This wasn't like anything I've read by Gene Luen Yang. As an adult and a basketball fan, it was interesting. He documents the highs and lows of a high school basketball team, weaving in his own personal story, as well as some insight into some of the players. The overarching theme is about finding your way, who you are and what you're meant to be. I appreciated that part. But I wouldn't say this is a book for 5th grade or even middle grade.

Another amazing entry from Yang! His art is always so clean and easy to follow and writing a story about his experience with his high school's basketball team was a new turn for him. Loved every minute I spent with this behemoth of a graphic novel (seriously, the things a brick!). Also, major kudos to the creative team who worked on the hardcover jacket and made it feel like an actual basketball, it was inspired!

Once again, Gene Luen Yang wows us with his writing and illustrations in this book about basketball and discovering an unexpected fondness for the sport via a high school in California and befriending the PE teacher. Somewhat autographical, Gene talks about identity politics and the richness in discovering the gain one makes when there are no walls or if you go beyond the wall.

This is such a good book. Gene Luen Yang tells his story in such a reflective and relatable way, even though he is tackling tough issues of discrimination. The artwork perfectly captures the mood of the characters and carries you along with the story.

I've heard so much about Yang, a local author who has visited local libraries and racked up honors galore. After reading this remarkable piece of work -- clearly years work of reflection, research, etc. -- I was impressed with how he packaged the story and the integrity he put into this. This includes his End Notes, which further highlight his care, integrity and documentation. I should expect nothing less in a MacArthur Genius and National Ambassador. Can't wait to gift my middle grade sports enthusiast nephews with this book.

I usually love Gene Luen Yang but this didn't do it for me. It has several different stories happening at once: Gene following the team, Gene telling about the team, Gene and his family. It's just too much and much of it feels shoehorned to meet a page requirement. To say I was bored is an understatement. And I'm a huge fan of Level Up, American Born Chinese, Boxers and Saints, and Superman Smashes the Klan.

Gene Luen Yang has always hated sports, but he loves stories, especially writing and drawing graphic novels. He’s in need of a new idea for his next book when he overhears students at Bishop O’Dowd (the Oakland, CA, high school where he teaches) talking about the biggest story on campus: the basketball team! Yang ventures across campus and gets to know Coach Lou, who graduated from Bishop O’Dowd in 1989 and played ball with the Dragons. He’s been to the state championship game once as a player and five times as a coach, but has never brought home the trophy. There are two reasons this year might finally be the Dragons’ year: Ivan Rabb and Paris Austin. As Yang gets to know their stories, he realizes that they are every bit as thrilling as the comics he loves. But unlike a superhero story, in basketball there is no guarantee that the heroes will always win. Throughout the book, themes of breaking barriers, challenging one’s own limits, and literally changing the game (even at the risk of making a big mistake) are depicted with the motif of feet stepping and the word “STEP,” cueing the reader that a pivotal moment is at hand. Gene Luen Yang's skill as both an artist and a storyteller is fabulously showcased here!

This is the story about writing this book. The author is a teacher and has just finished his book. Now he needs to write another story and with the school obsessed with Basketball he decides this is the next story.

I am not a basketball fan so I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book, but I was wrong. The history of basketball is mixed in with the events of the story and it made it interesting. Since the main character in the book knew very little about basketball I felt like the explanation of history and rules was a perfect fit and helped someone like me follow the story better.

The book is about writing the book. It's all very meta. At one point a student comes to complain about how his hair looks in the artwork. As they are having the conversation about what he should look like the images change. I absolutely loved that part.

I think students will really enjoy this book and I can't wait to get it into my classroom.

Creative Team:
Author Gene Luen Yang
Colors: Lark Pien
Art assists: Rianne Meyers and Kolbe Yang
Published by First Second

Gene Luan Yang did an excellent job illustrating the tension and rhythm of the basketball games he depicted, especially the game closest to the end of the book. I enjoyed meeting the players on the team, and appreciated the backstory he provided to give their personal stories historical context.

Gene Luen Yang knew how to write and draw, but he didn't understand sports much. As a teacher at Bishop O'Dowd High School, Gene was looking for his next story. It's tough to have writer's block, but Gene knew that stories are everywhere. This story was right under his nose; all he had to do was follow it.

Gene spoke to Coach Lou, team members, and even studied the history of basketball while following the Dragon's advance towards State (Gene had to learn the term). Gene learned the ins and outs of the game, and delved into the players' lives too, making sure to pay attention to every detail.

How is a book made? THIS book was made while Gene Luen Yang was teaching and learning. Students are going to love this story of a teacher-writer who is as inspiring as his subject, the game of basketball. Go Dragons!

Recommended for middle school and high school sports fanatics and even nerdy book readers. You never know where a story will lead...

I really enjoyed this book! Gene Luen Yang takes you on his own journey over the Dragon's basketball season on their quest for a California State Championship. He was able to weave the history of basketball, the stories of individual players and the story of the school seamlessly. Read it yourself to find out if the Dragons are successful!

This was surprisingly good! I’ll read everything by Gene Luen Yang, so I picked it up solely because his name was on the cover. I don’t care about basketball, it’s the one sport I just can’t get into. So boy was I surprised when I got into this book! There’s so much going on: we get to see a glimpse into Yang’s own life; we follow the saga of a year in the life of a high school basketball team on their way to the State Championships; we get the whole history of that particular high school’s basketball program; and we get the whole history of basketball as a sport! Whew! And as with all of Yang’s graphic novels, it is done expertly. Who knew he could so perfectly capture the suspense of come from behind wins of a basketball game in comic form?? Anyone who’s desperately missing sports right now should definitely pick up this book.

In this memioresque graphic novel, Yang explores the history of basketball and the school he teaches at through a basketball season. While Yang was never good at sports, he tackles the basketball team and their journey to a long awaited victory. Each year the Dragons get close to winning the championship but fall short. Hopefully, they will be able to crush the championship this year.

I found the historical aspects of this story to be the most interesting. It is possible that those with an interest in sports will find themselves in this book. I appreciate the multilayered, multicultural aspects of this work. However, I found it a bit dry.

“I’m a story kind of guy”

Gene has writer’s block. He can’t think of anything to write about; nothing is inspiring. And then he overhears chatter about the school basketball team and its chance at competing in the state competition. Gene has no interest in basketball but decides to learn. He works it out with the coach to follow the team on their journey. As the season goes on he becomes much more involved with the boys than he ever expected.

Each chapter looks at a different player and showcases the diversity of the team. Not every black kid has the same backstory, skills, or ambition or are even African-American. Gene shows each boy with all his warts and his glories. He also intertwines a reluctance to feature the disgraced former coach until he realizes that the man deserves to have his story told.

This graphic novel is autobiographical and shines a light on Yang’s creative process as well as his family. The tale is followed by an Epilogue to set facts straight from creative license. His fans, sports-oriented readers, and emerging writers will enjoy the book.

I do like Gene Luen Yang's comics a lot and thus I wanted to try this autobiographical Dragon Hoops, since it's also about basketball and I love the game! Yang himself wasn't so good at the game back in the day, but now he works as a math teacher at a high school where everyone talks about the game. Yang decides to make a comic about the team The Dragons and their goal to attend the California State Championships. He interviews the players, the coaches and goes through basketball's history up to a point. This is kind of the downfall actually, since I would've wanted to know more about the history of the game and such. The comic is mostly about this certain team and and it's a men's varsity team... So, basically not so interesting as nothing really happens, nothing remarkable. The coaches were more interesting and the past and this is a long comic, so everything gets boring quite fast. Perhaps this is an American thing though.

The art is naive and simple, which works out well except for the games, since there's no movement at all and if you're making a sports comic? It's kind of crucial. The colors are soft and the autobiographical part works nicely and was interesting surely, but overall I don't know who this was meant for. In a way this felt like those American sports movies with huge emotions and grown men crying and those were too superimposed, but yet again, this could be a cultural thing. Still an OK comic, I guess.

Gene Luen Yang is dang brilliant and Dragon Hoops is a story for fans of basketball…or not! A non-fiction and personal story, Dragon Hoops left me, a non-basketball fan, in tears.

Part memoir, part biography, Dragon Hoops is equally Gene’s story and the story of the Dragons, the basketball team at the high school he taught at. It’s a multi-generational tale, sharing “current” players, players-turned-coaches, historic coaches, and even some basketball history. He explores racism and sexism in the sport. Gene even shares pieces of his entire family.

As a person who lives in the town next to where the Dragons play, it was hard to avoid googling how things turned out. I cheered for this team and was sullen when they lost. I was angry with certain adults and tried understanding unfamiliar methods for others. I’d be lying if I didn’t google where the featured players are now.

I laughed. I cried. I cheered. I worried. I FELT A LOT OF THINGS. Well done.

This is my very favorite GLY book thus far. The history, the back story, the personal story all woven carefully into a tapestry that transports the reader. The threads were handled with care so that the reader knows exactly where they are at all times. The palettes used also help one discern time period. This is a book I would hand to those who question whether or not graphic novels constitute literature. Though I took my time reading, I finished this book feeling as though a second reading would reveal nuances I'd missed. A wonderful first pick for middle and high school collections.

In his latest graphic novel, Gene Luen Yang follows the boys basketball team at the school where he teaches. Yang was never a big sports fan, so at first he's not even sure what all the hype is about the team. As a comic book nerd, he has a lot to learn about the sport. He starts with a small step - crossing to the other side of his school's campus to the gym to talk with Coach Lou. It's small steps like this that Yang traces throughout the story which explain the subtitle, From Small Steps to Great Leaps.

In true graphic novel form, Yang interweaves chapters about the history of the sport, games his school's team plays that season, and the back story of players and coaches on his school's team. He covers the invention of basketball by James Naismith at a YMCA and traces significant developments such as women's rules and the Harlem Globetrotters. He also provides context for Coach Lou's team's desire to win the state basketball championship.

Along the way, readers catch Yang's excitement for cheering on the team and what it might mean for them to achieve their goal.

This graphic novel was amazing. I found the writing compelling and I loved the art style. Dragon Hoops tells the story of author Gene Luen Yang as he follows a high school basketball team's season as they try to make it the championship. Through the book, Yang also highlights the history of basketball, backstories for the coach and players, as well as his own thoughts and feelings while writing this book. I am a fan of Yang's other graphic novels and found this one just as compelling. I loved how this combined all different points of views and backstories into one cohesive story that followed this team. I will be recommending this to all of my patrons and students that come to the library.

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!