book tour: lupe wong won't dance by donna barba higuera (#booktour)

Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera tells the story of Guadalupe Wong, a twelve-year-old girl who dreams of becoming the first female pitcher in the Major Leagues. And the first Mexinese girl to throw a no-hitter. After her uncle promises her an encounter with Fu Li Hernandez, a Chinacan/Mexinese professional pitcher (and her idol) under the condition that she must get straight A's all across the board, she studies hard but there's just one problem. 

This quarter's PE curriculum is... Square dancing. And Lupe Wong rather "eat raw maggot puke" than do that.

Well, much like Lupe Wong, square dancing was also a part of my school's curriculum (I hated it too). However, opposite to her, I just... played hooky. Yes, not my proudest moment, but not all of us can be persistent badasses like Lupe, ok?

Speaking of her, Lupe Wong is such a great character! She's so driven by her goals and determined to do right by her causes. She exhales the type of confidence and purpose kids have, while also being vulnerable and funny. I loved her character the most, although her friends were also great. 

“Remember when I peed my pants in the fourth grade?”

“Yeah.” I shrug like it was no big deal, but it was one epic

accident. “My mom isn’t the one who got Ms. Cox in trouble for not letting me go to the bathroom after I’d already asked four times.” Her jaw is tight. “You did. You’re the one who got equal potty rights for everyone even if we’d just been at recess. You’re the one who made sure no one teased me.” Andy’s eyes are welling up a little." — Donna Barba Higuera, Lupe Wong Won't Dance

I wanted to read Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera so badly because I don't see a lot of Asian-Latinx representation out there. I am not Mexinese (I'm Japanese-Brazilian), but I could relate so much with her struggles to conciliate both of her cultures. There was one scene, in particular, a family dinner, that felt so familiar to me. 

I haven't read many Middle-Grade books and Lupe Wong Won't Dance is just the book I needed. It's funny and charming while also being relevant and thoughtful. It tackled issues like racism, gender norms, and historical oppression, but it's also a light book about a funny preteen who doesn't want to dance in school. I loved how fresh it felt.

The plot is interesting and gripping and I read the book in like... two hours? And it brightened my Sunday. The ending was very cute, all characters had their well-deserved growth. However, I had one little problem: a lot of very relevant issues with square dancing are brought up and they are dealt with some way or another, but I didn't feel like it was enough, you know? To quote Lupe herself, "If a system is flawed, they should scrap it". But that's just my personal opinion based on some very messed up childhood experiences with square dancing. 

“I mean, what if I’m gay?” I ask. “Shouldn’t I be able to dance

with a girl?”

“Are you gay?”

“I don’t know. I’m only twelve. I thought I’d figure it out in a few years.” — Donna Barba Higuera, Lupe Wong Won't Dance

Lupe Wong Won't Dance by Donna Barba Higuera is a great Middle-Grade book. I recommend it to anyone looking for the perfect easy and fun reading that will make you cry-laugh and cry-cry and feel happy at the end. 

Thank you for reading, and thanks to Colored Pages Book Tour and Publisher Levine Querido for this amazing opportunity!