Release: September 7th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: Netgalley
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo
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A touching and funny middle-grade story about a boy whose life is turned upside down when his Chinese grandmother moves in
Eleven-year-old Danny’s life turns upside down when his Chinese grandmother comes to live with his family in England. Things worsen when Danny finds out he’ll have to share his room with her, and she took the top bunk. At first, Danny is frustrated that he can’t communicate with her because she doesn’t speak English. And also because he’s on the verge of failing math. And Nai Nai was actually a math champion back in the day.
It just feels like he and his grandmother have nothing in common. His parents insist that Danny help out. So when he’s left to look after Nai Nai, he leaves her at the bingo hall for the day to get her off his back. But he soon discovers that not everyone there is as welcoming as he expected. Through math and art’s universal languages, Danny realizes he has more in common with his Nai Nai than he first thought. Filled with heart and humor, Danny Chung Sums It Up shows that traversing two cultures is possible and worth the effort, even if it’s not always easy.
About the Author:
Maisie Chan is a British-born Chinese author. She has written early reader books for Hachette and HarperCollins, a collection of fairy tales, myths, and legends in Stories From Around the World for Scholastic, and many stories for The Big Think, a well-being curriculum based around stories for elementary school children. She also started the group Bubble Tea Writers to support and encourage new British East and Southeast Asian writers in the UK. When Maisie isn’t writing, she enjoys yoga, dim sum, and singing really loud. She has lived in the U.K., U.S., and Taiwan. Originally from Birmingham, Maisie now lives with her family in Glasgow.
Natelle Quek is an illustrator based in London. She has been drawing for as long as she could hold a pencil, and she now focuses on children’s illustrations. In her free time, Quek loves to explore museums and nature trails with her husband, hunt down delicious pastries, and cuddle her pets.
Danny Chung Sums It Up Review:
Firstly, Danny and Nai Nai are the story’s highlights, and I got engrossed in the tale because of them. Danny is a fun character, and I loved his passion for drawing. The author paints the family in a realistic manner, where they don’t understand his love and expect him to excel in other areas. Nai Nai is adorable in the story and had me rolling. The author also adds humor to the story, and I found myself laughing out loud at times. For example, Nai Nai’s scenes check out the items in the minimart, or when she comes to his school and embarrass Danny was hilarious. I also loved the way they bond over the story, particularly the incident with the grapefruit. Natelle Quek also illustrated the images beautifully, and they complement the story very nicely, like we are looking at Danny’s drawings.
Similarly, the villains are also characters you love to hate. I was not too fond of Carter and his gang and even Auntie Yee for bullying Danny. The author portrayed the topic of friendship wonderfully. It was also interesting to see how Auntie Yee, being an adult, berated Danny to praise Amelia. Even some of the side characters like Mrs. Cruikshanks were adorable.
However, I wish there was more history behind Nai Nai. I enjoyed her character and would have loved it if she provided more details to the family about her life before moving in with them. While I loved some Chinese cultural information, like how they have different dialects and the New Year Animals, I wish the author provided more information.
Apart from that, I enjoyed “Danny Chung Sums It Up” and found it a delightful middle-grade novel.
