The Crossover

The questions inside

One per chapter, across all 90 chapters — every question is editable before you print.

1. What do you learn about Josh Bell from the way he describes his basketball skills?
2. How does the fast rhythm of the opening chapter make you feel as a reader?
3. Why do you think basketball is so important to Josh and his family?
4. What does Josh’s nickname, Filthy McNasty, show about how he sees himself on the court?
5. How are Josh and JB alike, and how are they different so far?
6. What does Josh’s hair seem to mean to him, beyond just being a hairstyle?
7. How does Josh’s dad help shape the boys’ love of basketball?
8. What details show that Chuck Bell was a great player in the past?
9. How does Mom’s role at school affect Josh and JB?
10. What do you notice about the way Josh uses basketball words to tell about his life?
11. When Josh talks about rules, what do the rules help you understand about him?
12. What prediction can you make about the basketball season based on the early chapters?
13. How does Josh feel when JB starts paying attention to a girl, and what clues show this?
14. Why might it be hard for Josh to share his twin brother’s attention with someone else?
15. What does the word crossover mean in basketball, and how might it also connect to life changes?
16. How does Josh’s voice change when he is excited, upset, or bragging?
17. What does the family dinner scene show about the Bells as a family?
18. How does Dad’s joking or teasing show both love and pressure?
19. What early signs suggest that Dad may not be taking his health seriously?
20. Why do you think Josh notices small changes in his family so carefully?
21. What do JB’s choices show about what matters to him right now?
22. How does Josh react to feeling left out, and is his reaction fair?
23. What does the author show about jealousy in these chapters?
24. How does basketball give Josh a way to express feelings he may not say out loud?
25. What does the word pulchritudinous mean, and why is it a funny or surprising word for Josh to learn?
26. How does Miss Sweet Tea change the relationship between the twins?
27. What advice does Dad give, and how helpful do you think it is?
28. How does Josh compare himself to JB, and what does that reveal about him?
29. What moment in this chapter shows that being a twin can be both close and complicated?
30. What do you think Josh is most afraid of losing? Explain your thinking.
31. How does the author use short lines or spacing to make the scene feel more powerful?
32. Why does Josh’s hair become such a big deal in the story?
33. How does Josh feel after the bet or haircut, and what words help you know?
34. What do Josh’s locks represent to him before they are cut?
35. How does JB’s mistake affect Josh’s trust in him?
36. What should JB do to repair the hurt between him and Josh?
37. How does Josh handle his anger, and what could he have done differently?
38. Why is the basketball Josh throws at JB more than just a bad play?
39. How does the injury to JB change the mood of the story?
40. What consequences does Josh face, and do you think they are fair?
41. How does Mom respond to Josh’s choices, and what does this show about her?
42. What lesson can readers learn from Josh’s mistake during the game?
43. How does Josh’s loneliness grow after JB stops talking to him?
44. Why can silence between family members hurt so much?
45. How does the team feel different when the twins are not working together?
46. What does Josh begin to understand about saying sorry?
47. How does Dad’s health problem add worry to the story?
48. Why might Dad avoid doctors even when his family is worried?
49. What does Mom want for Dad, and how does that show her love?
50. How does Josh react when he sees his dad as less than invincible?
51. What theme about family appears in this part of the book?
52. How does the author connect basketball pressure with pressure at home?
53. What prediction do you have about Dad’s health, and what clues support it?
54. How does Josh’s anger begin to change into sadness or regret?
55. What does JB’s relationship with Miss Sweet Tea teach Josh about growing up?
56. How does Josh try to get back into the rhythm of basketball and family?
57. Why is forgiveness hard for both Josh and JB?
58. What do Dad’s stories about his basketball career teach the boys?
59. How does the idea of winning change as the story goes on?
60. What does Josh learn about the difference between being tough and being honest?
61. How does the hospital or health scare change the family’s normal routine?
62. What does Josh notice about his mother during stressful moments?
63. How does JB show that he still cares about Josh, even when things are tense?
64. Why do you think the author includes both funny moments and serious moments?
65. What does the vocabulary word calamity mean, and how does it fit events in the story?
66. How do basketball games help show the twins’ relationship without directly explaining it?
67. What does Josh need from his brother most at this point in the story?
68. How does Dad’s condition change the way Josh thinks about time?
69. What choice does Josh face between focusing on the game and focusing on family?
70. How does the author build suspense before the championship?
71. What does Josh’s relationship with his dad mean to him?
72. Why is it important that Josh begins to see JB as more than just a teammate?
73. How does grief begin to appear in the story, even before the biggest loss?
74. What questions would you want to ask Josh if you could talk to him here?
75. How does the family’s love show up during the hardest moments?
76. What does the word legacy mean, and what is Chuck Bell’s legacy to his sons?
77. How does Josh respond to Dad’s serious heart problem?
78. Why is it difficult for Josh to play basketball when his heart is somewhere else?
79. How does the final game feel different from earlier games in the book?
80. What does teamwork mean for Josh and JB near the end of the story?
81. How does JB help Josh when Josh is hurting?
82. What emotions do you feel during the chapters about Dad’s death, and why?
83. How does Josh describe grief, and what images or actions make it clear?
84. Why might basketball still matter after such a sad loss?
85. How do Josh and JB honor their father in their own ways?
86. What lesson about brothers stands out to you by the end of the book?
87. How has Josh changed from the beginning of the story to now?
88. What is the most important theme of the book, and what events support it?
89. If you could give Josh advice after the ending, what would you tell him?
90. How does the ending show that love, family, and basketball are all connected?

Example answers

Printed at the front of the booklet, so your reader can see what a strong answer looks like.

What does the word crossover mean in basketball, and how might it also connect to life changes?

I think a crossover is when a player quickly changes direction with the ball to get past someone. In the book, it also connects to the way Josh’s life keeps changing. He has to deal with JB liking someone new, problems with his dad’s health, and changes in his family. The word fits because Josh has to learn how to move through hard changes, not just around defenders.

How does Josh handle his anger, and what could he have done differently?

Josh handles his anger in a way that hurts JB and makes things worse. I understand that he feels jealous and embarrassed, but throwing the ball at JB is not okay. He could have talked to JB, walked away, or told his parents how upset he was. A stronger choice would have helped him fix the problem instead of creating a new one.

How has Josh changed from the beginning of the story to now?

At the beginning, Josh seems mostly focused on basketball, his hair, and being a great player. By the end, he understands more about family, forgiveness, and loss. He still loves basketball, but it means something deeper because it connects him to his dad and brother. I think Josh becomes more caring and more grown-up.