Book Tour+Review- Lupe Wong Won’t Dance by Donna Barba Higuera|#OwnVoices, Asian-Latinx Representation

Lupe Wong is going to be the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. She’s also championed causes her whole young life. Some worthy…like expanding the options for race on school tests beyond just a few bubbles. And some not so much…like complaining to the BBC about the length between Doctor Who seasons.

Lupe needs an A in all her classes in order to meet her favorite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez, who’s Chinacan/Mexinese just like her. So when the horror that is square dancing rears its head in gym? Obviously she’s not gonna let that slide.

Not since Millicent Min, Girl Genius has a debut novel introduced a character so memorably, with such humor and emotional insight. Even square dancing fans will agree…

Review

Guadalupe Wong’s enthusiasm is infectious. A determined and stubborn child who has a goal to reach- to get A in her PE Class and meet Fu Li Hernandez. But her plans derail time and again. Armed with PPT presentations, insights from a Child Psychologist etc. she launches a mission to remove square dancing from the curriculum, because a sports-person has nothing to do with dance. As her focus shifts, based on the crisis at hand, she manages to get a gender-neutral dancing setup. Now picture a child, who would do anything to have her way. In the process, Lupe messes up. Big Time.

Lupe is Chinese and Mexican, a blend of both cultures exists in the house she is raised in, by her mother. She longs for her dead father and those were a few moments that touched my heart. The longing in her gaze, the directions and guidance she should have received from a father.

Lupe is sarcastic and her narration is hilarious. More than once I found myself chuckling. Middle School life is fun but each hurdle feels like a life and death scenario, and Lupe Wong might not be doing that great. With Exquisite and heartfelt narration, this book is sunshine in this dark and dreary world. Read this book with a cup of tea, on a lazy day. Because you need to savor this one.

Rating

About the Author:

Donna grew up in central California surrounded by agricultural and oil fields. As a child, rather than dealing with the regular dust devils, she preferred spending recess squirreled away in the janitor’s closet with a good book. Her favorite hobbies were calling dial-a-story over and over again, and sneaking into a restricted cemetery to weave her own spooky tales using the crumbling headstones as inspiration.

Donna’s Middle Grade and Picture Books are about kids who find themselves in odd or scary situations. From language to cultural differences in being biracial life can become…complicated. So like Donna, characters tackle more than just the bizarre things that happen to them in their lives.

Donna likes to write about all things funny, but also sad, and creepy, and magical. If you like those things, she hopes you will read her books!

Donna lives in Washington State with her family, three dogs and two frogs.

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