Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Super Star Children's Book Review: Lupe Wong Won't Dance

Welcome to the monthly children’s book review feature with a focus on diverse books here at Bird Meets Worm! My team of reviewers—Joan Charles, Laurie L. Young, Sarah Orgill—and I are so excited to be championing books celebrating everything from gender diversity, people of color, the LGBTQ community to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, people with disabilities and developmental challenges to controversial topics, unique family situations and anything and everything I did not include. It is to say we take a rightfully broad view of diversity! We aim to shine a light on books that bring both familiar experiences to those who do not often see themselves represented in books and new experiences to those looking to expand their worldview. Here at Bird Meets Worm we believe in the power of story to build empathy and thus a better world for you and me and everyone. Look for a new review on the second Wednesday of every month.

                     

LUPE WONG WON’T DANCE
By Donna Barba Higuera
Jacket art by Mason London • Jacket Design by Maeve Norton
Middle Grade (ages 8-12) • 272 pages
Levine Querido • 2020
ISBN 978-1-64614-003-9

12-year-old Lupe Wong is an athlete, an activist and has her eye on a career as a professional baseball pitcher. A big part of that goal is getting to meet her idol, the first Asian-Latino pitcher in the major leagues, Fu Li Hernandez. Her uncle Hector works for the Mariners and has offered to introduce her if she gets straight A’s this quarter. Easy for Lupe—until her PE coach throws her a curve ball when she announces the curriculum for the class: square dancing.

No way. How can something that’s not even in the Olympics be considered a sport? Lupe will not accept this horror and puts her activism to good use, coming up with plan after plan—including a Change.org petition—to persuade the coach to go back to their usual volleyball or basketball classes.

All her efforts fail and Lupe is forced to come to terms with what she is willing to do for that very important A.

This is a very fun read, full of wit and heart and longing. The writing is sharp and smart, and Lupe is a great middle grade character. The situations and emotions feel real and you will root for Lupe, even as she tests the patience of everyone around her.

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Reviewed by: Laurie L. Young