Our September book club pick was the fun and heart-warming THE HOUSE THAT LOU BUILT by Mae Respicio.
Twelve—almost thirteen—year-old Lou Bulosan-Nelson has the ultimate summer DIY project. She’s going to build her own “tiny house,” 100 square feet all her own. She shares a room with her mom in her grandmother’s house, and longs for a place when she can escape her crazy but lovable extended Filipino family. Lou enjoys her woodshop class and creating projects, and she plans to build the house on land she inherited from her dad, who died before she was born. But then, she finds out that the land may not be hers for much longer.
Lou discovers it’s not easy to save her land, or to build a house. But she won’t give up; with the help of friends and relatives, her dream begins to take shape, and she learns the deeper meaning of home and family.
In the opening chapters of the book, we are introduced to Lou’s boisterous and lovable family, all who manage to squeeze into her lola’s house. And we’re also introduced to what Lou really wants for her thirteenth birthday: a tiny house.
“There’s only one thing I want—my own house. I just have to build it first.”
We learn she’s prepared herself for the work. She’s watched how-to videos, saved up scraps from her volunteer job, and applied herself in her woodshop class at school.
The neat thing about what happens with building the tiny house, is that Lou is not able to build it alone, like she imagined. It takes a team effort with her relatives, her friends, even her friendly teacher. She discovers that a house isn’t always a home.
“Home isn’t necessarily a place; it’s more of a feeling—of comfort and trust, of people who are a part of you.”
This community story will immerse you in family, friends, and love. And it will leave you with a warm heart, a look into Filipino culture, and a yearning for the delicious food!
To learn more about Mae, or for printable drawing pages, activities, recipes, and discussion questions, check out our Middle Grade at Heart newsletter devoted to THE HOUSE THAT LOU BUILT here.
The book is comprised of four main parts. Part one lays the groundwork for what we are about to take on when reading the book. It takes us through the components most important for supporting comprehension in our classrooms reminding educators about the significance of texts, levels, and most importantly the reader. What I love about the next two parts is how Jen takes us on a journey toward understanding and recognizing comprehension and different levels of text complexity. Part two is focused on fiction text while part three takes on nonfiction text. As teachers, we already know that fiction and nonfiction have many different qualities. When attempting to match readers to texts that they can enjoy–as well as read, synthesize, and manage across time, it can get complicated. Jen has somehow made this simpler and more streamlined, reminding us along the way that it is never simple. I liken it to the anatomy of the human body. We all know a lot about how a body functions, what it’s like to live in one, and how to operate it. However, many of us don’t understand the complexities of all those functions and operations! Parallel to this, as teachers and readers we all probably have an affinity for books, we understand what it’s like to get wrapped up in a story or fascinating information within the pages, and we are all pretty good at making book choices for ourselves. Understanding how all these pieces have fallen into place is complex and different for each and every one of us! This is what makes teaching readers to build upon their skill sets so challenging. 
I became a US citizen on December 16, 2016 at 9:01 a.m. You never forget that moment—it’s etched in your brain and in your soul forever. You remember what you wore (red wool dress, my grandmother’s shawl), how you felt (floating like a balloon, shaky knees, quivering lips), and who you were with. For me, it was a celebration of sisterhood. As Lady Liberty shone on the screen at the front of the state courtroom, I stood shoulder to shoulder with women from Colombia, China, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We soon cried and laughed together hugging and congratulating one another as “my fellow Americans,” as soul sisters, as first generation trailblazers.
The moniker can be both an honor and a burden: there’s the pressure of expecting to graduate with the highest marks, to earn a top salary that will secure financial freedom for several generations of family members. As we wrote about the first generation trailblazers in our book, it became obvious that these experiences are shared across all cultures, ethnicities, races, genders and classes.
Sandra Neil Wallace writes biographies for young readers that focus on people who break barriers and change the world, including 
Rachel Toalson is an author, essayist, and poet who regularly contributes to adult and children’s print and online publications around the world. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and six boys. The Colors of the Rain is her first traditionally published novel. You can visit her online at 
MG Book Village 