Category: Graphic Novels

The upcoming graphic novel Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang is an exceptional book. Mr. Yang opens with his early life and shows us how he has to balance his life between teaching, being a dad and his passion, writing comics. Mr. Youngster (as some students call him), struggles finding the next story he wants to tell. He is eager to fulfill his talent and desire to write another graphic novel.

While Boxers and Saints were based on a historical event, Dragon Hoops is based on his actual experiences. Mr. Yang is computer science teacher at a Catholic school in California. As he is looking for something to write about he gets inspired by his students. Their basketball team has gone to the state championships xxx times but never won. The buzz around school is that they will win it this year! He starts interviewing the head coach team coach Lou.

Readers meet the players on the team and the history behind the sport. He does it in a realistic and organic way, through interviewing the characters and bringing their backstories onto the page. He follows the team throughout their journey to the championship, discovering the hard reality of the players’ lives on and off the court- the racism, adversity and obstacles faced by the players.

Mr. Yang does a very good job going back and forth in time and never loses his reader. He is also very good at giving background information. He doesn’t only talk about the game but he also talks about culture, racism, police brutality, and even history. This turns stories into an impactful novel. Lastly, he uses techniques in his art that make the book meaningful. For example color codes the past and the present he stays consistent thought the book like in the past scenes he subdued colors. He also uses an effect on hes speach bubbles to add outside noises and loud sounds which make

This book will appeal to basketball fans, but is not just for sports fans. This is a book that celebrates the spirit of a team and how to persevere when things don’t go your way. It also teaches that no matter what your race you can still fit into society and be a part of something special.

Snapdragon doesn’t have a lot of friends but who would’ve thought she would befriend the town outcast, Jack. Everyone says Jack’s a witch, but in reality she’s just an old lady who wear crocks and sells roadkill skeletons on Etsy. They meet when Snap’s dog, Good Boy, gets hit by a car and Jack nurses him back to health.

One day, Snap stumbles upon a group of kids at her school playing around with a dead possum, poking it with a stick. Snap gets furious and shoos them away. Of course, they make fun of her because that’s what every bully does, but Snap doesn’t care. She’s just worried because she notices what no one else saw…a litter of baby possums, now motherless. Her classmate Louis breaks away from the cool crowd to find out if Snap is okay, and despite their differences they establish a friendship.

In asking Jack for help with the baby possums, Snapdragon unwittingly begins uncovering family secrets including the truth behind her family’s curse, experiences the joys of late night horror movies with your BFF, and confirms her suspicions that magic and witchcraft are real, after all.

This book is very different from other graphic novels that I have read. It shows the point of views of a diverse cast of characters including a range of races and characters in the LGBTQ+ community. This is a story of acceptance, learning your strengths, and knowing your self-worth.

In most of the book the full-color illustrations are very bright and vibrant, but when the characters have flashbacks it turns shadow-like, with the use of one or two colors to accentuates certain features. During dramatic moments the author makes panels slanted and zooms in for close ups.

Snapdragon is for readers who enjoy uncovering family legends, coming out stories, friendships, and a little touch of magic.

The graphic novel “TomBoy” by Liz Prince is extremely relatable. I personally loved this book for that same reason. The book is based on her own childhood stories and how she grew up being a tomboy. She grew up like an average child, the only difference was that she was into thing that were/are considered for “guys” which was why she was considered a tomboy.  Although she was happy being a tomboy, she did struggle with what it meant to be a girl. In the novel she says that she felt out of place and different.

One that I most liked was when she spoke about how she was a Girl Scout. I really enjoyed this part because me and some of my friends used to be Girl Scouts as well. At some point, we both open our eyes to the real world and how it treats girls who prefer male things. Her experience as a girl scout is different from mine, due to the type of entertainment she had.

While reading this, I felt intrigued and wanting to read more. I recommend this book for girls, as well as boys who felt a bit different from society, not wanting to follow society’s usual behavior. It gives girls support to be who they want to be without society holding them back. You can find this book in the library.

By: Ivette & Leslie