Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu
Maisie Chan
Publication Date:
16 Aug. 2022
Format:
Paperback / softback
ISBN 9781800781610
Twelve-year-old Lizzie Chu lives in Glasgow with her grandad Wai Gong, and he's been acting a little strange lately. He is becoming forgetful, and spends a lot of time talking to his statue of Guan Yin - the Chinese goddess of compassion, kindness and mercy. Lizzie is worried about Wai Gong, but doesn't really know what to do to help him. She's already got a lot on her plate with caring for him, doing the shopping and everything else on top of schoolwork and the usual trials of being twelve!
Then Lizzie comes up with a madcap plan. She's going to take Wai Gong on the trip of a lifetime, to Blackpool - to the Tower Ballroom, where he always longed to go, to dance with his late wife Grandma Kam. To rekindle that love for dancing and to see if Wai Gong can find his mojo again. The only problem is - just how is on earth is she going to get him there? With a little help from her friends Chi and Tyler, some ingenious costumes and an older brother with a beat-up Mini, Lizzie might just make it - and maybe she will be able to help Wai Gong get better after all?
A warmhearted, funny, intergenerational story for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce and Benjamin Dean
Information
Book Type: Junior HighAge Group: 10 to 14 years
Traffic Lights: Green/Amber
Class Novel: Yes
Good Reads Rating: 4.5/5
Literary Rating: 4.5/5
Review
Twelve-year-old Lizzie Chew was raised by her grandparents, but then her grandmother died.
Lizzie has taken on all of the household chores as her grandfather, Wai Gong, is just not coping.
A surprise birthday present from Grandma Kam sets them on an adventure they both need and reveals a truth Lizzie didn’t realise she was hiding: It’s hard for Lizzie at home, especially as Wai Gong seems increasingly confused.
Taking a break to go to a Comic Con event, where her best friends are dressed up, is both fun and an eye opener. When Wai Gong arrives unexpectedly, things become weird, as he mistakes her friend Chi (who is dressed in a Princess Leia costume), as his favourite Chinese goddess and proceeds to do everything she asks.
Lizzie sees this as an opportunity to enact her grandmother’s wishes for them to go ballroom dancing in Blackpool. Wai Gong would never willingly go, but maybe if the goddess commanded him…?
So begins a hurriedly devised excursion where numerous things go wrong, but everything turns out for the best in the end.
Lizzie and Wai Gong get to dance at Blackpool and Wai Gong is mistaken for an Elvis impersonator so gets to sing as well.
At the end, Lizzie’s the parents of Lizzie’s friends, and the school authorities, realise she is actually acting as Wai Gong’s carer, who has deteriorated so much that he really needs to be in a home.
A fun read with a serious undertone which humorously and sensitively raises the issues and challenges young carers may face. It also shows how oblivious those around them can be to what is really going on at home, and reminds us to take better care of each other.
A fabulous book, highly recommended.
Themes
friendship, family, ballroom dancing, dementia, young carer, adventure, escape, cosplay
Content Notes
As you would expect, the goddess is an aspect of Wai Gong’s cultural and religious beliefs.
How to Use the Site:
MEMBER DISCOUNTS: For Member pricing, please sign in to your Book Curator account.WISH LISTS: Signing in will also allow you to create a wish list. Just choose the heart icon on each product you want to add. To view your list, click on the heart icon at the top right of your screen.
COMPARING PRODUCTS: To compare products, use the scales icon.
TO VIEW OR COMPLETE YOUR ORDER: Click on the cart icon at the top right of your screen.
SHIPPING: Enjoy the low flat rate of just 12.95 shipping and handling to anywhere in Australia, no matter how large your order is.