The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander was published in 2014 and is written in verse. The verses in the book are visually appealing because of form and font usage. This would be a great book for any reader who needs a fast paced story with a lot of white space. 

Josh and Jordan Bell are sons of a retired basketball star, and their father has worked hard to teach them all he knows. Both boys are amazing players, but things start to change when Jordan falls in love, and when their dad starts having health problems. 

The book is broken into sections just like a basketball game, from warm-up to over-time.

Page 20:
Basketball Rule #1

In this game of life
your family is the court
and the ball is your heart.
No matter how good you are,
no matter how down you get,
always leave
your heart
on the court.

This book deals with race relations, sibling relationships, parent relationships, and friendships. I enjoyed the sections that deal with hair issues. I liked how realistic the relationships and the characters felt. This won the Newbery award and is a Michael I Printz Honor book.

Several more donations to our NICU book project have come in.

Janelle Topik donated these books.

Naomi Peterson sent this selection.

Miranda Heinz sent these books to honor her son, Liam.

Family members of one of our NICU staff sent this selection.

Once again, thanks to everyone who has sent books for the babies. We appreciate your support of this project.

Link to our NICU book registry to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

NICU Book Project Helpers part 4

I'll get back to book reviews soon, but first, I have more people to thank. I appreciate each and every book that we receive. Your donations help us continue our project on the scale we like, which is that every NICU baby at McKay Dee Hospital receive a packet of five books during their stay.

I don't know who sent this touch and feel book, but I thank you.

Kelli Nelsen sent this fun Mem Fox book. 

Rachel donated this sweet board book to our NICU.

Kathy Newman sent this fun selection.

These are also from Kathy Newman. Mo Willems is such a great children's author.

Teri donated this darling board book.

We received  a monetary donation from an anonymous donor, and this is what I bought with 1/3 of it. I am a teacher, so I use my Scholastic order to purchase and then use my points to get even more books for the NICU. We will be using the rest of this money over the next two or three months as different titles go on sale. The rest of the pictures show the 294 books I was able to get so far. 

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to our project this month. You've saved us. 

Link to our NICU book registry to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

NICU Book Project Helpers part three

In the last two days, many more books have arrived for our NICU book project. Even though we are in the midst of a pandemic, our project will be able to continue to help families. Thank you all so much for that. 

Check out all these cute books!

Megan Greenwood sent these saying her Sophia was in our NICU some years ago. These have a bookplate with her name on them. I am happy to add bookplates to honor your NICU graduate. 

Brandi Cunliffe sent these two. Humbug Witch was my favorite book when I was little.

Jennifer Brustad sent these books. Mo Willems Pigeon books are so funny.

Laura D sent this selection. There are so many good ones here.

Jennifer Stegen sent this fun take on Mother Goose.

Jennifer Brustad also sent this selection. Thank you so much!

Jennifer Stegen also sent this book. Amazon loves to send things in different boxes.

Aubree Gardner sent these books.

Wiley Johnston sent these books along with one more in a picture down lower.

Laura D sent these two.

Caitie Jolley sent this book. Her son, Auron (my grandson) was in the NICU for a while after he was born.

Laura D. sent this selection as well. Her books came in a few different boxes.

Here is the other book Wiley Johnston sent. Love these touch and feel books.

This fun selection was sent by Tanya Mitchell.

Alysen Jeffries sent these cute books. Two of them flip upside-down for a new story.

Kathy Newman sent these and I believe more are coming from her.

These are from Reuben C Robinson.

Sherry Klein sent this fun book.

Jennifer Stegen sent this fun Lorna Balian book.

Ally Baird sent this fun book.

Here is a picture of the books complete with bookplates. 

If you are unfamiliar with our project, we give each baby in the NICU a package containing five books so that parents can read to them during their often lengthy hospital stays. They get to take the books home with them and hopefully gain a life-long love of reading as they begin their literacy journey.

I am thankful for all our helpers. We couldn't reach every baby in our NICU without your support. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Link to our NICU book registry to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

NICU Book Project Helpers part two

Yesterday, the packages kept arriving. More helpers sent books so that our NICU book project can continue in the midst of the pandemic. I appreciate each and every book that is sent to us. 

Aaron Phipps sent this fun to read selection. 

Allyson Shogren sent these books. Birds is such a beautiful book and Breathe is perfect for NICU babies.

Kelli Nelson sent these. I think I read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish a million times when my older kids were little. 

Rachel Shibukawa sent three of my favorites. Such fun books for kids. 

Aaron Phipps sent this fun selection. My youngest son memorized Are You My Mother? when he was three and would recite it to his 18 month-old niece. It was the cutest thing. 

Ally Baird sent these fun books. Olivia reminds me of my grand daughter of the same name. 

Amazon forgot the packing slip, so I don't know who sent this, but I thank you for helping us.

Christi Alvey sent these books. If I had a million dollars, I buy Breathe for every baby in the NICU. It's probably the most spoken word in there. 

Shari sent this selection. I love touch and feel books for babies. 

Jen Colvin sent this fun Karen Katz book, perfect for babies.

Hailey Jene Hamblin sent all these fun books. Spooky Old Tree is one of my grand daughter's favorites. 

Amazon also forgot the packing slip on this one. Thank you for this book. You know who you are.

These three Mo Willems books were donated by Lauren Dalpias to honor her angel baby, Logan. Each of these books will have a book plate letting the recipients know it is a gift in Logan's name.

When I get books to honor the life of a NICU angel, it touches my heart and reminds me why this project was started. I started this project to honor the lives of my twins who did not survive pregnancy, and it brings me joy to see how many lives have been touched by this project. It makes me feel like their lives mattered, so thank you so very much for your generous donations. 

If you are unfamiliar with our project, we give each baby in the NICU a package containing five books so that parents can read to them during their often lengthy hospital stays. They get to take the books home with them and hopefully gain a life long love of reading as they begin their literacy journey.

I am thankful for all our helpers. We couldn't reach every baby in our NICU without your support. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Link to our NICU book registry to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.