the team.
Uncle Bob
Mom's younger brother. He thinks he's a chef because he watches cooking shows on TV, but his meals are laughably terrible.
Grandma
Josh and JB's grandmother.