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The House That Lou Built

Lucinda (Lou) Bulosan-Nelson is good with her hands. She loves her woodworking class at school, and she has a dream: to build her own tiny house on the plot of land left to her by her white father, who died before Lou was born. When Lou’s mom considers taking a nursing job in Washington State, Lou panics. She doesn’t want to leave San Francisco, her friends, or her extended family and Filipino community. And what about her tiny house? She’s been collecting materials. She has a blueprint. She knows that building this house will help her feel more connected to the father she never knew. Then, worse news arrives: Unless Lou’s mom resumes tax payments on Lou’s land, the county will auction it off. Lou decides to take matters into her own hands (literally) and get started on that tiny house. Lou is resourceful, highly creative, and determined to learn and to find solutions—and she’s also smart enough to know how to ask for help when a project becomes too difficult. STEM themes abound, but Lou’s story is built on a foundation of family, friends, and community support. ©2019 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-13
Age Range: Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format: Novel
Subjects: Building/Construction Filipinos and Filipino Americans Friendship Multiracial Characters/Families
Diversity subject: Asian

Publishers: Random House, Wendy Lamb Books
Publish Year: 2018
Pages: 231
ISBN: 9781524717940

CCBC Location: Fiction, Respicio

The House That Lou Built