I've been wanting to get my paws on this graphic novel for a while now, but it's a popular book and tough to find at the library...a sign of a good book, right? I finally got a copy, and even though I'll end up returning it a little late (but worth the late fees!), I couldn't return it until I finished it! I'm glad I did!
On the surface, Dragon Hoops is a story about the graphic novelist Yang (American Born Chinese, Avatar, and other good graphic novels) and the boys basketball team at the school he taught at in northern California. But there is so much under the surface if this story! It's the story of several individuals, adults and teens, who are part of the basketball program as well as of the school's storied history - good and bad. It's a story about taking that step, sometimes a first step, but always a defining step, in one's life that changes the path a person seems to be on. I don't think I can describe it as well as Yang does in over 400 pages of really good storytelling and illustration.
In this book you'll get a really good, brief history of basketball in the U.S. and around the world (for the sports fan in you), as well as a story about a boy with Chinese heritage living in the U.S., and the stereotypes and expectations that come with that. You also get a story of a group of teens who have come together for one purpose, to play basketball, but who each have unique stories and pasts, showing that you can never tell what stories people carry with them that we don't often get a chance to see or hear. And this is a book about mistakes people make, and how far we do or should go to forgive those mistakes.
This is a good book, but a long one, yet in graphic novel format it reads quickly. It's worth your time, as I know because I've finished it but can't keep thinking about it...for me a sign of an exceptional book. Yang is a good writer and artist. If you haven't ever read one of his books, this is a great start! 5 paws!
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