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erine's review against another edition
4.0
I would have loved this as a kid. A can-do young teen who smashes gender stereotypes by loving woodworking, someone who loves her family and culture, with just the lightest, fluffiest, cutest bit of romance.
As a grownup reader I became hopelessly irritated by Lou's propensity to run off in blatant disregard of her mother's wishes. She just kept doing it. As a parent this drove me crazy.
As a grownup reader I became hopelessly irritated by Lou's propensity to run off in blatant disregard of her mother's wishes. She just kept doing it. As a parent this drove me crazy.
moh's review against another edition
5.0
Stories about girls building things are automatically high on my must-read list, but this is about a nearly-thirteen-year-old who's building a whole freaking house. Okay, it's a tiny house, but, still, how cool is that? Add in tons of neat stuff about Filipino culture (the food!!!), wonderful friends and extended family, and a bunch of realistic obstacles, and, wow, this is just a fabulous, fast-paced, middle-grade debut novel. It's also so warm and loving that it's a thoroughly revitalizing read at any age.
mldavisreads's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Middle grade realistic fiction. Lou lives with her Mom and her grandparents in Oakland, CA. Her Dad passed away while her Mom was pregnant, but left her the land that he had planned to build their house on. Lou has always been interested in wood shop, and watches lots of HGTV type shows. She is determined to build a tiny house on her land. But when she finds out that the land is getting sent to auction due to back taxes owed, she decides she has to start building NOW! Lou drafts her shop teacher, cousins, and classmates to help with her plan. But will it be enough to save her inheritance?
This book was set in a close-knit Filipino community. It was about a middle school summer and could be described as a coming-of-age story. I liked that Lou grew up surrounded by cousins and extended family, the emphasis on construction and hands-on knowledge and seeing Lou's friendship with Jack develop. Overall a great story but I really didn't like how much sneaking around Lou did without her mother's permission. It was addressed in the story, but I still didn't like how much of the plot relied on that.
This book was set in a close-knit Filipino community. It was about a middle school summer and could be described as a coming-of-age story. I liked that Lou grew up surrounded by cousins and extended family, the emphasis on construction and hands-on knowledge and seeing Lou's friendship with Jack develop. Overall a great story but I really didn't like how much sneaking around Lou did without her mother's permission. It was addressed in the story, but I still didn't like how much of the plot relied on that.
megpancoast's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
calypsogilstrap's review against another edition
3.0
Love the Pilipino American culture and the strong girls breaking stereotypes with power tools but I felt like it was just too unrealistic for me to truly enjoy the coming of age story.
smo13's review against another edition
5.0
Great Filipino family representation and what it means to have a community
thequeenreads's review against another edition
4.0
Very easy to read. Very middle grade. I very much like
miszjeanie's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to the publisher for a free review copy of this book!
Lou is a middle grader with a knack for building. She excels at her woodwork classes and has dreams of building her own tiny house. Especially because she currently lives with her mother in her grandmother’s house and barely has any privacy. She becomes even more desperate to build when her mother decides to move Lou away from her friends and large Filipino family for a new job offer.
I enjoyed reading LOU and definitely thought her to be one unique little girl. She is so determined and such a little leader. Lou also has great friends and family who work hard to support her dreams. Especially by the end of the story, she learns what a home really means and the value of good friends.
Overall, an enjoyable read that highlights the importance of family, not giving up and belief in oneself. I loved all the references to Filipino culture and food and even though I have no clue about building and woodwork, I found this to be an enjoyable read.
Lou is a middle grader with a knack for building. She excels at her woodwork classes and has dreams of building her own tiny house. Especially because she currently lives with her mother in her grandmother’s house and barely has any privacy. She becomes even more desperate to build when her mother decides to move Lou away from her friends and large Filipino family for a new job offer.
I enjoyed reading LOU and definitely thought her to be one unique little girl. She is so determined and such a little leader. Lou also has great friends and family who work hard to support her dreams. Especially by the end of the story, she learns what a home really means and the value of good friends.
Overall, an enjoyable read that highlights the importance of family, not giving up and belief in oneself. I loved all the references to Filipino culture and food and even though I have no clue about building and woodwork, I found this to be an enjoyable read.