Rebound

Rebound, published in 2018 by Kwame Alexander with illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile, is a novel in verse and a prequel to the Newbery Award-winning novel The Crossover (2014); it serves as the beginning of the three-part Crossover series. Kwame Alexander is an award-winning poet and author who primarily writes in the young adult and children’s genres, aiming to provide accessible entertainment for youth. An adaptation of the book series, The Crossover (2023), is available for streaming on Disney+.

Rebound is a coming-of-age story following Charlie “Chuck” Bell, who is the father of Joshua Bell and JB Bell in The Crossover and Booked (2016). The story opens in 1988, after Charlie Bell loses his father to illness. Using basketball as a way to reconnect with his power and agency, Charlie discovers what it means to “rebound” in both sports and life, leaning on positive role models as “coaches” to guide him through his trauma.

This guide refers to the version published in 2018 that includes illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile.

Content Warning: This guide and the source text depict a medical emergency that later results in death; the guide also references mental illness and anti-Black police violence.