The Fifth Quarter: Hard Court

The Fifth Quarter: Hard Court is one of those sequels that I feel is better than its predecessor, which is saying something because I very much enjoyed book 1. In this book, Lori finds herself facing some new situations. Now in sixth grade, she and her friends are getting older and some are developing new interests and spending more time apart. Her dad is going to go back to work for the first time since she was born, and her mom is going to coach her rec league basketball team. Plus, she and her friend Elyse are growing their skills at basketball camp. There, their coach calls them the "Dream Team," with Lori being more offense-minded and Elyse more a defensive specialist. They still predominantly play during the fifth quarter for their middle school team, but Elyse gets more chances to get into actual games. This situation causes Lori to have some hurt feelings and jealousy. 

What I think pushes this book beyond the first one is the way it shows the dynamics between various relationships in very detailed and realistic fashion, warts and all. Lori's parents have their arguments over money, work, and their parenting roles. Lori has issues with her friends, parents, and little siblings. Also, a good portion of the book involves flashbacks to Lori's mom's childhood, so we learn about her own highly competitive nature as well as her strained relationship with her father and step-sister. 

Looking back, I gained insight into how she pushes Lori and herself to succeed. Getting to see a family reunion at the Passover Seder brings things full circle, as we get to see the aftermath of her childhood and how relationships turned out over the decades.

And I have not even mentioned the game-play, which is also a major aspect of the book. The various scenes of basketball are well paced, exciting, and dramatic. I really appreciate that there is no magical transformation, that Lori still has her struggles , even with extra coaching and attention from her mother. Some of her struggles even come from that very same coaching and her mother, which is both ironic and apt. Her mother pushes her to succeed and have a killer instinct, but she also might be pushing a bit too hard and also rehashing trauma from her childhood. This seemingly simple tale is actually pretty complex and imbued with nuances.

I love a good scrappy underdog tale, and this graphic novel is that as well. It shows that with effort and practice that there can be some success and growth, even if it's still not all sunshine and roses. Plus, as a parent, I really appreciate the vivid portraits of the adults as well as the children. There was so much I could relate to, and I desperately hope that this series will continue. It is simply superb.

I have this same exchange at least three times a day with my own kids.

Mike Dawson created this book. He has written and drawn more than a few graphic novels over the years, including Freddie & Me, Angie Bongiolatti, and Troop 142. He also has done a lot of  graphic nonfiction and essay work, including the collection Rules for Dating My Daughter and plenty of comics for The Nib. He speaks about his work on this book as well as other topics in this interview.

The reviews I have seen about this book have been largely positive.  Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "Buoyant and breathless, scoring on several levels."It currently has a 4.4 (out of 5) star rating on Goodreads.

The Fifth Quarter: Hard Court was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information here. 

I read an advance digital copy of the book, and it will published in July.

My 2021 Favorites!

I read a lot of graphic novels every year, and I review most of them on this blog. Check out the ones I liked best published in 2021.

Overall Favorite 

 Cyclopedia Exotica

This book is a highly detailed and moving piece of world-building that imagines that cyclops are real and have to deal with many civil/human rights issues in being accepted into society. It's funny, moving, thoughtful, and provocative. Everything I want from a graphic novel!

 

Schweizer-Hale Award for Nonfiction 

American Cult 

I learned so much about this uniquely American phenomenon from this anthology of stories. It's full of hucksters, pseudo-religion, true believers, tragedy, and existentialism. These stories lingered with me for a long time.

 

 

Favorite Adapted Webcomic

Lore Olympus

This gorgeously illustrated book retells the story of Persephone and Hades with a contemporary sensibility. Its characterizations and plotting are exceptional. It's one of my all-time favorite comics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Adapted Digital Comic

Friday

A book by a couple of my favorite comics creators about a grown-up version of an Encyclopedia Brown/John Bellairs novel? That's pretty much a book made for me. It's a great mystery set in an appropriately creepy and idiosyncratic town with strong characters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Favorite Book About Teaching

Are Comic Books Real?

I also read many books about teaching/education, and this one made me feel what it was like to be a public school teacher. It's frustrating, hopeful, keenly observant, and drawn in disparate styles. If you want to know what teaching is like, read this book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Favorite Sequel

Delicates

I was skeptical that a book could live up to the quirky and moving Sheets, but this one may actually pass it in terms of strong character work and realistic adolescent situations. It's a great melding of YA and ghost stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Reissued Book

The Way of the Hive 

Originally published as Clan Apis, this account of the life cycle of a bee is incredibly informative and surprisingly moving. Pretty much a perfect graphic novel, but now in color!

Favorite YA Book

The Fifth Quarter

This book is mostly about youth basketball and one girl's striving to be the best player she can be, which complicates her friendships. It is also a window into a contemporary family and her mother's political aspirations. I loved so much about this book and its characters, and I am eager for the sequel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite Book Featuring A Psychopathic Pair of Underwear

Crash Site

This graphic novel combines manga with European comics conventions, telling an incredible and harrowing survival tale about a couple of drug smugglers (a woman and her dog), a horrific plane crash, and the underpants that wants to kill them both. This book book bends genre conventions and is not for kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's it! That's my list. Happy New Year, everyone!

The Fifth Quarter

4th grader Lori Block LOVES basketball, and she is on her school's team, but she is not so good and only gets to play in the "fifth quarter" when things don't count. After getting a small taste of actual gameplay, she wants more and gets the opportunity to take part in some camps where she can learn more skills and practice. She is driven to succeed and relishes her opportunities, even though her desires come at odds with her friendships.

Lori's friends are not into basketball as much a she is, and at recess they rather play unicorns or four-square than shoot baskets, which causes her distress. She is also awkward at times and makes comments that are meant as jokes but get taken as insults, especially to her fellow "double-dribble twin" Sophia. So she has a lot to navigate in terms of her social world.

Adding to this mix is her family, which includes her mom and dad as well as her younger twin siblings, Jason and Becky. They are all depicted in realistic manner, with a plot following her mother's run for local political office (trying to do something to help the kids) against a smug incumbent, and her put-upon father trying to hold down the fort and keep the two little one's faces out of screens as much as possible. One of the aspects of this books I liked the most was how much space and respect was given to her family, who are important players in this story, which I find is not often the case in YA/tween graphic novels.

This book excels at capturing the excitement of the games as well as the variety of social and emotional dynamics. The relationship aspects of this book are complex and compelling, and I love how it captures the messiness/uncertainties of human interactions and growing up. Just check out this sequence from early on in the book:

In terms of artwork, I think that the coloring pops and the facial expressions and gestures are economical and highly expressive. I found the Fifth Quarter to be utterly riveting and read it in one sitting. It's a very human and relatable book that I feel I will revisit multiple times. If there is any justice in the world, it will sell millions of copies.

I am a big fan of this book's author Mike Dawson. He has written and drawn a few graphic novels over the years, including Freddie & Me, Angie Bongiolatti, and Troop 142. He also has done a lot of  graphic nonfiction and essay work, including the collection Rules for Dating My Daughter and plenty of comics for The Nib. He speaks about his work on The Fifth Quarter in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book indicate its high quality. Publishers Weekly wrote that it was full of "sincerity, humor, and strong character development." Kirkus Reviews gave it a thumbs up, concluding, "Nothing but net." Hillary Brown commented about Dawson's art style and storytelling, especially on how refreshing it was to see the adults portrayed as "real humans, dealing with their own shit."

The Fifth Quarter was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information here. It is also the first of a series, and I am eager to see more of these characters and their lives.