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Keep Dancing Lizzie Chu

Keep Dancing Lizzie Chu by Maisie Chan

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Book Review

Ever since he lost his beloved wife, Lizzie Chu’s grandfather has been struggling with living and remembering. But Lizzie has a plan to fix all that: A road trip with a goddess.

Plot Summary

In the year since Lizzie Chu’s grandmother died, things haven’t been easy. Lizzie’s grandfather, Wai Gong, has been struggling, for one thing. He’s become more forgetful. He can’t seem to find any work. And he tends to either stare out into space absently or spend all his time talking to his Guan Yin statute—the Chinese goddess of compassion, kindness and mercy.

This past year hasn’t been all that great for Lizzie either. Not only does she miss her beloved Grandma Kam, but it seems like she has to do everything. Besides school, she must do all the shopping, cooking, cleaning and take care of paying household bills.

Now, Lizzie doesn’t mind being responsible or working hard. After all, her grandparents took her in after she was born and they never complained once about how hard it must have been to raise her. But, hey, she’s only 11 going on 12. Taking care of everything is a lot of work for a kid.

But Lizzie’s biggest concern is for Wai Gong. Could it just be overwhelming sadness weighing him down, or is it something more? Could there be any way to snap him out of it, to make him whole again?

Then, Grandma Kam gives Lizzie an answer.

On Lizzie’s birthday she gets a card from her dearly departed grandmother. In it are tickets to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. That’s a place where grandma and Wai Gong used go dancing; some of their favorite moments together were spent there. Grandma Kam wanted to take Lizzie there before she grew ill, so she left her the tickets she never got the chance to use as a birthday gift.

This gives Lizzie a great idea. What if she took Wai Gong out to go dancing? It might bring back pleasant memories and snap him out of his funk.

But her grandfather refuses to go.

Then one day Lizzie’s bestie, Chi, visits, dressed as Princess Leia for a Comic Con. And Wai Gong mistakes her for Guan Yin. That gives Lizzie another great idea. Wai Gong would do anything for the goddess. What if Lizzie and Chi, with the help of other friends, set up a road trip … a road trip with a goddess?

It might get a little crazy. It might be pretty tough. It would likely require raising a bunch of money and calling in some favors. But if it’s for Wai Gong, then it will all be worth it.

Lizzie is even willing to learn how to dance the cha-cha. Now, that’s dedication!

Christian Beliefs

During their trip, Lizzie’s friend Tyler mentions that he’s heard stories of people seeing Jesus’ face in inanimate objects. Tyler also notes at one point that his parents told him to “treat people as I would want to be treated,” the golden rule stated in Matthew 7:12.

Other Belief Systems

Wai Gong prays regularly to a set of three statues: the statues represent, respectively: Jilang (the god of the poor), Budai (the god of wealth and happiness) and Guan Yin (the goddess of compassion and mercy). Lizzie watches him kneel and pray before those idols.

Lizzie doesn’t believe in any god, but she does enjoy listening to Wai Gong tell stories and lore about the gods’ activities in the mythical past. We are told several of those stories, including one about a goddess giving a peacock its color and tailfeathers with many “eyes”. Lizzie wonders if Grandma Kam is in heaven watching over them like that peacock.

One of Wai Gong’s stories involves magic and creatures such as zombies, sorcerers and demons.

Lizzie uses Wai Gong’s beliefs in what she thinks is an effort to help him. She and her friends create a special costume and makeup to convince her grandfather that Chi is Guan Yin. Eventually Lizzie regrets that poorly chosen manipulation and tells Wai Gong the truth about what she and her friends have done. She also apologizes.

For a birthday gift, Lizzie receives a rose quartz for her “heart chakra.”

Authority Roles

This book nods with approval at Wai Gong and Grandma Kam’s choice to adopt Lizzie after her mother dies in childbirth. They are both presented as very loving parental figures. Wai Gong, however, is suffering from some form of dementia, and it’s only late in the story that Lizzie realizes the truth of his illness. She’s  ready to reach out for help in managing the disease and its symptoms.

Lizzie’s friends—Chi and Tyler—are all very willing to help. They encourage her regularly. And Chi, who tends to be rather cynical, gains a great deal of positive impact from their road trip—becoming kinder and more compassionate. Chi’s parents willingly offer to lend any aid they can, as well. Ultimately, they help Lizzie find some professional care for Wai Gong.

Profanity & Violence

There’s no profanity in the mix other than one or two uses of “sheesh”, “oh, jeez” and a couple of misuses of God’s name. But there are kids who toss somewhat racist barbs at Lizzie because of her Asian background. A business owner treats Lizzie rudely, too, and Lizzie wonders if that’s due to her ethnicity or race as well.

During their trip, Lizzie and her friends find themselves in a few perilous situations. Their car breaks down, for instance, and a group of bikers roll up. The kids in the car are initially frightened, but the bikers turn out to be a group of very helpful women.

Sexual Content

Tyler was adopted by two gay fathers. When he and Lizzie talk about what a “normal” life looks like, Tyler notes: “What’s normal? People think the same about me … try being a Black boy with two dads.”

Lizzie watches Chi’s father, who used to be a gymnast, practice yoga handstands. And she makes note of his “six-pack” stomach.

Discussion Topics

Have you ever been hesitant to ask others for help? Do you think God wants us to do things all on our own? What does the Bible say about reaching out for help? What about prayer? How does that fit into taking care of problems that we’re wrestling with?

Were you bothered by the way Lizzie tricked her grandfather? How do you think she could have handled things differently? Good friends are important. Do you have some solid friends like Lizzie does? What kinds of qualities do you appreciate in a friend?

What was your favorite part of this book? Did you learn anything about people with a Chinese heritage?

Get free discussion question for books at focusonthefamily.com/magazine/thriving-family-book-discussion-questions.

Additional Comments

Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu is a kid’s book that oscillates between the seriousness of a difficult reality and broad silliness. Readers may find that inconsistency to be a little jarring. And, of course, parents should note that there are many references to Eastern spirituality throughout the tale.

That said, this book has some very nice things to say about loving families, good friends and the positive aspect of reaching out to others for help.

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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

Review by Bob Hoose