2019 Bluebonnet
This is a good read about a young man coming to terms with the sudden death of his father. It is written as a novel in verse. I had not read the Crossover so the ending took me by surprise.

Granted, I am not the best audience for this book, as I don't tend to connect with novels written in verse. Also, this book is part of a series, the rest of which I have not read. So I will keep my review short. This is the story behind how Charlie "Chuck" Bell is sent to his grandparents' house one summer and discovers his love for basketball (and other things). It's a great coming-of-age story, and I think has excellent messages in it. I did think the ending was absolutely beautiful (although, not having read the others in this series, I found myself the slightest bit confused for just a moment).

A lyrical prequel with a slam dunk ending. We meet Charlie Bell when his life has been turned upside down by the loss of his father. Summer is coming and read his comic books and hope life will go back to normal. His mother decides to send him to stay with his grandparents. That summer was a formative time for the Chuck Bell we meet in Crossover. Highly recommended!

Whenever there is a new Kwame Alexander book being released, you can bet that there are happy dances being done in the library. Newbery Medal winner Alexander returns to the family from The Crossover and turns back the clock. This prequel focuses on the boys’ father, Charlie, and the special summer that changed his life. After the unexpected death of his father, Charlie only cares about three things: comics, arcades, and jazz. His mother is worried that school and his future don’t feature and ships him off to Washington, DC to live with his grandparents in the hopes that this will sort him out. Rebound is a mixture of Alexander's signature poetry and comics that will entrance reluctant reader and bookworm alike.