Rebound by Kwame Alexander
I did not realize this was a prequel to Crossover until reading the summary. I thought it was just an alternate tale about that kid. In this story, the dad of the Crossover protagonist has his Dad die. He struggles with it. He eventually goes to live with his grandparents for a summer. There he hangs out with his cousin and builds a love for basketball. It is short and sweet.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Two twin boys love basketball. Their dad was a pro basketball player, but his career was cut short due to injuries. He did not want to see a doctor because his father died when he went to the hospital. One of the twin boys gets a girlfriend. This causes some jealousy at the hands of the other which he took out on the basketball court by hitting him with a bad pass. This caused him to be suspended. After a period of atonement, he started to get in a better position with his family. He was playing a game with his dad. Alas, dad was having health problems and refused to see a doctor. Dad collapsed and was finally rushed to the hospital. The boy was able to play a big basketball game, but dad passed away. It is a quick moving basketball book that ends with a teerjerker.
Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
A boy is in Africa playing around as boys do. He goes to school and has an English teacher that expects him to speak proper English. He has typical struggles as a kid. Then he and some others captured by some other Africans who take him to some white people that treat him poorly. They are no longer treated like humans, but are to launched into the life of slavery.
People have mostly lived locally within Africa. They don't understand why a teacher would want them to speak English. It can at times be unclear whether or not parts are dreams or real. There are expected family relationships and conflicts with some type of wrestling match. In the end people are hauled away in a boat. (Is it a slave ship? Or something similarly bad.) It was a little bit difficult to figure out what is going on.
