The House That Lou Built

(Paperback)

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Description

A coming-of-age story that explores culture and family, forgiveness and friendship, and what makes a true home. Perfect for fans of Wendy Mass and Joan Bauer. A coming-of-age story that explores culture and family, forgiveness and friendship, and what makes a true home. Perfect for fans of Wendy Mass and Joan Bauer. Lou Bulosan-Nelson is going to build her dream. She shares a room with her mom in her grandmother's house in San Francisco and longs for a place of her own, where she can escape her lovable but large Filipino family. Her solution A tiny house--one hundred square feet all to herself--that she'll construct on land inherited from her dad. Then Lou discovers that it's not so easy to build a house, not when her beautiful land may not be hers for much longer and her mom may want to move them out of state. But she won't give up on her dream, and her friends and family won't give up either. "If this book were a house, the rooms would be filled with warmth, family, and friendship." --Newbery Medal-winning author Erin Entrada Kelly "Equal parts girl-heart, muscle, and know-how for today's reader. Endearing to the end." --Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia

Reviews

"This delightful debut welcomes readers in like a house filled with love." Kirkus Reviews, Starred review

"Cheerful and hope-filled." School Library Journal, Starred review

"Readers will enjoy rooting for [Lou] as she finds out exactly what makes a house into a home." Booklist

"Mae Respicio's charming middle-grade debut offers an intimate experience of Filipino culture as well as a message of empowerment to young girls with grand goals. . . . A sweet treasure for any budding reader." Shelf Awareness

"If this book were a house, the rooms would be filled with warmth, family, and friendship." Erin Entrada Kelly, author of the Newbery Medal winner Hello, Universe; The Land of Forgotten Girls; and Blackbird Fly

"Equal parts girl-heart, muscle and know-how for today's reader. Endearing to the end." --Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor- and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of the National Book Award Finalist Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

"Warm, funny and affirming. As we get to know Lou, her extended Filipino family, and friends, the door opens into her life and, ultimately, her home." --Lisa Yee, author of the Millicent Min trilogy and the DC Super Hero Girls series

"I fell in love with Lou and her wonderful extended family. This story may be about a tiny house, but it has an enormous heart." Kate Messner, author of Breakout and Capture the Flag

Author Bio

Mae Respicio grew up in Northern California and has great memories of spending childhood summers dancing in a Filipino folk-dance troupe. Mae is a past recipient of a PEN Center USA Emerging Voices Fellowship. She's been a writer-in-residence at Hedgebrook and Atlantic Center for the Arts and has published a variety of musings on parenthood. She lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area, not far from the ocean and the redwoods. This is her first novel. Visit her online at maerespicio.com and on Twitter at @maerespicio.