Mr. Alexander

has done it again with Swing.  And I think that this one deserves a Newbery or a Printz.  As always, incredible story full of heart and truth and one that needs to be read, by everyone.  Are there "adult" books that are written so well?  This is also co-written with the poet Mary Rand Hess, like Solo.  Very funny and touching and heart-breaking.  It will appeal to well, everyone.  Baseball fans, poetry fans, people who grieve, people who fall in love.  People of every age. 

Prequels, Prequels!

When Kwame Alexander writes a prequel, I have no reason to debate whether or not it is just a money tool.  He is amazing.  And Rebound is amazing and I didn't even realize it was .5 until I had finished it and see the .5 on goodreads.com.  This was excellent.  It is the prequel to The Crossover. 

Walter Dean

Solo by Kwame Alexander solidified a suspicion I had about Alexander. Alexander is the new Walter Dean Myers, the new Sherman Alexie, the new Gary Paulsen.  He is the new amazing.  And while it might seem cool to put him up there with those big names, I want to make sure that it is clear that I don't mean it in a "good job, dude, you are getting there, you made the big time!" kinda way, because Alexander probably always was this good.  And when I say good I mean masterful.  So I mean no, "good going kid" by that at all.  I simply think he is one of the best.

For Some Reason

I didn't look carefully at the cover of Booked.  I wish I had.  I thought that Booked was a sequel to The Crossover which I loved, loved, loved, so I thought "a sequel, hmm...how can it be as good?" and so I wasn't too excited to read it.  I mean, I knew I would read it, but I was going to wait until I could get it from the library, one of those things.  Then I actually read what it was about and then I looked closely at the cover and I had to have it!  And so I bought it on audible.  And it was well worth it. Well worth it.  So good.  A soccer story time time, but no more a "soccer story" than The Crossover was just a "basketball story."  Mr. Alexander has done it again.  Incredible.

Newbery! Newbery!

It won't make me upset at all if The Crossover wins the Newbery.  Not only is it an excellent, moving, realistic book, written so so so so so well, it is also a book that kids will like!  In fact, The Crossover is now my top pick for the Newbery because it really will appeal to its audience, not just librarians!  Just fantastic.  I can't wait to read He Said, She Said, also by Kwame Alexander

The poetry here is so incredible.  I mean, I don't know much about poetry, but this just sounded so good.  I listened to the book, read by Corey Allen who also did the EllRay Jakes books! 

This isn't just a basketball story, it is a story about the loss of a parent and the love between brothers (twins) and how hard it is to grow up.  An excellent middle-grade book.  Just an all-the-way-around awesome book.
I first saw it on the Anderson's Mock Newbery List and then when I posted on the discussion on goodreads about Caminar, which I still do totally love, this gal, who clearly has excellent taste in books said that The Crossover was her favorite and I am so thankful that she did!   It made me want to buy it right away, which I did, using my last audible credit and man, man, man, so good!  

Will this win the Newbery though?  Will it be 1954?  Will this be one of those horrid, "Oh it will get the Coretta Scott King Award deals?  We can only pray not.  

Not only will kids love to read this, but even kids who don't love to read will want to read this!  

WINNER!