No humans are truly the same: not even identical twins. While on the outside, it might seem like there is no significant difference, on the inside, the case is different. This is demonstrated very clearly in The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander. Two identical twins, Josh and Jordan Bell, both share a love of basketball, but on the inside, they are very different. They have different skills, likes and dislikes, and ways of dealing with others, most notably their father. These differences ultimately estranged the two–temporarily, at least–from each other. The story starts by introducing the unimportant but notable differences between Josh and Jordan. For starters, Jordan prefers to shoot from afar, while Josh would rather drive towards the basket and go up for a dunk. Jordan likes North Carolina, but Josh wants to go to Duke. Jordan likes to trash-talk on the court, but Josh prefers to stay quiet. Josh is also more into academics than Jordan. However, the story continues to show that even small differences can cause big problems. Josh ends up hurting Jordan because Jordan insulted him, showing that there are differences of opinion that come between them. During one game, Josh was late, and had slipped in mud on the way in the gym. As a result, he didn’t start for the first time ever, and was subsequently laughed at by his teammates, most notably Jordan. Josh was finally let back on to the court in the second half, but the image of his brother’s cold laugh stayed in his head, and, during the last few seconds of the game, when Jordan called him by his nickname, “Filthy”, in an insulting way, he just couldn’t stand it any more. Using all his might, he thrust the ball at Jordan’s face, causing him to have a profuse nosebleed. This wasn’t just the result of this insult–it was the result of a series of conflicts between the brothers, especially over a bet that caused Josh to cut his hair, and also the fact that Jordan started spending more time with his girlfriend than Josh. The two brothers did not get along, and little differences piled up into a major conflict. These minor personality differences caused the relationship of the two to be fractured like never before. But although the two siblings were estranged for a long time after that incident, there was something even bigger coming their way. Although “The Incident” had a big impact on Josh and Jordan, their father’s heart disease overshadowed it all. Yet even then, the siblings took on completely different perspectives on the situation. After the first time Josh and Jordan’s dad fainted, their mother suspected that it was because of the heart disease that was known for a long time to run in their father’s family. As his symptoms became more and more serious, Josh and Jordan were forced to make an opinion about the situation. Josh decided that it was nothing serious, but Jordan believed the opposite. Josh resented the fact that they had to start eating healthy, but Jordan seemed to accept that it was the only way to lower their father’s risk. Suddenly, they found their father in the hospital, death looming over him. But the brothers’ opinions about him did not waver. Josh knew that the final, and most important, game in the basketball season was coming up, and did not want to wait in the hospital for a small maybe. Jordan, however, would stay as long as he could next to his father, and decided not to play in the final game. But even so, their shared grief at their father’s death a few days after was enough to bring them back together, despite all their differences. Although the brothers look the exact same on the outside, they have very different personalities on the inside. And when these differences clash, the damage done can be even bigger than surface differences. It’s not their body being hurt: it’s their heart. But in the end, sharing something–either a love of basketball or grief over their father’s death–helped bring Josh and Jordan back together. Ultimately, sharing a trait or feeling, even if it’s just one, can bridge the chasm of difference. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Houghton Mifflin, 2019. Buy a copy of this book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read it too? Leave a comment below!
Book Reviews
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Reviewed by Kevin, 9
While I was skimming through the books at Barnes & Noble one weekend, I was beginning to feel restless because I couldn’t find a novel I was interested in buying. I was about to head for the Graphics section when suddenly a wide, magenta-colored book caught my eye. Its title was Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. I reached for it and immediately noticed the bright yellow “Rick Riordan Presents” symbol on the front. Rick Riordan was one of my favorite authors at the time and had written many fantasy books about mythology. I opened the book and started reading. Tristan was a boy from Chicago who was transported into another world following two devastating events in his own life, including the death of his best friend. This book contains many of the supernatural characteristics that show up in many of Riordan’s books, but I think what sets this book apart is that there is a story behind this character: There was a terrible accident, and while Tristan is dealing with it, he gets involved in the difficulties of a group of people from a whole other world asking for his help. He has to choose between dwelling on his own loss and taking charge to help others. Bravery in battle doesn’t mean anything when you decide to help a random group of people who are in terrible danger while your best friend just died. But even though Tristan is still grieving for his friend, he is still willing to help others who need help. Tristan learned to look out for others and not just for himself. His selflessness is something that I think we can all learn from. This book made me think that even though I don’t live in a magical world of mythology, I can still give the same caring attitude to everyone and be very selfless to others. It’s not about the setting, it’s about the characteristics of the person, and he inspired me to try to be more like him. That is why I highly recommend this book to read—not just because of the events that happen, but because of the story behind this character, and the lessons that blend with the regular excitement that comes from an action-packed book. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. Rick Riordan Presents, 2019. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, Reviewed by Daniel, 10
Albeit obvious to many, there are hundreds of things that can influence our viewpoints and mindsets. The rich will have different mindsets than the poor. Males may want different things than females. This is still true in the book Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book is set during the American Revolution, during which a clash between two viewpoints caused a war to break out. In this time, differences in society were exaggerated greatly, with subtle opposites grappling with each other for life, and many slaves–and other people of lower status–caught in between: especially the main character, Isabel. On one side, she is enslaved by the Locktons, who are rich and loyal to the Crown, but on the other side, she has been encouraged by a Patriot’s son, Curzon, to rebel. The Locktons, especially Master Lockton, are leaders of the Loyalist movement. Isabel was told to eavesdrop on Master Lockton, and she found that he, along with a few other unknown people, were the main plotters of war for the Crown on the American side. Unfortunately for him, his plot to kill Washington was uncovered and he was forced to flee from New York. Lockton risked a lot in being a Loyalist. The Patriot fire was quickly burning through the colonies, and Tories were not treated very well. However, he sought reward from the Crown, which kept him, perhaps unwisely, loyal to them. At the time, America was not yet an established nation, and could make no promise on reward–the money they printed was pretty much useless due to how small the American economy was. But with even a medium-sized award from the Crown, he could probably make a fortune, as Britain’s economy was one of the largest in those days. He also most likely thought that the British military was much stronger than that of the Americans, so it was safer to side with the British. If he decided to side with America and the British won, he would most likely be accused of treason after the cause for freedom was stamped out. However, the thing that influenced him most is what England could provide for the rich. While the Patriots wanted all people, poor or rich, to be seen as equals, in England, the rich were often treated much better than the poor. In addition, he is pretty significant within England, as one of his relations, Lady Seymour, has influential connections within Parliament and owns land in three countries. Bellingham, on the other hand, hopes to gain liberty and freedom. While he himself isn’t very significant in the story, his son, Curzon, is often seen trying to get Isabel to join the rebel cause. He is actually able to get Isabel to uncover the plot to kill Washington, but she soon stops helping after the Patriots don’t keep their promise to help her and instead let her get branded. As a person that wasn’t very significant in the colonies to start with, Bellingham most likely won’t get a lot from fighting for Britain, except maybe a job as a middle-ranking officer if England were to win. However, if he fought for the colonies, he could have a much better chance of finding favor within the government. While England already has an arsenal of talented people, America is barely one year old at the time. It is up to upstarts to take the helm, and Bellingham might just be one of them. In addition, without a good reason to support the British cause, peer pressure must have already overtaken him. Unlike Lockton, who has quite a significant status in the British world, Bellingham was, before the revolution, just another no-name. Finally, Isabel: the one who just wants her freedom and nothing else. Not fighting for either side, she’ll do whatever it takes to become free. This was what motivated her to help Curzon at first: the promise of freedom. However, after her sister Ruth was sold to who-knows-where and the Patriots didn’t keep their promise, Isabel started to feel resentment to Curzon and the Patriots in general. She was very conflicted at the moment: owned by loyalists, but constantly swarmed by a Patriot. Not knowing which side to choose, Isabel starts acting of her own accord. Although she mostly obeys Madam Lockton’s orders, she once left out milk in the sun to let it sour as a symbol of rebellion. Many believe there were two main viewpoints to the American Revolution: that of England and that of America. However, we are missing out on perhaps what became the most significant viewpoint in American society decades later: that of the slaves. They were caught in the middle of all the fighting, and were often harassed by both sides due to growing chaos. Unsure which side to take, many of these slaves became physically and mentally broken. Isabel, who was once defiant and bold, has become a quiet, do-things-behind-the-scenes kind of person. While the American Revolution changed the colonies forever, the most change happened to the slaves living in this time of conflict. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010. Buy a copy of the book here and support Stone Soup in the process. Have you read it, too? Leave a comment below!
