Gene Luen Yang
First Second, 2020
446 pages
Grades 7-Up
Graphic Novel
A story within a story, Yang relates his season following the Bishop O'Dowd Dragons high school basketball team, as well as his own person journey. Yang is a computer science teacher at Bishop O'Dowd, a private catholic high school in California's bay area. He is also a now famous graphic novelist and husband/father struggling to balance all of the areas of his life. When he hears students talking about the school's victorious basketball team, Yang longs to find out more. After talking to-and eventually befriending-Coach Lou he decides to focus his next graphic novel on what is projected to be the team's first winning state championship season. What follows is not only a blow-by-blow description of the season and its games, but the background of the starting players, coaches both present and past, as well as the history of basketball itself. We also experience Yang's struggle with his life goals, conflicting priorities and his next step in life. Will the Dragons take it all the way? Will Mr. Yang continue to teach the kids for whom he has come despite all of the other commitments in his life? Spend a season with the Dragons to find out!
I grew up in Syracuse and am no stranger to basketball mania. Although certainly not a sports fan, basketball is one sport in which I am well versed and the one I understand the most. Dragon Hoops brought me back to my youth spent in smelly gyms, as well as the Carrier Dome, swept up in the action-packed game of basketball. Gene Luen Yang certainly creates proper graphic novels and not merely comic books as can be seen in his body of work, including this new extensive Printz-winning tome. Although it is mad-long and took me a bit of time to get through, I was never bored. The real story seems to be the Dragon's winning season, yet throughout it all Yang steps out of the story as we see his struggle to complete the project and determine his next life-step. And then, as seen in some of his other books, another layer is added as we go back in time and explain several backstories, including that of the sport itself. All of the loose ends come together in the end, making a succinct whole and a satisfying read. Themes include overcoming racism, teamwork, loyalty, and living with integrity. Everyone should have a Coach Lou in their lives. The full color art is, as always, impeccable and the panels scan effortlessly. The color pallet changes as the story retreats back into the past, helping readers connect to the proper timeline. Mostly biographical, Yang clears up artist choices and further information in extensive notes at the end of the volume. The only thing I was missing is an actual photo of Yang and Coach Lou with the team, but maybe that will be offered in the credits, if they ever turn this exciting story into a feature film. That said, I googled the actual characters in this story and was satisfied with actual photos. Sure to appeal to both sports fans and non-fans, there is a little something for everyone in this heartwarming story.
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