Aliya and her family moved from Florida to Wisconsin to be closer to family. There she and her siblings attend an all-Muslim school. She tries out for the school basketball team. Neither the girls' team or the boys' team is really any good. But Aliya and her new friends start working hard.As they start winning games, a reporter writes a piece about the girls. The piece starts getting buzz. Soon more reporters want to interview the girls - asking about their religion and their uniform. How far will their talent and hard work take them?
Nikki's excited to play basketball for an elite club team. It's the team that will make or break her basketball career. She's not afraid to work for it. This team will help her make the basketball team in high school and hopefully beyond.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book - mostly for the basketball but there is a lot of other good moments. I loved Nikki's work ethic and how she wanted so hard to do her best. I loved the basketball moments - even though they were intense. I felt bad for Nikki and how money became an issue for her and her family. But I admired her solution. And I really did love the moments between Nikki and her brother. The bits about her mother and her reading habits amused me. I loved her moments with Booker. I found it interesting that they bonded over hardships in the family life - things they didn't want all the students to know about. A great book about basketball - but also about friendship drama, new friendships, family, and dreams.
She's thrilled to discover that she's made the team, but as time goes on everything changes. She's no longer a point guard but she's never been a shooting guard. Most of the girls are taller and faster than her. When she overhear some nasty comments made about her by a parent, she begins to doubt herself.
That doubt grows and multiples with each mistake that she makes (and she makes a bunch). Nikki's struggling at everything - her basketball, finding her place on the team, friendships, school work, and taking care of her little brother. Can she dig deep and rediscover her confidence?
Pippa Park lives in the poor side of town and attends public school. She loves basketball, but her guardian sister won't let her play if her grades are too low. When Pippa 's invited to join the private school on a basketball scholarship, she's overjoyed. Of course it means keeping her math grade up, but she can't wait to join the team.My Thoughts: I was drawn into this book because of the basketball angle and the cover is super cute. And I wasn't disappointed. I did wish for a bit more basketball scenes. I loved Pippa's family and how they looked out for her. I loved her friendship with Buddy. I also loved all the talk about Korean food and the culture.
With private school, Pippa believes that she can reinvent herself and become cool. And it works. Soon after practicing with the team, she's invited to the cool girl table.
But keeping up with the cool girls means hiding her true self. She doesn't want them to know that she's poor. She doesn't want them to know she went to the public school. She doesn't want them to see her family life. With all the lies, it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out...
Dragon Hoops follows one California team as they chance the state championship title. They've been chasing the title for years and have gotten to the title game several times...but have come up short each time.Gene Yang's never been a jock. He's more of a nerd and that has stayed true from his high school days to his teaching days. When he attempts to find the subject for his new book, he thinks this might be the perfect story to tell.
Penelope is about to become a big sister. She's super excited. She can't wait to share the world with her new sibling. Her moms give her a journal so she can start writing to the baby. Penelope writes about her secret crush, things she loves (Warriors basketball), lying to her teacher, friendship drama, and so much more.My Thoughts: At first, I didn't understand why this book was set in 2014-2015 but then the narrative took a turn. And it was amazing. I got it. And I loved it. I loved how Penelope loved basketball (even if it was the Warriors). I loved the friendship moments - both the good and the bad, but more importantly how they worked things out. I loved Penelope's two moms and the family dynamic. Obviously I didn't like Rick, but he was an important part of the story. I loved the letters to You (the not yet born sibling). I really enjoyed this read.
