Josh Bell
What is Josh Bell’s nickname?
What is Filthy McNasty (which came from a jazz song titled by the same name)!
What team offered Josh’s dad a free-agent tryout?
The Los Angeles Lakers -- Josh and JB find the tryout letter in his silver lock box. They also find another letter stating their dad's decision NOT to have surgery, meaning his career ended because of his knee injury.
What figurative language is used in the line, "JB cackles like a crow"?
What is a simile? It means that he is laughing and gloating after winning the game in which he also won the bet against his brother, Josh.
What sound device is used in ”like a 747 ZOOM ZOOM”?
What is an onomatopoeia because it mimics the sound of something moving quickly.
What does the word “calamity” mean that Josh Bell often uses?
Calamity refers to a setback or disaster. Josh Bell often uses the term to describe a situation where something goes wrong, like when his brother JB accidentally cuts a large bald spot in his hair.
What motivates Josh Bell, the protagonist of The Crossover, to improve his basketball skills?
What is wanting to live up to his father's legacy; Josh‘s father was a professional basketball player nicknamed “Da Man," and Josh hopes to continue in his father's path.
What type of food did Josh's dad choose to eat out?
What is his dad chose Chinese food but Josh knows he really wants Pollard’s Chicken and BBQ, a restaurant that their mom won't allow them to eat at anymore due to hypertension.
“He looked at me like he missed the train.” What figurative language is used?
What is a simile directly comparing someone’s gaze to the feeling of having missed a big opportunity.
“My hair like wings, each lock lifting me higher and HIGHER.” What literary device is used here?
What is a simile because it compares hair to wings.
What does Josh Bell compare his basketball game to, describing it as “sweet“ and “on fire”?
What is he describes it as crepes suzette, a French dessert of thin pancakes with fruit that are considered sweet and fancy.
What is the hair style that Josh Bell has at the very beginning of the book?
What is his hair style is called dreadlocks also called “loc,” which he wears as a way to be different from his brother, Jordan "JB" Bell.
What musician does Josh's dad compare Josh and JB's foul-line shooting to?
In a story that Josh’s dad loves to tell, he compares his sons' foul-line shooting skills to the piano-playing of Beethoven.
“The sky is your limit.” What is the figurative language used here?
What is a metaphor. It means there are no boundaries to what you can achieve.
“Filthy McNasty is a MYTHical MANchild of rather dubious distinction.” What is the an example of?
What is alliteration because it repeats the “m” sound at the beginning of several words.
In the Crossover what does the phrase “ode” refer to?
It refers to a poem or song written to praise a person or thing. Josh uses it to praise his dreadlocks as well as his game playing...
What is something that only Josh Bell can do on his team?
What is slam dunk! It mentions that he is the only person on his team who can perform this which shows his superior skills compared to his twin brother.
What does Josh's mom tell him to do with the five pieces of dreadlocks that were cut off by his brother?
What is to place them in a silver safety box that is kept in their closet, which is normally off-limits?
What is the figurative language used in “If you miss enough of life’s free throws you will pay in the end.”
What is a metaphor. It compares life’s small but important decisions to free throws, saying that if you don’t take advantage of important opportunities, it could lead to negative outcomes.
“The red scissors from Coach’s desk smiled at me.” What is this an example of?
What is personification because an object, the scissors, are given human qualities.
What is the phrase “enshrine” used by character Josh Bell to describe?
What is Josh Bell uses this phrase to describe that he highly values and protects his dreadlocks as something precious.
What caused Josh Bell’s brother to cut off a piece of his hair?
What is that Josh's brother scored the winning basket for a game!
Why did the family start eating healthier?
What is because of the dad’s history of high blood pressure (hypertension) which runs in his family.
What is the figurative language used in “I knew one day I’d need my own wings to fly”?
This phrase is a metaphor. Wings represent independence and the ability to succeed on your own.
”When I play ball, I’m fire.” What sound device is this an example of?
This is an example of a metaphor. It compares his basketball skills as hot and unstoppable like a fire.
What does the phrase ”crossover” mean in this book?
What is a crossover is a basketball move, but it becomes a metaphor that represents figuring out how to maneuver around big changes and difficult situations in life.