the house that lou built + giveaway

One of our favorite middle grade books this year!!! 🔨

Twelve-year-old Lou Bulosan-Nelson has a dream — to build a house of her own.  Not just any house — a 100-square-foot tiny house.  A “just right” space to get away to when she’s in need of some peace and quiet.  Lou’s hopeful plans are to build her house on some land inherited from her dad.  It’s not long, though, before she and her carefully-drafted blueprints run into a couple of obstacles.  It’s time to “seize the day” (one of Lou’s favorite mottos) and make things happen!

This book means so much to me.  It means so much to welcome another Filipino American voice to kidlit, and a character whose experiences are similar to my own — the language, culture, hospitality, community and loud, boisterous togetherness — it’s all there.  Mae Respicio’s writing is fresh and funny with beautiful moments that will resonate with all readers about family, friends, and the intangible things that make a house a home.  I hope you’ll welcome this story into your heart as I have and I hope you’ll love getting to know creative, resourceful, observant and lovable Lou.  You can read an excerpt from The House That Lou Built here.

The House That Lou Built was written by Mae Respicio and published by Wendy Lamb Books (Random House Children's Books).  It’ll be out on June 12 and is available for pre-order now.  And, we’re giving away an ARC of The House That Lou Built!  This giveaway is open to US residents and ends Sunday, April 22, at 11:00 PM PDT.  Head over to this Instagram post to enter.