Our take on Printz

 Written by Hope M., Lauren M., and Lisa W.

Each year, the American Library Association "honors the best best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit." Sometimes these books really resonate with teen readers (like Looking For Alaska) and other times they are head-scratchers that don't really appeal to your average teen. We take a look at this year's Printz winner and honor books and share our own thoughts on their merits.

2021 Winner
Everything Sad Is Untrue (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri depicts the life of the author and narrator throughout his childhood. In one book, Nayeri weaves together a tale of facts and feelings, struggles and strength, fiction and nonfiction, and so much wisdom. While reading, I felt like the author was speaking directly to me. Furthermore, his personal questions and thoughts caused me to reflect in ways I haven't before. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the novel. On a grading scale of A-F, Everything Sad Is Untrue (A True Story) gets an A+ from me!

-Hope

2021 Honor Books

Apple (Skin To The Core) by Eric Gansworth is a memoir depicting the author's life growing up in the Onodaga Tribe in America. Written in verse, Gansworth uses his experiences (and a few Beatles references) to empower Native Americans and help them embrace their identities. Honestly this book was slightly confusing, especially at the beginning; I've read many books written in verse before, however the format of each line had me wondering whether I was reading the book itself or a strange (and long) prologue. Nevertheless, I do feel as if the book allowed me to fully comprehend the horrors that most Native Americans had to endure. If I were to grade Gansworth's work, I would give it a B.

- Lisa

In Dragon Hoops, Gene Luen Yang's newest graphic novel, we dive deep into Bishop O'Dowd High School's basketball team as they make their way through the 2014-15 season with hopes of finally winning the State Championships. Striking and thought-provoking, Dragon Hoops introduces readers to the members of the team and explores the principles and mannerisms that make a winning team that go far deeper than drills and practice--principles the apply to every area of life. An A on the grading scale of A-F, Yang's latest will have readers cheering the Dragons on throughout. 

-Lauren

Every Body Looking by Candace Iloh portrays the life of Ada, a young woman who struggles to find her identity and take control of her own destiny. The novel goes back and forth between her present and her past, illustrating the difficult circumstances Ada has experienced from her childhood up to her life at college.Many mature themes are presented in the story, and the author's unique writing style allowed me to empathize with the character's trials. Despite this, I didn't really enjoy it. For this reason, I would give this book a D.

-Hope

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee World War II is a subject that is approached frequently by authors, however Traci Chee finds an innovative and enlightening way to utilize that topic to introduce another part of history that is, sadly, not as well known. We Are Not Free is a passionate and heart-wrenching story about 14 Japanese-American teenagers whose lives are uprooted when they are placed in incarceration camps during World War II. I recommend this book, not because it was an enjoyable read, but because the abuse and racism that Japanese-Americans had to face should not be an obscure part of history. The only negative comment that I have for We Are Not Free is that 14 different points-of-view are a bit difficult to tolerate, seeing as every time the reader begins to sympathize with the character, the POV is switched to someone else’s. Ergo, I wasn’t able to connect to any of them. I would give this book an A-.

-Lisa

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

Reviewed by Lauren M.
Grade 11

When most people think of basketball, an image of a basketball, a hoop, and a few star athletes come to mind and that is all. Perhaps some remember a game, and perhaps some remember a name or two. I used to fall into the first group, imagining a non-descript game, usually just a photograph from CNN, and that is all. However, Gene Luen Yang’s newest graphic novel, Dragon Hoops, has completely turned my thinking. Basketball, as it should turn out, is about less than sport and technique and more about teamwork, sacrifice, and commitment.

In the fall of 2014, Gene Yang was at an impasse. He had finished his latest graphic novel and felt the gap in his life. Searching for a new story, he found himself intrigued by all the talk going around his workplace (Bishop O’Dowd High School) about the upcoming basketball season. A hater of sports, he rejected the idea, but soon found himself standing outside Coach Lou Richie’s office, and later, following the team from one game to the next throughout the 2014-15 season as they aimed to finally win the California State Championships after decades of defeat.

Dragon Hoops is structured around the games and the players. Each chapter covers one of the games, a select star member of the team (Bishop O’Dowd Dragons) during that season, their head coach, and their former head coach, with a history of basketball in each non-game chapter. Although character development is minimal and focuses solely on the star players and two coaches, backstories are given along with court dynamics which help the reader understand relationships between the players and coaches. A winning team is not just the players but the attitudes they have towards the game and their teammates--they sacrificed for each other, and encouraged each other until they became one strong organism hurtling toward victory, some having to sacrifice valuable floor time so the others can shine. Something I found especially striking was the dedication they had to their sport--one even leaving his family in a different country to come play and build his skills. Each came with an open mind, and each tried his best to make the highest contribution he could make to his team, and that spirit is what makes basketball such a great sport so that, win or lose, the team would forever be marked by the dedication they put into their craft, taking those invaluable life skills into the rest of their lives.

I would recommend this book highly to anyone who is curious about basketball. Although I would have liked to see the perspectives of all the team members, there was enough characterization to keep me happy. It is a graphic novel, so it is mostly pictures and even though it is a thick book, it is a relatively quick read, with Yang’s writing style being easy to follow. All in all, I would give Dragon Hoops a four out of five-star rating. 

Foul Trouble by John Feinstein

Reviewed by Jake L.
Grade 8

What is it like to be the best high school basketball player in America? The colleges coming after you... The shoe sponsors trying to bypass NCAA laws and illegally sign you...The agents ... And still being in high school...Read this book if these things sound interesting.

This story follows Terrell, the number one basketball recruit in the U.S, and Danny, his friend and teammate. It chronicles their journey through high School, tournaments, girls, and college choices. The book also follows how agents and sports gear companies try to sway the boys to make decisions that favor them.

I thought the plot and author's style were great. The plot is impossible to predict. Your eyes are glued to the page. The author does an outstanding job with making complicated NCAA rules seem relatively simple.

I would recommend Foul Trouble to any sports fan. The plot is very interesting and the author does a great job developing characters. Anyone who is into sports would appreciate this book.

Final Four by Paul Volponi

Reviewed by Danilo C.
Grade 8

The seconds are counting down in the Final Four matchup, a college basketball playoff tournament, between the heavily favored Michigan State Spartans and the underdog Trojans from Troy University. As the game’s most exhilarating moments wind down on the game clock, the reader is taken between two different settings--the game, and the lives of four key players on the court leading up to the big game.

Malcolm McBride, Michigan State’s star point guard, is a self-centered kid from the projects of Detroit ready to make millions in the NBA as soon as he can. Roko Bacic, Troy’s fearless point guard, is playing for the pride of his family in his corrupt home country of Croatia. Crispin Rice, Troy’s passionate center, is dealing with the stress of being engaged and the whole world knowing about it. Lastly, Michael Jordan, Michigan State’s shooting guard, usually warms the bench but because of injuries to the rest of the team was thrust into the big game and has never really been able to live up to his name.

The way the author writes the book is interesting because I’ve never seen this style of writing before. He writes about the game as it is happening as well as incorporating flashbacks for each player that tells the reader how each of the characters grew up. I also enjoyed how realistic the book was. You could tell the author was very knowledgeable about sports by the way he wrote the book.

If you call yourself a basketball fan, The Final Four is definitely a book for you. This book had hardly any boring parts throughout the entire novel. The different fast-paced moments as well as interesting anecdotes about each character made me want to keep reading the book. This book was a page turner for me, and I guarantee that it will be for any other sports fan.