Kwame Alexander
The Crossover

The Crossover

A novel in verse, read by the author. A heads up to the kids who think they aren't poetry types: when read aloud, this story doesn't sound "poetic." It just sounds awesome. This coming-of-age story revolves around two twin boys, both basketball stars, raised by an ex-NBA star, and the plot features plenty of action on and off the court. Poetry doesn't waste words, which heightens the reader's emotional experience as the characters deal with the regular pains of growing up and the not-so-regular family issues. A Newbery Award winner.

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Booked

Booked

Author:

From the publisher: "Soccer, family, love, and friendship, take center stage as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read. This electric and heartfelt novel-in-verse by poet Kwame Alexander bends and breaks as it captures all the thrills and setbacks, action and emotion of a World Cup match!"

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Swing

Swing

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From the publisher: "Best friends Noah and Walt are far from popular, but Walt is convinced junior year is their year, and he has a plan that includes wooing the girls of their dreams and becoming amazing athletes. Never mind he and Noah failed to make their baseball team yet again, and Noah’s crush since third grade, Sam, has him firmly in the friend zone. While Walt focuses on his program of jazz, podcasts, batting cages, and a “Hug Life” mentality, Noah feels stuck in status quo … until he stumbles on a stash of old love letters. Each one contains words Noah’s always wanted to say to Sam, and he begins secretly creating artwork using the lines that speak his heart. But when his art becomes public, Noah has a decision to make: continue his life in the dugout and possibly lose the girl forever, or take a swing and finally speak out."

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Why Fathers Cry at Night: A Memoir in Love Poems, Recipes, Letters, and Remembrances

Why Fathers Cry at Night: A Memoir in Love Poems, Recipes, Letters, and Remembrances

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From the author of bestsellers The Crossover and Rebound, a powerful, intimate, and non-traditional memoir told in stories, poems, recipes, and letters. Alexander calls his content “snapshots of a man learning to love,” and his theme throughout is what he has learned so far, and how he is continuing to grow. He writes of the mixed blessing of a book-filled childhood, his complex relationship with his father (who always told him poetry would never sell), the beginning and ending of his marriage, his life-giving mentorship under Nikki Giovanni, and learning to father his cherished daughters. Plus recipes for fare like Granny’s hot buttered rolls and 7Up pound cake. Gorgeous, surprising, and one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

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