Bibliography
Yang, G. L. (2020). Dragon Hoops. First Second. ISBN 978-1626720794.
Summary
Dragon Hoops is a nonfiction graphic novel that portrays a California high school basketball team’s championship season. As a kid, Gene is referred to as “Stick” by his friends and in every basketball game plays, he endears some type of pain. As “Stick” gets older he loses interest in basketball. He is now a high school teacher at the same high school he attended as a student. Gene is the talk of the campus and soon gets to know the young all-stars who each have their own thrilling story.
Critical Analysis
Dragon Hoops is an autobiographical story about Yang’s journey to write a graphic novel about the high school basketball team. This graphic novel is more than just about basketball, but the history that unfolds through the pages. The reader becomes immersed in the struggle of immigrants and marginalized people who face racism on a daily basis. Yang’s writing weaves through flashbacks as he jumps through the periods in basketball’s history and his characters’ pasts. The themes of race and gender inequality, social justice, immigration, and perseverance surface throughout the story. The sub-stories are filled with witty sarcasm and humor which make the reader laugh. Yang’s style is informal, but poignant which makes it easy to understand while keeping it relevant to some social issues we face today.
Strengths/Weaknesses
-insight on race and ethnicity
-graphic novel
-illustrations bring the game of basketball to life
-memoir
-explores the effects of legacy
-narrative
-autobiography
-strong language is rare: one or two uses of curse words
Connections
Theme: race and gender inequality, social justice, immigration, perseverance
Skills: character traits, theme, dialogue, internal vs. external conflict, context clues
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/QQWEccmcC1U
Comics Belong in the Classroom: https://youtu.be/xjvTIP7pV20
Other Books Written by Gene Luen Yang:
American Born Chinese
Superman Smashes the Klan
Shang-Chi
Personal Review
I am not a huge fan of graphic novels and sports, but chose to read this novel since my students love graphic novels and are wanting something new to read. Even though it is a graphic novel, it feels more like a documentary. Even though the focus is on basketball, the author gives valuable insights into all the main characters. I do like how you learn about the history of basketball and how it relates to high school sports. Those that are not fond of graphic novels, will find this one approachable and interesting.
Review Excerpt
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—A year after publishing his well-received Boxers and Saints, graphic novelist and math teacher Yang was beset by writer's block. But his curiosity was piqued by the Dragons, his school's men's varsity basketball team. Over the years, they had come close to winning a state championship, and 2015, the rumor mill whispered, was their year. Though a self-proclaimed nerd, Yang overcame his aversion to sports and decided to follow alumnus Coach Lou and a diverse squad of young men on their quest for the ultimate accolade. As the author juggled raising a family, teaching, and writing, the Dragons struggled to take home the championship—an effort generations in the making. The frenetic action of basketball provides ideal fodder for graphic storytelling, and Yang's visual trademarks—blade-sharp linework and squeaky-clean paneling—are in full force. His discourse on transforming human beings into cartoons that aren't caricatures is especially delightful. The narrative combines the blood-sweat-and-tears drama of a sports story with elements of gonzo journalism, narrative nonfiction, and action comics, juxtaposing play-by-play accounts of games with explorations of players' lives and the broader history of the sport. As Yang taps into subjects as varied as assimilation and discrimination in America, internecine violence in India, and China's century-long quest for athletic recognition, readers learn how this low-cost, indoor game leveled racial, gender, and international boundaries to attain global prominence. VERDICT Another standout showing from Yang, this title will have even sports haters on their feet cheering.—Steven Thompson, Bound Brook Memorial Public Library, NJ
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Bibliography
Anderson, L. H. (2011). Speak (Reprint edition (May 10, 2011) ed.). Square Fish.
ISBN 978-1-54909-225-1.
Summary
The story starts with the main character Melinda Sordino on the first day of high school. She struggles to find true companions and can’t seem to fit in with the norms of high school life due to an event. Towards the end of summertime, Melinda attends a party with her friends and ends up having too much alcohol. She is assaulted by a senior, Andy Evans, at the party. She does the right thing about calling the police, but soon becomes panicky and does not tell the police what really happens. Everyone soon begins to hate Melinda for breaking up the party and does not know the true reasons for her calling the police. Their blame and anger make her feel that she was in the wrong to call for help. Melinda’s demeanor changes quickly from being a happy girl to depressed and withdrawn which begins to interfere with her grades. She cannot understand what occurred that midnight and scarcely even talks. She is afraid to tell her story and the only character that recognizes she has a story to tell is her Art teacher. At the end of the story, Melinda is faced with her aggressor for the second time, but she has the braveness to scream and make her position known about what he did that night at the party.
Critical Analysis
Speak is written in first-person narrative and portrays someone who is always sad and deep in thought. Melinda Sordino is the main character in the story and tells it through a teenager’s eyes. Many will empathize with the horrific tragedy Melinda witnessed it firsthand. Throughout the story, Anderson uses the imagery of being silenced by fear to describe Melinda’s character. The imagery isn’t vivid enough throughout the book, but the reader gets the general idea of what is going on in each scene which allows the reader to create their own images throughout the novel. Through the literary elements, Anderson uses symbolism and conflict to reveal the character’s emotional growth throughout the novel. The use of these elements helps the reader to sympathize with Melinda.
Strengths/Weaknesses
-holds the reader’s empathy
-portrays the contemporary high school life
-a reflection of the effects of trauma and depression in teens
-the main character is the protagonist
-perspective from a young abused victim
-readers can relate to the language used in the main character’s eyes
-some parts of the plot aren’t explained well
Connections
Theme: overcoming adversity, bullying, internal struggle, lack of identity, standing up for yourself, self-expression
Skills: character analysis, figurative language, plot
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/HaWD7Nm9a1c
Interview on Speak: https://youtu.be/MJU7b3C8QMk
Other Books Written by Laurie Halse Anderson
Fever 1793
Wintergirls
Catalyst
Personal Review
Speak was a quick and easy read. With libraries getting hit hard with groups critiquing the current selection a school has, I am not sure if this is a book that I would purchase. The existence of sexual assault does take place in the story which may not be deemed appropriate to be readily available in school settings.
The topics of teen rape and peer pressure throughout the book allow the readers to learn about issues that don’t make them feel judged or threatened. Overall, I enjoyed the book and feel the message in this book is great for teens. You don’t find out exactly what happens until over halfway into the book, but the events that occur leading up to let you know something really tragic happened to Melinda. The author did an excellent job portraying high school life and what so many teens go through.
Review Excerpt
From Kirkus Reviews
A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today's headlines. At the end of the summer, before she enters high school, Melinda attends a party at which two bad things happen to her. She gets drunk, and she is raped. Shocked and scared, she calls the police, who break up the party and send everyone home. She tells no one of her rape, and the other students, even her best friends, turn against her for ruining their good time. By the time school starts, she is completely alone and utterly desolate. She withdraws more and more into herself, rarely talking, cutting classes, ignoring assignments, and becoming more estranged daily from the world around her. Few people penetrate her shell; one of them is Mr. Freeman, her art teacher, who works with her to help her express what she has so deeply repressed. When the unthinkable happens the same upperclassman who raped her at the party attacks her again something within the new Melinda says no, and in repelling her attacker, she becomes whole again. The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget. (Fiction. 12+) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
At the End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp
Bibliography
Nijkamp, M. (2022). At the End of Everything. Sourcebooks, Incorporated. ISBN 978-
1492673156.
Summary
This novel takes place at a juvenile correctional facility in Arkansas. The teens are abandoned by the employees at the center as a mysterious pandemic sweeps the nation. The story follows a group of teenagers as they find the strength and resilience to face their grim circumstances. The teenagers must band together and leave their life at the treatment center behind in order to survive.
Critical Analysis
The novel is told from multiple perspectives so we get a solid sense of the three main speakers: Emerson, Grace, and Logan which each of these characters has their own version of their sad story. The novel deals with the pandemic, LGBTQIA+, prison systems, socio-economic inequalities, and the main focus of growing up. Throughout the story, we don’t learn everything about every character, but each loss and setback these characters face makes you sympathize with them. Nijkamp portrays the characters as strong individuals who recognize their weaknesses and still continue to push forward even though the adults in their lives have given up on them. At the end of the book, the author shares her motivation behind the writing of this novel and spotlights many teens whose family uses religion to justify not supporting their children in their quest to find comfort in their own body.
Strengths/Weaknesses
-a story about humanity, resilience, and hope
-fast-paced thriller
-first-person narratives
-explores the human side of situations
-readers can relate the events to the COVID 19 Pandemic
Connections
Theme: survival, perseverance
Other Books Written by Marieke Nijkamp:
Even If We Break
Before I Let Go
This Is Where It Ends
Personal Review
This was the first book I have read by this author and it was truly heartbreaking. From the characters’ stories and the reminders of pandemic life, every piece made you consider the situations. The events in the novel escalate rather quickly and anyone who has lost someone due to the pandemic will have an emotional connection to the characters. I liked how I got to see the perspective of the teens during a pandemic and even though through uncertainty we need to ensure we are doing better for those that need our help.
Review Excerpt
From School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-The guards and staff of the ironically named Hope Juvenile Treatment Center near Sam's Throne, AR, start acting strangely. Then one night they're gone, leaving the teens, who already felt forgotten and left behind, alone. After an initial escape, the group runs into a literal roadblock and are told about a virus. They head back to Hope to make another plan. Everyone is under lockdown orders; through some research, the teens learn that there has been an outbreak of pneumonic plague, which is extremely contagious with a high fatality rate. Some of the teens attempt another escape, while the rest choose to stay behind to try to create a sustainable living environment. Then the coughing begins. While this is not supposed to be a COVID tale, Nijkamp has crafted a story that is more realistic commentary on our current situation and less a thriller set in a post-apocalyptic future. There's lots of representation among the cast of characters, and while none really receives the deepest dive, readers are given the opportunity to see the situation through the cast's alternating perspectives. This story is unsettling and haunting but also filled with hope showing what happens when a group comes together to establish a community, a sense of belonging, and a certainty that didn't exist before. VERDICT A not-so-subtle nod to our current landscape that might be too soon for some teen readers.-Alicia Kalanα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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