Hoops, written and illustrated by Matt Tavares. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2023. $17.99 ages 8 and up

"And, Judi, you're 
my point guard. 

Now, if I didn't just call 
your name, don't think for 
one second you are not an 
important part of this team. 
If we're going to win with 
just eight players, I'm going
to need 100 percent from every
single one of you. Got it?"

Judi loves to play basketball on the driveway with her brother and his friends. She dreams of being on a basketball team someday, not cheerleading for one. Wilkins Regional High School has a boys' team, and their Friday night games draw huge crowds and a great deal of support. There is no girls' team. It is, after all, the 1970s. 

When Title IX legislation is passed, the school announces that they will field a team for girls. Judi is thrilled, and keen to get going. How will she tell her best friend Stacey that she is choosing to play rather than co-captain the cheerleaders? It does not go well. When she gets to the first practice, there are only 8 girls interested, they have no coach, and they are having to practice in an elementary school gym because the boys are using the high school gym. They have no funding for buses, travel, or uniforms. It is not an easy endeavor. 

Frustration with the system that honors the boys' team and does little to support the girls is a constant source of concern. Judi works tirelessly to keep team spirit up and make it worthwhile for all. There are many disparities. The basketball scenes are filled with action, the trips are eventful, and the success they achieve is worthy of admiration for their perseverance. 

This is a terrific middle grade novel about sports equality with a historic bent. In an author's note, Matt Tavares shares what led him to tell the story of the 1976 Warsaw High School Tigers girls' basketball team. As well, he explains why he chose to tell it in graphic form, envisioning an older audience than the one he most often writes for. He was lucky enough to meet with three of the starting players from that team and hear their stories.  The result of those conversations and his extensive research brings this novel to full life, perfect for those who love sports stories and for those who cheer for the underdog.