SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Pearl's & Ruby's
  • Politics in Practice
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

January 6, 2020 by Travis Jonker

Review: Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

January 6, 2020 by Travis Jonker   Leave a Comment

Dragon Hoops
By Gene Luen Yang

First Second (Macmillan)

ISBN: 9781626720794
$24.99
Grades 8 and Up
Out March 17, 2020

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

*Best New Book*

Find it at:
Schuler Books | Your Library

A book review is basically an informed opinion the reviewer is trying to turn into a fact. That’s the challenge – examining reactions and observations for elements of concrete quality, and putting them together in a convincing (and maybe a bit persuasive) way. But what happens if you go into a book with your opinion nearly formed? I knew before I even opened Dragon Hoops that I was going to like it. I like basketball. I’ve enjoyed everything Gene Luen Yang has made. Talk about reviewer bias. But what I didn’t expect was just how deeply I’d love it. How Yang manages to turn a story about a high school basketball team into an epic work combining nonfiction, memoir, metafiction, and history. Yes, my opinion going into the book was positive, but the further I read, the more my opinion began to feel like a fact. Dragon Hoops is one of the best graphic novels of this, or any year.

In a metafictional twist, the book opens with the focus on the author himself. Coming off the critically acclaimed Boxers & Saints, Gene Luen Yang had a problem: what would his next book be? At the time he was still working as a teacher at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California. While the school’s basketball teams were excellent, the sports-averse Yang had never taken a whole lot of notice. But the more he learned about the program, the more he knew that this was his next book. He follows the boys varsity team, sharing the stories of the coaching staff and players as they march toward a dramatic state finals showdown.

Yes, the book follows the team and individual players in their quest for an elusive California state championship, but what really sets this book apart – nay, makes it a masterpiece – is how Yang treats it all as a springboard for historical perspective. The book frequently jumps back in time to show key elements in the development of basketball, including the invention of the sport by Dr. James Naismith, the development and evolution of the women’s game, and the growth of the sport in China. In this way, Yang being a relative basketball outsider is an asset – he turns what could be a boring history lesson into a compelling, entertaining, and essential part of the story.

While reading, I kept thinking about how challenging it must have been for Yang to write about his own school, students and staff. One of the most clear examples of this challenge is in Yang’s metafictional tug-of-war about delving into the story of the previous varsity basketball coach. Mike Phelps was the winningest coach in state history when he was fired amid a sex crime accusation. When Yang does finally decide to talk about Coach Phelps, it’s clear that his aim is to give as complete a picture as possible.

The artwork is unfailingly crisp, full of clean lines and sharp panel work. Lark Pien adds the gently subdued colors that give the whole operation a sense of unity.

Dragon Hoops took my premature opinion and blew it up. I don’t like this book. I love this book. And I think you will to.

Review copy from the publisher.

Listen to Gene Luen Yang interviewed on The Yarn podcast:

Filed under: *Best New Books*, Reviews

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
First SecondGene Luen YangMacmillan

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

A Fuse #8 Production

Cover Reveal and Q&A: The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker (cover by Jon Klassen)

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #151 | Exclusive Preview

by Brigid Alverson

Heavy Medal

It’s May Suggestion Time: Five more Mock Newbery Contenders

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Politics in Practice

When Book Bans are a Form of Discrimination, What is the Path to Justice?

by John Chrastka

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Fast Five Author Interview: Katherine Locke and Nicole Melleby

by Amanda MacGregor

The Yarn

‘The best poem is the one that starts with ‘and”: Mk Smith Despres Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Calista Brill and Nilah Magruder Tell All About 'Creaky Acres,' Their New Middle Grade Graphic Novel

Sophie Blackall and Julie Flett in Conversation | Children's Book Week 2025

SLJ Talks to Kiese Laymon About His New Picture Book City Summer, Country Summer

Author Trisha Tobias on YA Debut 'Honeysuckle and Bone’ | 5 Questions and a Rec

My School Visit was Cancelled. I Fought Back and Won. | Opinion

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books 2024
    • 2024 Stars So Far
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Pearls & Rubys
    • Politics in Practice
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • Reasons to Love Libraries
    • 2025 Youth Media Awards
    • Defending the Canon:SLJ & NCTE Review 15 Banned Classics
    • Refreshing the Canon Booklist
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Read Free Poster
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2025


    COPYRIGHT © 2025