Yang, Gene Luen. Dragon Hoops: From Small Steps to Great Leaps. 2020. 446p. ISBN 9781626720794. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.
Gene loves superheroes. He enjoys reading about them, watching movies about them, and creating his own comic books about them. Gene is an artist who creates his own graphic novels. In search of inspiration, Gene decides to explore his school's winning basketball team, the Dragons. Led by coach Lou Richie, the Bishop O'Dowd High School team is on the road to reach the California State Championship and win, something that has been denied in the past, with the team reaching the finals but never winning.
The problem is that Gene doesn't particularly like sports. Why bother, when there are all of these superheroes that have stories to tell. If only he could think of one. Reluctantly, Gene begins following the basketball team, and soon notices that instead of being a monolithic institution, each player brings their own stories, passions, and dreams to the team, and that the quest for a championship is very much like a superhero story, filled with villains, last second rescues, and people trying to do the right thing. And in the end, telling the story of each player and of the team will change not only their lives, but Gene's as well, showing him that athletes can also be superheroes.
Fans of graphic novels will appreciate the details and the illustrations, but will stay for the engaging story about high school students who triumph over adversity.
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