Hoops
written and illustrated by
Matt Tavares
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Candlewick
Imprint
Candlewick
ISBN
9781536201369
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Sexism
A work of fiction inspired by a true story, Matt Tavares’s debut graphic novel dramatizes the historic struggle for gender equality in high school sports.
It is 1975 in Indiana, and the Wilkins Regional High School girls’ basketball team is in their rookie season. Despite being undefeated, they practice at night in the elementary school and play to empty bleachers. Unlike the boys’ team, the Lady Bears have no buses to deliver them to away games and no uniforms, much less a laundry service. They make their own uniforms out of T-shirts and electrical tape. And with help from a committed female coach, they push through to improbable victory after improbable victory. Illustrated in full color, this story about the ongoing battle of women striving for equality in sports rings with honesty, bravery, and heart.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Sexism
Details
Format
Page Count
224
Trim Size
8 1/2" x 6"
Dewey
F
AR
2.6: points 1
Genre
Fic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
May 2023
Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
School Library Journal
Library Journal
Gr 6–8—Set in 1975, this graphic novel finds Wilkins High senior Judi setting aside her cheer captain pom-poms to follow her dreams of being a basketball player. Judi tries out in secret, afraid of her best friend's opinion. However, with only eight girls showing up to tryouts, they all make the team. This new team is enthusiastic despite barriers: they have to practice in the elementary school gym and use an RV camper to travel; the head coach reports there wasn't money in the school's budget to support the team equally. Still, the Lady Bears (which one character correctly points out as sexist) rack up victory after victory, advancing to the state championships. By the end of the story, as the Bears travel to play their final winning game, family, friends, and community members have taken notice and support the team. Tavares based this story on the real players of the 1976 Warsaw High School girls' basketball team. Title IX passed into law nearly four years prior, prompting a slow rollout of girls' athletic programs across the U.S. This graphic interpretation of Tavares's research, including interviews with team members, makes for an outstanding historical fiction depiction of this very real struggle. These obstacles could feel like problems of the past if it were not for Tavares's well-constructed dialogue, attention to character dimension, and well-paced storytelling. Tavares draws 1970's denim bellbottoms, feathered hair, and rotary phones with finesse. It is heartening that readers are finally getting more high-quality girl-centered stories from that era. VERDICT This graphic novel depicts Title IX history in a fun and relatable way, giving modern readers a lot to recognize from their current teen experiences.—Jennie Law
Grades 5-8
Sports Middle Plus
For Grades 5-8
An action-packed level devoted exclusively to sports. These fiction and nonfiction selections are sure to be a hit with your middle-school sports fans. And the hits arrive each month with this 12 book category.
14 books per Year
$284.62 per Year
Interests
Biographies,Chapter Books/Novels,Diversity,Fiction,History,Nonfiction,Reluctant Readers,Realistic Fiction,Sports
Grades 5-8
Sports Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$284.62 per Year
