Study Guide for The Crossover & Comprehension Test

The Crossover
by Kwame Alexander
About_
This study guide accompanies a close reading of the novel-in-verse about twin brothers, Josh and JB Bell,
navigating basketball, family, first love, and loss. It follows the brothers across a middle-school championship
season shaped by sibling rivalry and their father’s hidden health struggles. Each chapter section includes
comprehension and critical-thinking questions to deepen understanding of character, theme, and the novel’s
poetic structure. This study guide contains 221 questions across 17 chapter sections (170 Factual + 51 Critical), 1
Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity.
What’s Included_
This study guide features 17 sets of 10 Factual Questions with an answer key (170 total), 17 sets of 3 Critical
Analysis Questions (51 total), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity (8 traits + evidence
prompt + critical thinking question).
Target Grades_
Grades 6-8
Teacher Note_
This guide is designed to make discussing a beloved novel-in-verse both engaging and manageable, blending quick
comprehension checks with deeper questions about family, jealousy, grief, and forgiveness. It’s built to save you
prep time while still giving students plenty of room to think critically and make personal connections to the text.
We hope it helps your classroom conversations flow as smoothly as one of Josh’s crossovers!