Booked (The Crossover Series)

The story line follows a typical child/family of their everyday life’s ups/downs.

The jacket says it is for MS age children. I’ve been out of the school system for 10 yrs. now.

My 2 granddaughters if/when I get to stay all night I read them 2 bedtime stories (family ritual).

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A fairly well written (poem; prose) book. It wasn’t always very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish, but never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. Not for everyone, so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; MakingConnections; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Young Readers); ARC; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

Booked is a book written by Kwame Alexander. This book is a very educational book that has a tone of determination and is in verse that centers on a middle school soccer player who struggles with his family going through a divorce, school bullies, and middle school romance. There are a couple of fistfights, some name-calling --"stupid, "ignorant",-- and racist names used to insult a student of Asian. descent the fact that this is a story about twins that excel at basketball, but has a navigativity on high school and homelife. Like The Crossover, Booked is written in verse and is about a young teen named Nick who is a star on the soccer pitch. He’s got a crush on a girl named April but doesn’t have the confidence to approach her. At home, his dad’s an overbearing wordsmith that makes him learn new words from the dictionary every night. Nick finds solace named Mac who inspires, challenges and supports him through his troubles. A fast, fun story with hear that both boys and girls should read, can’t wait to book talk the heck outta this thing at the high school library where I work! Throughout the narrative, there is a sense that Nick holds onto Soccer ("the beautiful game") and its physical athleticism as much as he does as an act of resistance against the bully.

In BOOKED author Kwame Alexander continues to share his unique storytelling ability with us, this time with Nick. We're able to take the journey along with him as he navigates not just between sports,issues with his parents and the regular things that kids have to deal with. Will his feelings for a girl be what he needs to keep motivated and stay connected with his personal best? Will his friends be able to keep him focused and grounded? These are just a few things that the reader will ask themselves as they navigate through what is a really entertaining book.

Definitely something that will have you smiling as you turn the page, BOOKED allows you to travel along with a young man who is trying to stay focused on the possibilities ahead.

"Booked" has a very similar style and theme as his first book "The Crossover" (which I also loved) but it still feels new. Nick loves soccer and he hates words. Specifically, the words his father makes him read to try to "better" himself. But when his family starts falling apart and he can't play soccer, what's left?

I love Kwame Alexander's writing. I think his characters are real and speak to reluctant and avid readers alike. He creates main characters who know who they are and what they like but are still learning and growing. And it's refreshing to read a middle grade/YA book that isn't dystopian or about death but about life.

Our son loved this book so much! He even finished it in about two days.
Which can be unusual for him unless he find a book that he is very
interested in. With this book I could hear him laughing in the background
or in the car on our way to soccer practice. At first he was reluctant because
of the way the book is written but I encouraged him to at least read a few
pages, boy was he wrong the book is awesome!

The book is about a soccer player and his family. It has very funny situations and
perfect for our son who also plays soccer. I hate to give up a lot of details about the
story which I also read.

I think I liked this one more than The Crossover. It deals with friendship, parents, divorce, balancing school and sports, young romance, and reading. It was a lot of fun and had some interesting characters. A great pick for the Rebecca Caudill list and a great introduction to Kwame Alexander.

This is an amazing book. About Nicholas, a soccer player, Kwame Alexander writes his book, poetry-style, touching the hearts of the readers. Nick's parents are going through some hard times and when they discuss divorce, Nicholas feels like his life is ruined. Bullying, a pretty girl, books, soccer, and lots of words are twisted into the story in such a magical way. Be sure to also read Crossover, an award winning book by the same author. Wow, is all I have to say about both of them.

Great story, diverse characters. I put this book out on my shelf in my classroom and it was snarfed up immediately (don't know if it's ever going to come back but that's what the shelf is for -- take 'em, I say!). Even though I teach high school, this character and story worked for my kids because they can relate and because of the diversity (I teach in a really diverse HS and finding books to satisfy them is always an issue). Great writing. Highly recommend.

I began reading this book because it was constantly popping up in my world. I was unprepared for reading an entire book written in verse. It seemed so strange and even somewhat gimmicky. BUT the story was so excellent and we'll written it was difficult to put the book down. Alexander has a way of capturing his audience with words that explode because they are put together in the perfect combinations.

Another book I loved by this author. I recommend this to anyone who loves contemporary fiction, loves sports and friendship and family stories, loves poetic language and beautiful writing, and anyone who has witnessed first or second hand bullying. This coming of age story was a delight to read.

I love the way Kwame writes! The entire story flows and weaves like an athlete, which appeals to young, old, male, female, and in between. This particular book even has some amazingly odd and fun words to learn along the way.

Newbery-winning author Kwame Alexander scores with this mix of soccer, family, first crushes, friendship and poetry! Middle schooler Nick struggles with his parents' impending divorce, bullying at school and figuring out how to talk to the girl of his dreams. Along the way, he discovers that words and poetry can actually be cool.

This is a true winner for kids. The reader learns the pleasure of verse as well as the pleasure of a well told story. Tweeners into soccer will obviously love this, but it goes beyond that. It's not perfect. Some kids will shrug their shoulders over this book. However, it's highly educational and highly entertaining. I recommend it with absolutely no reservations.

Really enjoyed BOOKED. It doesn't have quite the emotional punch of THE CROSSOVER, but it's a wonderful, accessible story. I like that it portrays a kid with parents whose marriage is struggling. The learning to enjoy reading aspect will be relatable, and free verse is so great for those reluctant readers. Overall, really lovely.

My 12 year old, soccer loving son is reading this book right now. He was a little reluctant to start ("it's all POETRY, mom? really?") but fortunately I have a solid track record so he gave it a shot. He's only a little ways in, but already engaged and interested. This book gets soccer and gets the mind of a boy who lives and breathes the sport while navigating middle school life.

I really enjoyed this verse novel. After I stopped trying to read it as poetry, and read it more as prose, it was much easier. The main character has a great grasp of words and uses them hilariously.