Josh Bell, the speaker of Kwame Alexander’s poetic novel, The Crossover, experiences two losses that change him dramatically. First, he must deal with losing his twin brother, Jordan, to a girl named Alexis. As Jordan and Alexis start talking, Jordan quickly loses interest in both basketball and Josh. Josh tries his best to hang out with the couple to try and win Jordan back, but then evolves into a third wheel that neither Jordan nor Alexis want around. Secondly, Josh must deal with his father dying of myocardial infarction. When his dad dies, Josh realizes he must take on the role as the man of the house. Additionally, Josh finds himself without his father as a basketball mentor and guide through life in general.