Dragon Hoops
Dragon Hoops book cover

Dragon Hoops

Hardcover – Illustrated, March 17, 2020

by
Price
$14.29
Format
Hardcover
Pages
448
Publisher
First Second
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1626720794
Dimensions
6.55 x 1.65 x 8.85 inches
Weight
2.33 pounds

Description

From School Library Journal Gr 8 Up—A year after publishing his well-received Boxers and Saints, graphic novelist and math teacher Yang was beset by writer's block. But his curiosity was piqued by the Dragons, his school's men's varsity basketball team. Over the years, they had come close to winning a state championship, and 2015, the rumor mill whispered, was their year. Though a self-proclaimed nerd, Yang overcame his aversion to sports and decided to follow alumnus Coach Lou and a diverse squad of young men on their quest for the ultimate accolade. As the author juggled raising a family, teaching, and writing, the Dragons struggled to take home the championship—an effort generations in the making. The frenetic action of basketball provides ideal fodder for graphic storytelling, and Yang's visual trademarks—blade-sharp linework and squeaky-clean paneling—are in full force. His discourse on transforming human beings into cartoons that aren't caricatures is especially delightful. The narrative combines the blood-sweat-and-tears drama of a sports story with elements of gonzo journalism, narrative nonfiction, and action comics, juxtaposing play-by-play accounts of games with explorations of players' lives and the broader history of the sport. As Yang taps into subjects as varied as assimilation and discrimination in America, internecine violence in India, and China's century-long quest for athletic recognition, readers learn how this low-cost, indoor game leveled racial, gender, and international boundaries to attain global prominence. VERDICT Another standout showing from Yang, this title will have even sports haters on their feet cheering.—Steven Thompson, Bound Brook Memorial Public Library, NJ A 2020 Michael L. Printz Honor Book Listed as a New York Times , Washington Post , Amazon, Forbes , School Library Journal , Booklist , and Publishers Weekly 2020 book of the year. " Full of insight about race and ethnicity, this graphic novel intercuts the thrilling wins and crushing defeats of one high school team with basketball’s own turbulent history." ― New York Times , from "The 25 Best Children’s Books of 2020""Self-confessed nerd Yang would be the first to say it was unlikely that he’d do a graphic novel about sports, but his latest YA opus might be the best comic ever done on the subject, as he follows the fortunes of his high school basketball team in their quest for a state championship." ― Forbes , from "The Best Graphic Novels Of 2020" "Dragon Hoops winningly chronicles the postseason hopes of the basketball team at the Oakland high school where [Gene Luen Yang] taught for 17 years." ― Washington Post " Yang’s cartooning skills have never been sharper... Dragon Hoops has a long life ahead of it in libraries and classrooms, bridging comics and sports in a story that offers plenty of opportunities for meaningful discussion."―AV Club " At more than 400 full-color pages, Dragon Hoops is an impressive feat of illustrated journalism. Above all else, Yang considers himself a storyteller, and Dragon Hoops affords him the opportunity to devise a narrative that is both personal in its approach and universal in its presentation."― Oakland Magazine "While [ Dragon Hoops ] traverses and weaves together different story lines throughout the season―Yang’s own life; the lives of players on the team; the various contexts and trajectories of basketball’s development as a sport ― the call to courage spills into every narrative."― San Francisco Chronicle "Using a candid narrative and signature illustrations that effectively and dynamically bring the fast-paced games to life, Yang has crafted a triumphant, telescopic graphic memoir that explores the effects of legacy and the power of taking a single first step, no matter the outcome." ―Publisher's Weekly, starred review and a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2020 " Another standout showing from Yang, this title will have even sports haters on their feet cheering." ― School Library Journal , starred review and a School Library Journal Best Graphic Novel of 2020 " [Dragon Hoops] is a perfect entryway into this form [single-season reportage] for teen readers."― Horn Book , starred review " Yang is an extraordinary cartoonist...through recurring visual motifs that connect a champion basketball player to a self-questioning artist to a Russian immigrant with a new idea, he illuminates the risks that every one of us must take and has, once again, produced a work of resounding humanity. " ―Booklist, starred review " On-court action is impeccably paced in swift cuts...expect a warm reception from both the sports fiction crowd and open-minded nerds willing to explore what all the seasonal fuss is all about. " ― The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review " The full-color illustrations are varied in layout, effectively conveying intense emotion and heart-stopping action on the court...A winner. " ―Kirkus Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. He was named a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress in 2016, and advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely. His graphic novel American Born Chinese , a National Book Award finalist and Printz Award winner, has been adapted into an original series on Disney+. His two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the LA Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award Finalist. His nonfiction graphic novel, Dragon Hoops , received an Eisner award and a Printz honor. His other comics work includes Secret Coders (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), and Superman Smashes the Klan and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series (both with Gurihiru). In 2016, he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • In his latest graphic novel,
  • Dragon Hoops
  • ,
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author Gene Luen Yang turns the spotlight on his life, his family, and the high school where he teaches.
  • Gene understands stories―comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero
  • always
  • wins.But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships.Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he’s seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons’s lives, but his own life as well.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(428)
★★★★
25%
(178)
★★★
15%
(107)
★★
7%
(50)
★
-7%
(-50)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Implied cursing

The book has implied curse words throughout. Whitten in the following format "F***". Not something I want my 10 year old reading.
11 people found this helpful
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Way beyond basketball

Despite its format as a graphic novel, this book feels much more like an immersive documentary. While basketball is a focus of the story, the sport often feels secondary as the author gives valuable insights into all the main characters. A recurring theme is how each of them took a fateful, courageous step to achieve the future they want for themselves. These brave individuals even inspired the author to make his own mid-life change, finally dedicating himself to a career in comics—and we readers are the richer for it.
7 people found this helpful
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Insightful view of a winning high school basketball team

Gosh I loved this book. Having attended the school featured, I know the culture and the popularity of its basketball team. I relived some of my teenage years by reading Yang's account of the 2015 team featuring a multi-racial, complex team that encompasses the spirit of the school. There is truly a community there that takes care of its own no matter where you're from or what you do. I was also fortunate to see this team play and its cast of characters was aptly portrayed through vignettes, backstories and game play. When I finished the book I though it may only be appealing to the community of Bishop O'Dowd High School and its alumni but after reading other reviews, I was pleased to see how it is enjoyed by many. A true tour de force from a talented young man!
5 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Insightful view of a winning high school basketball team

Gosh I loved this book. Having attended the school featured, I know the culture and the popularity of its basketball team. I relived some of my teenage years by reading Yang's account of the 2015 team featuring a multi-racial, complex team that encompasses the spirit of the school. There is truly a community there that takes care of its own no matter where you're from or what you do. I was also fortunate to see this team play and its cast of characters was aptly portrayed through vignettes, backstories and game play. When I finished the book I though it may only be appealing to the community of Bishop O'Dowd High School and its alumni but after reading other reviews, I was pleased to see how it is enjoyed by many. A true tour de force from a talented young man!
5 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Insightful view of a winning high school basketball team

Gosh I loved this book. Having attended the school featured, I know the culture and the popularity of its basketball team. I relived some of my teenage years by reading Yang's account of the 2015 team featuring a multi-racial, complex team that encompasses the spirit of the school. There is truly a community there that takes care of its own no matter where you're from or what you do. I was also fortunate to see this team play and its cast of characters was aptly portrayed through vignettes, backstories and game play. When I finished the book I though it may only be appealing to the community of Bishop O'Dowd High School and its alumni but after reading other reviews, I was pleased to see how it is enjoyed by many. A true tour de force from a talented young man!
5 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Great GN for older middle grade readers!

Thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel that has a sport’s diary feel and includes aspects of history and memoir as it follows the 2014-15 basketball season of the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons from Oakland, CA.

There’s a lot to unpack in these 436 pages including mistreatment of players due to race, gender, and religion. I really like how Yang also chronicled his own story as a teacher and graphic novelist, mirroring the time frame of the basketball season. Also appreciated the notes at the back of the book that chronicled important events in the story.

Will definitely share with my mature 5th grade readers when we head back to school.
4 people found this helpful
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This is about more than basketball

What a great read! Yes it's about the excitement of the quest for the championship, but it's also a story about individuals, who have dreams and dare to take the first step when the outcome is uncertain. So well told. Not a bad history lesson, either, with peeks behind the curtain of how a graphic novel comes to life. Don't miss out on this. It's terrific!
4 people found this helpful
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Heroes on the Court

Dragon Hoops is one of my favorite graphic novels in recent years. I enjoyed the basketball action scenes, which showcases the visual aspect of graphic novel storytelling. Without words, we can follow passes, shots, the ticking clock, and the unspoken feelings between teammates. This makes the book breeze by while still feeling substantial due to its exploration of many important histories that are connected to the story.

The book goes beyond a typical action sports book by its use of exploring the historical context of different aspects of the O’Dowd basketball season. We get some California high school basketball history with Lou Richie’s story, and we get the story of James Naismith and the invention of basketball. We briefly look into Oakland’s storied basketball history. But Yang takes it beyond just basketball. He includes the Michael Brown murder and Black Lives Matter protests, especially relevant today. He explores the racial history of the Harlem Globetrotters and the birth of the NBA, as well as the progress of women’s basketball over time. He touches on Catholicism and its connection to basketball, as well as Sikhism and racism and prejudice in America. Yang also explores the rise of basketball in China, as well as abuse allegations towards a former coach. These stories and messages take the book beyond just a typical “Will they win it or not” sports book. The book offers positive messages of inclusion and diversity and provides historical context for different societal issues and injustices in the world today.

For the basketball fan, we also get some cameos from NBA players like Michael Jordan, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Brian Shaw, Yao Ming, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley. We even get panels on George Mikan’s training regimen if you are the historical basketball fan.

Overall, for my main takeaway from Yang’s book, I look back at one of the first panels of the book on page 4 featuring a flying Superman with fist outstretched. Instead of the typical superhero comic, Yang has given the superhero treatment to high school basketball players and coaches who have dedicated their lives to the discipline, hard work, and concentration that a state basketball championship pursuit entails. He has many full page panels highlighting the prowess of these high school players. The book argues that heroes are not just in the pages of a fantasy comic book but also in the world around us: the classrooms, the gyms, the family households, and so on. Our lives are filled with heroes that we might not recognize who are stepping out in the pursuit of legendary feats despite the myriad challenges and prejudices in the world.
3 people found this helpful
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Yang certainly catches lightning in a bottle with this one…

Best selling graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang was at a loss for what to work on next. Inspiration is a flighty thing and it had been a couple years since the publication of his last book. He was starting to get worried, but students at the high school where he taught computer programming were talking… about basketball. Now, Yang admittedly is not an athlete, but he knows a good story when he sees one, and the rumors were that the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons had a team in 2015 that could go all the way to state. After an initial conversation with the coach, Yang becomes part of the journey. He describes the origins of the game itself, bios of the key players, and the legacy that is O’Dowd basketball. But this book isn’t just a high school sports season; it’s the story of Yang’s own ability to balance his life’s priorities.

Teaching, Comics, Family. Teaching, Comics, Family. What portion of the pie chart of life will each priority cover? What portion should each priority cover? Yang feels the shift as he starts this project and when he’s offered other projects… he knows something will have to give. And then his frustrations with the writing process. He wants to make sure to tell the story correctly, to conduct the interviews well, and not leave anything out, no matter how uncomfortable the topic may be.

This book captures Yang’s style so perfectly, yet also draws you into his personal life in a graphic novel that took over six year to produce. I definitely think it was worth it. I have read his other work, and as much as I loved his other books, as a high school teacher and coach myself, he captures the passion and the trials of youth sports just about perfectly. The player who sits on the bench, the coach who has to make a lineup, and the exchange student whose tasks are so much more difficult than than other students.

Yang certainly catches lightning in a bottle with this one… a storybook ending in more ways than one. Check it out!
3 people found this helpful
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WARNING: This book discusses the molestation of a player by a basketball coach.

This book discusses the molestation of a young player by a basketball coach. It is not appropriate for young readers. The subject is discussed for multiple pages. This graphic novel is a historical account. Some readers may find the pages about molestation to be quite unsettling.
There is a great emphasis on historical details that impatient readers will find to be very, very boring. This is not a history of professional basketball, so anyone hoping for details about Magic Johnson or Larry Bird will be disappointed.
2 people found this helpful

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