User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I've been waiting for my chance to read this book for a while! The premise sounded like it was going to be interesting and different from some middle grade that I've read before. CW: bullying and racsim.Lupe Wong Won't Dance is an interesting look at the woes of middle school while addressing hard hitting topics like racism, gender roles, bullying, grief, and dealing with the loss of a loved one. Lupe Wong, the main character, has the heart and spirit of a social activist determined to carve out spaces for herself and others. At the start of the novel she is determined to maintain getting all A's so that she can meet her hero Fu Li Hernandez who is also Chinacan/Mexinese. Lupe is on the right track until she finds out that in order to make an A in gym class she must square dance. Lupe is creative in the ways that she plots to get out of doing square dancing. What I enjoyed most about these creative plans is that Higuera utilizes them as teachable moments not only for Lupe but also for readers. These teachable moments were also perfect for the adults in the novel. I was surprised (yet also not surprised) of the origins of some of the songs utilized for square dancing. There's also an adamant challenging of gender roles which I appreciated. I don't particular find anything wrong with square dancing, but the entire concept of school dances having to revolve around "boy+girl" pairings is so detrimental to kids. Higuera also did an amazing job discussing/illustrating the multicultural aspects of Lupe's family life. I loved being able to see both sides of her family interact with each other.
While there were so many things that I enjoyed about this book, getting past some of the character development was tricky. Lupe is not necessarily a likeable character. There is this essence of perfectionism that sits at the core of Lupe and sometimes it's difficult to watch her steam roll friendships while trying to achieve her goals. There were characters that had a lot of personal issues of their own that Lupe was completely blind to in the name of trying to make sure she didn’t have to square dance. This is not to say that this isn't a relatable topic for a middle grade audience or that Lupe does not acknowledge her flaws, but some moments were cringy and also hypocritical. Lupe does learn through the narratives of her friends that she needs to check her behavior and it is important to remember as an adult reader that Lupe is a middle school kid who is learning more about the world around her and herself.
Overall, this book was well written and actually quite hilarious at some points. It had some slow moments that were difficult to get through because of pacing, but I'm pretty sure that middle grade readers are going to really enjoy this book.
Rating: really liked it
Lupe Wong Won't Dance was such a delight! It was funny, warm, empathetic (middle school is hard!), and, goodness, Lupe was just such a cool character. I just wanted to meet her and tell her how cool she was.
- About Lupe Wong, a Mexican-Chinese girl and baseball pitcher who made a deal with her uncle to get straight-A's so he can take her to meet her idol and favourite pitcher, Fu Li Hernandez. When she discovers that her class has to do square dancing for P.E., Lupe sets her sights on doing anything she can to get rid of square dancing.
- Gosh, this book was so funny. The humour is great and will be a hit with younger readers - I found myself smiling a bit too. I also loved Lupe's strong will and stubbornness - she stands up for what she believes in, and she
strongly believes that she shouldn't square dance.
- It's also a great story about friendship and realising that, sometimes, we act selfishly when we become too engrossed in something. It's about how friendship is compromise, being honest, and opening yourself up to the fact that people aren't always right or perfect.
- There's so much emotional honesty in this book too - Lupe's family situation, her grief over her father and why meeting her idol, who is also Chinacan/Mexinese, is so important to her.
- It's also about how traditions can sometimes have bad and harmful history
and be important to people, but it can be reclaimed and celebrated by changing it so it can be more inclusive.
- A super fun and quick read and I cannot recommend this enough!
Content warning: mentions of deceased parent, discussions about racism, bullying
Rating: really liked it
also found on my blog.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher as part of the blog tour hosted by Colored Pages Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my evaluation of the book.
There’s nothing like middle grade fiction to remind me of my bygone days as an awkward tween/teen. In some ways, reading Lupe Wong Won’t Dance felt like peering into my own middle school memories. This book really evokes the way school is basically your entire life, your peers and teachers have the power to make your existence a living hell, and having friends you can lean on means everything.
The story is told in first-person narration from Lupe’s point of view and is imbued with the humor and emotional honesty expected from a kid who’s trying to assert her will in a world where she only has so much control over her life. I honestly related so much to Lupe’s stubborn opposition to the concept of square dancing. If I had been forced to dance as part of my P.E. class I would have hated it with every fiber of my being as well. Unlike me, however, Lupe actually acts on her will and begins a campaign to cancel the whole affair, with mixed, surprising, and even hilarious results.
Lupe Wong Won’t Dance is a wonderful representation of different friendship dynamics and the ups and downs of those friendships. The struggles of causing and mending a big falling out with your best friend, watching your close friends make other friends who either hate you or don’t vibe with you the same way–all of these experiences are explored in the story, along with the exhilaration of having friends who will stand up for you and make you feel less alone.
I enjoyed the family dynamics portrayed in the book. Lupe’s brother is annoying yet somewhat endearing, and her mom is the epitome of “I love you but please stop embarrassing me.” Her grandparents on both sides are doting, and her grandmothers have a funny competitive streak against each other. The book touches on grief a bit as Lupe’s father passed away prior to the start of the story. Her obsession with meeting the baseball player Fu Li Hernandez is motivated in part by the resemblance he bears to her dad in her mind.
Aside from grief, the story also addresses issues like bullying and racism. Lupe’s mixed race background isn’t the primary source of conflict or the main focus of the story, but some of the microaggressions surrounding that are present. More salient to the plot is the hidden history of square dancing and quintessentially “American” traditions that are steeped in racism and how schools can work to make educational environments safe and inclusive for students of color.
One last thing I liked about this book was the representation of one of Lupe’s best friends, Niles, who’s autistic. I was pleasantly surprised by the way Niles’ sensory issues and boundaries around touch and other neurodivergent traits were brought up in the story organically and without too much fuss. He receives accommodations for certain things, such as navigating crowded hallways, something that I think is important to depict and normalize in children’s literature. Disabled people exist and we deserve equal access to education just like everyone else.
If you’re looking for a diverse middle grade story that will make you laugh and maybe even cover your face in secondhand embarrassment, read Lupe Wong Won’t Dance!
Rating: really liked it
*Listened via Overdrive app *
Narrator and story: 4 stars 🌟
Random Amazon rec that turned out to be a homerun:) would highly recommend 👌👍.
It addresses some tough/sensitive topics and does it in a good way, showing what isn't okay.
I liked too that Lupe learns from her behavior as the story goes on. Won't say much so as not to spoil anything but one part in particular had me wanting to give her a big hug.
Rating: really liked it
Lupe Wong Won't Dance is a strong, funny debut about the trials of middle-school, especially for a sports-loving girl who refuses to stay boxed in by society. This novel tackles serious issues such as the death of a parent, racism, and gender inequality, with plenty of heart and humor. Friendships, life as Mexicanese/Chinacan (biracial; Chinese-Mexican), and the history of square dancing are also front and center in this one. Highly recommended for lovers of funny sports books and fans of Millicent Min, Girl Genius -- another Asian girl with strong opinions who is forced into a gym activity she despises.
Thanks to Levine Querido for an ARC of this book via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. You can read my full review on my blog.
Rating: really liked it
i received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. all opinions below are my own.there’s a lot of things lupe wong would rather do than square dance in pe class – eat raw maggot puke, eat ten banana slugs a day for the rest of her life, and hang from a burning rope over the grand canyon filled with rattlesnakes. however, her uncle promised her that if she gets straights a’s, she gets to meet fu li hernandez, the first chinacan player in the major leagues, and she is determined to get a top grade in this class.
i loved lupe – once she sets her mind to something, there is no stopping her. her wit, determination, and sense of justice are all things i really admire about her. although she’s only in middle school, she’s not afraid to approach authority figures like her principal and sports coach to stand up for what she believes in. on top of this, she is a really loyal friend, and sometimes even makes the wrong decisions just to protect the people she cares about.
speaking of lupe being a loyal friend – i loved the friendships in this book! they’re not perfect, but that’s exactly what i liked about them – the author portrayed the friendship dynamics very realistically, and at the end of the day, you can still tell that deep down, the characters all really care about each other.
i could also really relate to lupe’s experience with mandatory dancing lessons – at my school, we learned a different type of dance every year – oh! susanna, hip hop, the cha-cha, jive, and ballroom dancing (which was canceled, thankfully) all gave me nightmares and all i could think about was – what if no one asks me to dance? what if i make a fool out of myself? lupe certainly handled the situation a lot better than i did, and i loved seeing her character growth – from being grumbly and frustrated to pushing through adversity with a smile.
we are all worthy. all a little different. some of us aren’t even from here. and some of us were right here before this country existed. but none of us are any better than the other.last but not least, i loved the diversity! lupe is chinese on her dad’s side and mexican on her mom’s side – i loved reading about lupe’s dinner with her grandparents, where they brought both chinese food and mexican food to the table, and it sounded absolutely mouthwatering! apart from this, the cultural night held by lupe’s school was also one of my favorite scenes in the book ❤ moreover, there were quite a few diverse side characters – one of lupe’s best friends, niles, is on the autism spectrum, whie the other, andy, is african american.
to sum up, lupe wong won’t dance was a short, delightful read about perseverance and loving your friends, featuring a young and determined female athlete. ❤ despite this being a middle grade novel, it will surely bring smiles to all readers regardless of what age they are!
Rating: really liked it
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 savour this one.
Rating: really liked it
What a fantastic middle grade! It’s a quick read, but it’s impossible to put down as well. Lupe Wong is a proud Chicanese (Chinese and mexican). She wants to meet her fav baseball player, but she has to get perfect grades. Nothing will stop her until square dancing. Now she’s on a mission to stop the nonsense. A story filled with growing up, changing friendships, the joy of family, and even the fun of dancing. This was my first book by this author, and I’m already eager for more. Pick this up if you want a diverse middle grade read with a strong cast, along with some positive neurodivergent rep.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 Stars CWs: bullying, incurred racism and racist comments, brief descriptions of vomit and physical injury, exploration of grief and parental loss
Hi, this was wonderful, and I can't wait to talk more about it!
Rating: really liked it
Read for Librarian Book Group
Let's talk about what this book does well: it captures the sneaky mean and aggressive acts that middle schoolers carry out right under grownup noses.
I also feel for girls who love to play baseball and dream of being in the majors. Maybe their granddaughters will have a shot, but there's no way in hell MLB is letting women in any time soon.
Now let's talk about what had me sighing in annoyance and crowning this the worst book of my 2021 reading year so far.
I'm a square dancer and one of the things that square dancers think is the worst recruiting tool is to make middle school kids square dance. They hate it, they think it's dumb, most of the time it's not taught by a competent caller and so they think they've been square dancing, but they haven't. (Though I loved the short square dancing unit we did in fourth grade. I wished there would have been another one in junior high school.)
Because I'm a square dancer, I can tell you that the hardest part of square dancing is having even multiples of eight. It's rare to have everyone in the room dancing, and most of the time there are a handful of people sitting out because there weren't enough people to make a full square.
Not in this book! Every single square dancing day there the exact nearly correct number of students were there. No one got sick, or had an orthodontist appointment or transferred to a different school, or showed up mid-unit having transferred from a different school. It was always the exact number to leave the squares one person short so Lupe had to dance alone. Every. Single. Time.
It's not realistic. And this book was littered with unrealistic things happening just to stretch the story. "Since 1938 middle school students have learned to square dance in sixth grade." No they haven't. Because there weren't middle schools in 1938. "The boys must ask the girls and once you choose your partner you can't trade." "We always dance to Cotten Eye'd Joe." Given that the PE teacher had experienced her own trauma during her middle school square dancing unit, there's no way she wouldn't have mixed things up. Teachers run their classrooms how they see fit. There's no square dancing overlord who dictates how things must be.
There are plenty of opportunities to make amusing conundrums from square dancing. But when it's not grounded in any sort of reality the book isn't funny, it's just not very well written.
Granted, this book is written for kids, not adults, so a lot of these details will fly by the intended audience. But I think that shows a certain level of disrespect for the reader. Because you know who's harder on books that don't get things right than adults? Kids.
11/30/21 update. I still don't like this book. But I've just finished the author's next book, The Last Cuentista, and it's very good. My advice: leave Lupe and find that book!
Rating: really liked it
Would you rather eat raw maggot puke or learn to square dance? If your name is Guadalupe Wong, the answer is a resounding, “Bring on the MAGGOT PUKE!” Lupe is a seventh grader at Issaquah Middle School, and she and her friend Niles love to play “would you rather.” Lupe is on her way to getting straight As at school, but seemingly out of left field a square dancing unit in p.e. class threatens to shut Lupe out of a big dream she has to meet her baseball idol Fu Li Hernandez. She has a deal with her uncle, if she makes all As he will take her to meet the pitcher for the Mariners baseball team. Life sometimes throws curveballs, though. Lupe is sure that she won’t be able to make an A now in p.e., though, because dancing is not for Lupe. Lupe is great at all sports especially baseball, but dancing shouldn’t even be part of p.e. With some research and an eye toward equity and inclusion, Lupe may just have a plan for getting square dancing eliminated from the curriculum once and for all. Lupe is of Mexican and Chinese heritage, think “Mexicanese” or “Chinacan,” and her Chinese dad always said, “Wongs don’t give up.” When Lupe shares her research findings with the school principal regarding the language in one of the square dancing songs, she convinces her that the school should showcase something more diverse and representative of the cultures at the school. Only the plan backfires and not only is square dancing still going to be a p.e. unit, but Lupe ends up being blamed for the end of the ever-popular school Field Day in order to make way for a more “gender-neutral” dancing event. Just when Lupe thinks things can’t get worse, though, she does something that threatens more than her dreams. Lupe may have put her own feelings and dreams before those of her best friend, and her dad is not here to help her through this messy middle school misstep.
Lupe is sure to hit home with anyone who has ever struggled to find their voice, and then learned that life may be more about learning to listen with an open heart. Open your heart and let this grand slam of a debut show you just what the ups and downs of middle school life are all about. Highly recommended #ownvoices.
Rating: really liked it
Rating: 3.75/5
As a Chinese person myself, Lupe Wong Won’t Dance was such a spectacular read. This is one of the best middle-grade books I’ve read and I devoured it with such happiness.
The thing that I loved most about this book is the Chinese representation. From food to culture, this book was definitely spot-on about some things. I particularly loved the mention of don tat, Qingming, steamed eggs, and feng shui! Not forgetting the amazing lion dance! The representation is amazing and I strongly relate to some of the things that happened in this book.
“Sometimes people want us to be something we are not, instead of seeing who we really are. You are many things. You are Chinese. You are Latina.”
It is also worth mentioning that this book addressed topics like gender roles, bullying and racism. It is important to shine light on topics like these, especially to younger readers so that they are aware of what’s okay and what’s not. Lupe would be a role model for them, as she fought hard and never gave up to achieve what she wanted.
Besides that, this book was just so hilarious! I especially love the ‘Would You Rather’ games that Lupe plays with Niles.
“Would you rather eat raw maggot puke or learn the dance?”
“Raw maggot puke for sure.”
However, there were times where I felt like the protagonist, Lupe, was using her friends to get what she wanted for herself. There was an event where Lupe accused her best friend, Andy, that she only cared about herself while Lupe was so hell-bent on getting straight As. Though it is possible that she was just very stressed and was going to blow up anyways.
Funny, empowering and cheerful, I recommend this to anyone who loves middle-grade fiction, or just anyone!
Rating: really liked it
Rating: 4.5 stars
Lupe has won me a fan! I was quite impressed by the lengths this sport-loving young woman would go through to avoid square dancing in gym class. This was such a lovely exploration of identity and the ways we are often put in boxes that don't fit.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
Rating: really liked it
I had such high hopes for this book, and waited ages hoping my library would get a copy, but eventually broke and bought it myself. What a disappointment it was.
The book had so many contradictions, both in plot and in characters. I just couldn’t shake a constant feeling of something being off.
And something that, as a teacher, keeps niggling at me - What kind of archaic school system still only gives As to the top 20% of students? The whole plot is based on this, seeing as Lupe needs an A in square dancing to meet her hero. I just couldn’t buy into the story.
Rating: really liked it
Oh, my gosh, this book is a DELIGHT. Not only is Lupe's narration hilarious (I lost count of how many times I had to stop due to laughing fits), it's also a punch in the feels, especially when she grapples with her father's passing and her complicated social status at school. I want every kid in the world to read Lupe's story and join her on a journey to fight for what she believes in. Hopefully, she'll help them be brave enough to fight for what they believe in, too.
