Cover of The Crossover

The Crossover

by Kwame Alexander

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is assigned in US schools at grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 750L. It appears across 13 curriculum references and 12 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Crossover is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Lexile
750L
Grade range
Grades 5–8
Difficulty for grade
Within the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
Age range
Ages 10–14
Pages
240
Reading time
about 4h 25m (est.)
First published
2014
Genre
Verse Novel
ISBN-13
9780544107717

Reading difficulty: At 750L, The Crossover falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.

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About this book

Twelve-year-old basketball prodigy Josh Bell and his twin brother JB share everything — until a girl comes between them and their father's health declines. Told in rhythmic free verse. Winner of the 2015 Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Honor, and widely assigned in 5th-8th grade units on poetry and novel-in-verse.

Why widely assigned

This Verse Novel title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 5–8. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on family and brotherhood; cited across 13 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

family · brotherhood · basketball · grief · identity

Content notes

death of a parent

Common Sense Media recommends age 10+.

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Crossover→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is The Crossover?
The Crossover is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 750L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of The Crossover?
The Crossover has a Lexile measure of 750L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read The Crossover?
It takes about 4h 25m to read The Crossover (240 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 265 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is The Crossover hard to read for 5th grade?
At 750L, The Crossover falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign The Crossover?
The Crossover appears on reading lists for Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award, Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, Common Core State Standards (ELA), and 10 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
750L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 5–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 13 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 12 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club, summer.