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-procled 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 re, 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
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Review
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"Yang’s cartooning skills have never been sharper, and the large
cast of characters gives him the rtunity to flex his acting
muscles and his ability to simplify faces and bodies while
keeping distinct features. ...Dragon Hoops has a long life ahead
of it in libraries and classrooms, bridging comics and sports in
a story that offers plenty of rtunities 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
rtunity to devise a narrative that is both personal in its
approach and universal in its presentation. ...Yang relishes the
versatility of the medium, with a style that's accessible and
dynamic."―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
"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 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
"As Yang taps into subjects as varied as assimilation and
discrimination in America...readers learn how this low-cost,
indoor game leveled racial, gender, and international boundaries
to attain global prominence. Another standout showing from Yang,
this title will have even sports haters on their feet cheering."
―School Library Journal, starred review
"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
"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
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About the Author
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Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and
graphic novels. American Born Chinese, his first graphic novel
from First Second Books, was a National Book Award finalist, as
well as the winner of the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. His
two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the Los Angeles
Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award finalist. His
other works include the Secret Coders series (with Mike Holmes),
The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), New Super-Man from DC Comics
(with various artists), and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series
from Dark Horse Comics (with Gurihiru). He was the fifth National
Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and in 2016 he was named
a MacArthur Foundation Fellow.
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