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A review by mldavisreads
The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio
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.