Published: 2023
Author/Illustrator: Matt Tavares
Genre: Historical Graphic Novel / Sports / Fiction
Audience: Grades 3–7
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: Hoops
Themes: Gender Equality, Title IX, Teamwork, 1970s History.
Publisher’s Summary
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.
Full Review
Hoops by Matt Tavares is a historical graphic novel set in the 1970s that follows a girls’ high school basketball team as they fight for recognition, respect, and the chance to play the sport they love. It’s based on real-life events and shows what girls’ basketball was like before it had the support and visibility it has today. The team deals with limited resources, little support from the school, and constant comparisons to the boys’ program, but they keep pushing forward with determination and pride.
I absolutely loved this book. The characters were easy to connect with, and I found myself invested in their journey and rooting for them throughout the story. The graphics were honestly one of the best parts; Matt Tavares brings the whole story to life through the illustrations, from the gym scenes to the energy and emotion during the games. You can really feel both the excitement of basketball and the frustration the girls are going through as they try to be taken seriously.
I would definitely recommend Hoops to middle school students who love graphic novels, especially if they’re into sports stories or historical fiction. It’s a great pick for readers who enjoy stories about teamwork, perseverance, and pushing through challenges. As a social studies teacher, I also love how this book connects to women’s history and conversations about gender equity in schools and athletics.
🏛️ The History Behind the Game: Title IX
The 1970s was a pivotal decade for women’s rights in the United States, and Hoops perfectly captures the “growing pains” of this era.
- Title IX (1972): This landmark civil rights law prohibited sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives federal money.
- From Law to Reality: As seen in Hoops, passing the law didn’t mean things changed overnight. Schools often dragged their feet, leaving girls’ teams to practice in inferior gyms with homemade uniforms while the boys’ teams received full funding.
- Indiana Basketball: Setting the story in Indiana—a state famous for its “Hoosier” basketball obsession—amplifies the stakes of the girls’ fight for a seat at the table.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Social Studies (Women’s History & Civil Rights)
- Activity Idea: Research the 1976 Warsaw High School girls’ basketball team (the real-life inspiration for the book). How does their true story compare to the fictional Wilkins Lady Bears?
- ELA (Visual Literacy & Mood)
- Activity Idea: Analyze the color palette. How do the colors change from the dark, late-night practices in the elementary gym to the bright, high-stakes atmosphere of the championship game?
- Math (Statistical Equity)
- Activity Idea: Look up modern sports budgets for a local high school or college. Compare the “per-athlete” spending for boys’ vs. girls’ programs. Does Title IX mean everything is perfectly equal today?
- Socratic Seminar (Gender Equity)
- Activity Idea: Discuss the scene where the girls have to use electrical tape for their uniforms. How does a lack of resources affect a person’s “mental game” and self-worth?
