During the month of February (and beyond!) we shine the spotlight on texts written by African American authors. This month, we will look at poets and their works.
Kwame Alexander is an American writer of poetry and children’s fiction. Alexander has won numerous awards for his work, including a Newbery Medal and the Charlotte Huck Honor Award for The Crossover and most recently The Undefeated was identified as one the 2020 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels, selected by the NCTE Award for Excellence in Children’s Poetry Committee. The Undefeated was also named as a Newbery Honor Book. Kwame believes in the power of poetry and language to change people’s lives.
Read a lively interview with Kwame Alexander in the Council Chronicle.
After reading The Crossover, a novel in verse that is rich in character and relationships, facilitate a dialogue around Kwame Alexander’s award-winning text.
Speaking about his book The Crossover, Kwame Alexander says, “I felt that poetry would mirror the energy, the movement, the pulse of a basketball game the best.” What other sport or activity would make for a good poem?