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 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, 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.
Where to find this book
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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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 1 curriculum framework.
Content notes
death of a parent
Common Sense Media recommends age 10+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
Similar grade-level books
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
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 Common Core State Standards (ELA). 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 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.