The House that Lou Built by Mae Respicio

How I Heard About It:  This title came to me via my #bookexpedition Twitter group.  I didn't know anything about the story, but was excited to read it.  I thought the cover was quite interesting.  

What It Is About:  Most kids want to play, do sports, or hang out with their friends.  When it comes to Lou, she prefers to create, build, and use her hands.  Lou's ultimate goal is to build herself a "tiny" house on a piece of land that he father left her after his death.  Lou's mother shares with Lou that they may need to move because of a new job.  Lou isn't happy about this news; especially because it may impede the building of her own house.  Lou takes action into her own "hands" and gets started on the building of her house.  This action entails lies, sneaking around, and even harming her own friends/family.  Lou gets frustrated when several "factors" get in the way of her dream.  She learns what it means to be focused, determined, and making dreams come true.    

What I Thought Of It:  I wasn't sure what to expect from this story because I didn't really know what it was going to be about.  The story was alright.  I think I preferred the characters over the plot of the book.  The action and/or events moved a bit slow for my taste.  I did appreciate the underlying theme of not giving up on your dreams and working hard to achieve them.  There are some middle-grade stories that appeal to this 50 year old male, and others not so much.  I do think kids will enjoy the book, but it wasn't necessarily my type of story.  

Who Should Read It:  Readers in grades three through five would be the perfect audience for this novel.  I also think some readers in grades five and/or six would also appreciate the story.  Female readers may gravitate toward the book than males because Lou is the lead character.  The supporting characters are also female.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars!