Lovely book we discovered the other day at the Chandler Public Library. LOUISIANA’S WAY HOME by one of our favorite middle-grade authors, Kate DiCamillo, tells the story of Louisiana Elefante, a young girl whose parents have died and who is living with her grandmother.
One day, her granny insists they must leave their home permanently as the day of reckoning has arrived. Granny has done this before but this time Louisiana knows it’s serious. They drive off, leaving behind everything Louisiana has ever known, including close friends, and a beloved dog and cat.
When Granny’s emergency need for medical care causes them to stop momentarily, Louisiana meets some new friends, namely a boy named Burke and his crow, who end up helping her discover who she really is and find home.
Granny, who seems mentally ill, though that term is never used, is irresponsible to the point of being borderline abusive, but somehow you can’t hate her. Louisiana’s voice is so original, so compelling and engaging, you can’t stop turning the pages until you’re sure she ends up well. Readers originally met Louisiana in another DiCamillo book I haven’t yet read, RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE, which of course I now must read.
