I have not stopped thinking about this comprehensive graphic novel since the first time I tore through it! Once again, Gene Luen Yang has invited readers into his life to see what it is like to walk in someone else's shoes. From the engaging storyline of his teaching and writing career for adults to his breakout chapters on the history of the game of basketball, middle and high school readers will be enthralled with each aspect. Breaking the story down into the chapters that tell the real stories of the players on his high school's championship team, Yang fills in the whole picture for what it is that makes a team. Bookworms, as well as sports nuts, will go crazy for the real life backstories of these complicated teens, the relationships on and off the court, and the coaches on the team. This is an amazing book!

Gene loves to tell stories, especially comic book stories. It is time for him to write his next book and he is looking around his life for inspiration. He was never into sports. His friends called him “Stick” because of his size and any game he did participate in didn’t end well. The school he teaches at is destined for a big year for their basketball team. This season has been decades in the making and Gene asks to follow along for the ride to write a graphic novel. They welcome him with open arms and he not only learns about the characteristics of the team members, but he also learns lessons about himself. Will a graphic novelist be able to do a sports topic justice?

Dragon Hoops is a graphic novel that is also a non-fiction book. Gene tells readers about his life and career alongside the season of the Dragons and some basketball history too. As a person who is not a big sports fan, I found the amount of game action was well balanced and not overpowering. I enjoyed learning about the game and the people who lead this team to this extraordinary season. Whether you like graphic novels or sports non-fiction, this book will be enjoyed by almost everyone.

Of all the sports, basketball is second from the bottom on my list of Sports I Find Interesting. I just can't bring myself to care. But I. Aired a ,of about this story. It was about basketball, but it was also about finding success, and finding what brings out the best in you. I really appreciated the cultural insights and the backstories into each of the players, both literal and figurative. Like almost all stories about sports, this was so much more than that.

FIVE STARS for this MUST PURCHASE graphic novel! Maybe it's the times, but I think it's actually Yang's genius - this graphic novel about basketball had me crying tears of joy! Like Yang, I'm not a huge sports fan but I became so invested in this team and the players over the course of the book. The alternating narratives of the history of basketball with the profiles of players from the team worked so well. HIGHLY highly recommend for all middle & high school libraries + adult humans who enjoy comics or basketball.

This was a great sports-themed graphic novel for young readers to adults. Thanks again to NetGalley and First Second for allowing me to read this ARC (and finishing it a day after its book birthday) in exchange for feedback.
This is a memoir-based GN that shows how Basketball can bring players together, is more than just a game, and makes a fan out of Gene Yang (a bestselling graphic novelist). Gene is a teacher at the high school where the Dragons reside and eventually, he begins to hear more about the men’s varsity team. Gene decides to interview and travel with the team and gets to see what makes the sport so exciting! Coach Lou is great at what he does to help the Dragons become successful, which results in a happy reading experience for all bookworms. Gene helps readers take that first step with him and will guide you on a masterful journey that explains the world we all love: Basketball 🏀💕

This a hard review. Gene Leun Yang covers the true story of the high school basketball team, the Dragons, on their journey to reach their championship goal. It is told from the perspective of Gene, a person who doesn't get sports. It covers the history of basketball and the team. It also touches on sexism and racism. It seems to touch on every aspect of this team's journey and Gene's process as he follows them.
That is, unfortunately, a gift and a curse. Some sports lovers will find every detail of this story fascinating. Unfortunately, I did not. At almost 450 pages, the length alone could make it difficult for educators and parents to recommend. Maybe it should have been split into two or three volumes. However, I still think this is a good book for true sports lovers and voracious readers.

I don't know much about basketball, and I'm not really super interested in basketball, but I really liked this graphic novel. It's sort of meta (Gene Luen Yang tells the story of how he wrote the story of the Dragons, the varsity basketball team at the high school he used to work at, with a couple detours into the history of basketball in general), but it really works. There are certain recurring visuals, especially every time Gene and the basketball coach meet, or every time he talks to one of the assistant coaches who wears his new baby in a baby bjorn or similar style front carrier, that I really loved. It appealed to me, and I don't care about basketball, but I think it will also work really well for people who are interested in the game.

This graphic nonfiction from Gene Luen Yang centers around basketball, but is so much more. It's all about trying new things, even when it seems difficult. The high school he taught at, Bishop O'Dowd, went to the California state championship several times, and when he hears that they may have a chance at the championship again, he follows their story throughout the season. He tells about his writing and development process, his family life, the history of basketball, the stories of the coaches and players involved, and he ties them together seamlessly. Even those who are not fans of basketball will connect to the individuals' stories and find themselves cheering alongside Yang, who admits that he never understood the allure of sports before this project.

Immediately, upon reading Gene Luen Yang's books you feel his honesty. I instantly know he leaves it all on the page. I have to admit I read American Born Chinese only two weeks ago. While that story openly talked about race, identity, and belonging, Dragon Hoops is more on the informative side. As the reader you are inside Gene's head as he tries to write his next book. You are reading about the interviews, research and even the conversations with his wife. Dragon Hoops is not just the story of Gene's former school's basketball team it is about the history of basketball as a whole. Chapters cover the school's coach, former coach, current players, the creator of basketball, etc. Whether you identify more with Gene's uncertainty of the sport or you're currently wearing your favorite NBA jersey you can find a place in this story. This story will create a common ground for all people to openly discuss the history and future of basketball. Ages 13 and up will be held captive by a non traditional sports book. [There are curse words throughout the book which are not fully spelled out.]

Posted to Goodreads: The Dragons are one of the best basketball teams in California and always make it to the state finals but are never quite able to win the Championship however this year is different. They have a great coach and an amazing team who are willing to do the work. Gene Luen Yang chronicles his journey with the team as they compete for the state title.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I found Yang's journey from sports novice to a devoted fan of the Dragons to be an honest and relatable as was his journey as a writer trying to decide what his next step should be. Also, the way that Yang integrated the history of basketball was interesting and entertaining while being informative. My only issue with the book is I'm not sure if the intended teen audience will relate with the overarching story of Yang's struggles of finding a balance between working and writing and family.

I cannot say enough positive things about this book. I was not expecting autobiography, but it works perfectly. Not only does the reader see inside the creative process, work/life balance, but the comradery of athletics. There are some positively beautiful full page panels of art. The panels are not repetitive in structure and their design helps shape the pacing of the story. Yang's storytelling is wonderful, and his artistic style is clear. This would be a welcome addition to my classroom library for fans of both art and athletics.

I guess my opinion on this one changes depending on who the reader is. I think it will be a popular sports graphic novel for my athletes, but I was only invested in a few parts of it. I wasn’t a huge fan of how it was told...part history, part memoir, and part basketball. I don’t feel like he took any one aspect far enough for me to truly invest. I was hoping this would be our first graphic novel on next year’s Battle of the Books list, but I think it falls short of true engagement. The ratings are very high, though, so maybe I’m just not the reader for it?

Yang is a math teacher and graphic novelist. He knows numbers and comics - not sports. But when he decides to tell the story of his high school's championship basketball team, he learns so much more than the sport of basketball. Spending a year following the team, Yang talks to coaches and players as he explores the dynamics of the team and the lives lived off the court. Along the way, he also manages some self exploration as he draws parallels between his subjects and his dream of writing/drawing a Superman tale and balancing his family and work.

A blend of basketball history, sports documentary, and memoir, Yang's Dragon Hoops challenges us all to "step out anyway" and take some risks.

Gene Luen Yang shares the saga of the 2014-2015 varsity basketball season for the Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California. The team had made it to the State championships multiple times in the past, but had never ever won a championship. Everyone at the school was saying this was their year. Yang was looking for an idea for his next graphic novel at the time and was a teacher at the school. Even though he never had an interest in basketball himself, he decided to chase the story and see if it would make a good graphic novel. He relates not only the team’s chasing of the elusive State championships but the history of basketball, the history of basketball at O’Dowd, a look at race relations in basketball (the team included players from multiple ethnic backgrounds), and Yang’s own journey as a graphic novelist during this time period.

I was rather ambivalent towards basketball in high school and as an adult. That was until I started hanging out with my husband. He loves basketball. He plays whenever he can and coaches as well. I’ve had quite the basketball education since meeting him. But even if I hadn’t, I think I’d still appreciate this graphic novel that Yang has put together. He demonstrates what being on a sports team can mean for a teenager (if it is a good atmosphere). He explores the ongoing struggle of race relations in basketball with some good challenges of what needs to be done better. He spins out a tale that would’ve made perfect fodder for a 90s Disney live action movie (though the ending isn’t as guaranteed as a Disney movie). He does a good job of explaining the basics and the necessary background for readers who know nothing about basketball, but also includes enough interesting little trivia to hold the interest of die-hard basketball fans. It was also really interesting to read about Gene Luen Yang’s personal journey as a graphic novelist and the process of gathering a story as well as deciding whether or not to take on other projects while trying to maintain good balance in his life between home, teaching, and art. I’m going to have to buy multiple copies of this for our Media Center because the basketball lovers are going to absolutely devour this. And due to the graphic novel format, even the basketball ambivalent are likely to pick it up to read too. Definitely recommended.

Notes on content [based on the ARC]: Probably around 10 minor swear words, and about 10ish strong swear words asterisked out except for the first letter. No sexual content. Some hard fouls that may have been flagrant and punches thrown in games (mostly historic, not the O’Dowd team). Some players’ back stories include hints at rough neighborhoods or countries with war histories or violent deaths in history, but no violence on page other than the basketball stuff.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from First Second Books through NetGalley.
Graphic novel.
Yang takes on explaining basketball in his latest graphic novel. He writes from his own perspective as he is a main character in this book. He shares about his time as a teacher at Bishop O'Dowd High School. The basketball team carries quite a legacy as it has excelled for decades but has never won a state championship. Yang has committed to writing a book about basketball to expand his own knowledge areas and to try to understand why people love sports so much. He spends the season with the basketball team and gets to know the coach on a personal level. The happy ending arrives when the California State Championship by one point in overtime.
It's interesting to see the team members' perspectives as he talks with them and learns why they play. He sees them and the coaches as more than athletes bouncing a ball.
Yang interweaves some history of the game with his story of one individual team.
The illustrations bring the characters and the games to life. The emotions and action jump off the pages to draw readers in and make them care about the story.
It's a bit of a departure from other novels he has written but definitely a terrific read. I read it straight.

This is a graphic novel about basketball.

But it is also a graphic novel about how the author learned to appreciate basketball as well.

And we get to see his thought process and how he interviews the players on the high school basketball team, where he works.

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/dragon-hoops.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5610" />

I didn't think I would want to read a book about basketball, but hey, I love this author, so I was willing to give it a try, and it was a great story. The basketball team is quite diverse, as are the coaches, and they all stories to tell.

There is also a little about the history of basketball, both in the United States as well as in China.

And the back of the book has notes where the author explains what he changed from the real story he is telling.

I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed Yang's other novels, even though this sounds as though it would not be up their alley.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I'm not huge on sports, but Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel on basketball is fantastic! He manages to strike a perfect balance between storytelling and information on the history of the sport and the players/coaches of the team where Mr. Yang taught during the time of creating the novel. I found myself engrossed the entirety of the book, and upon finishing felt a huge sense of pride in the team and the sport. (Despite having no previous interest in it.)

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!

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, First Second Books, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

I'm not the biggest sports fan, and while I've seen and enjoyed a few basketball games, I never knew the ins and outs. I actually learned a lot from reading this graphic novel, it was really interesting. I think there's something to be said for having someone take you along on his own learning journey, because that makes this graphic novel very accessible.

I especially appreciated how much this book delves into things like racism and sexism in sports. I also loved how meta it was, because that kept things light and added some humor.

Unfortunately though, this wasn't entirely my thing, so at times, I felt my interest fade a little. This was especially the case because this is a rather long graphic novel, and not everything felt as relevant to the story.

This was fabulous! I love Yang's drawing style. I think Yang's lack of knowledge about sports will make this accessible to readers who are skeptical about a book about basketball. This book was multi-faceted: the author's memoir of following the team and making a decision to leave teaching, the story of how the basketball season unfolded, a reflection on leaders like Lou and Coach Phelps, and a bit of history about the game. All in all, I loved this and gobbled it up in a single sitting. As Yang is already a popular graphic novelist, I expect this book will see immediate success. It is a must-buy for public libraries.