Gene Luen Yang Celebrates The 2015 Bishop O'Dowd Dragons and DRAGON HOOPS

Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore and the O'Dowd Office of the President present Gene Luen Yang, New York Times Bestseller and O'Dowd Faculty Alumnus in a very special celebration. On Sunday, March 30th at 3:00 PM, Gene returns to Bishop O'Dowd to honor the 2015 Dragons team and their championship season, which was the inspiraton for his award winning and bestselling book for young adults Dragon Hoops. Gene will be joined on stage by Coach Lou Richie from the 2015 team, and others!

To make this an even more special afternoon with Gene, the event will be held in the Bishop O'Dowd Auditorium.

Dragon Hoops turns the spotlight on Gene's life, his family, and the high school where he teaches. Now in paperback! Gene understands stories—comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins.

But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it's all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships.

Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he’s seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons’s lives, but his own life as well.

"Full of insight about race and ethnicity, this graphic novel intercuts the thrilling wins and crushing defeats of one high school team with basketball’s own turbulent history." —New York Times, from "The 25 Best Children’s Books of 2020"

GENE LUEN YANG writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. He was named a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress in 2016, and advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely. His graphic novel American Born Chinese, a National Book Award finalist and Printz Award winner, was adapted into an original series on Disney+. His two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the LA Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award Finalist. His nonfiction graphic novel, Dragon Hoops, received an Eisner award and a Printz honor. His other comics work includes Secret Coders (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), and Superman Smashes the Klan and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series (both with Gurihiru).

Doors at the Bishop O'Dowd Auditorium will open at 2:30.

Seating in General Admission, no reserved seats.

Copies of Dragon Hoops and Gene's other books will be available for purchase at the event.

Gene will sign books after the presentation.

Parking on-site at Bishop O'Dowd is limited to approximatley 100 spaces. Additional street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood.

Host or Publisher Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore