“It is a long and tragic story full of dark alleys and twists and turns and many unexpected happenings,” I said. “And also curses. There are curses in the story.”

When Louisiana’s Granny wakes her at 3am, bundles her in the car and starts driving, Louisiana assumes this is just another one of Granny’s “middle-of-the-night ideas”. But this time Granny keeps driving and Louisiana wonders if she’ll ever see Raymie and Beverly (her two best friends), Archie the King of the Cats or one eyed dog Buddy again.

Louisiana’s story should be devastating and believe me when I tell you that parts of it are (have tissues on hand), but Louisiana’s perseverance, determination and courage transforms her story into one of hope. My main niggle was that while Louisiana did express sadness, anger and confusion about her circumstances, the extent of those very understandable feelings appeared to be glossed over on occasion in the rush to find the positive.

This is Louisiana’s second appearance in a Kate DiCamillo book but the first of Kate’s books I’ve read. After falling in love with Louisiana I’ve ordered ‘Raymie Nightingale’ from the library (I love my library!). While I could easily jump straight into reading ‘Louisiana’s Way Home’ without having already read ‘Raymie Nightingale’ I want to get to know Raymie and Beverly. I‘m keen to find out what Louisiana was up to two years ago and am very interested in learning more about Louisiana’s relationship with her Granny.

Louisiana is simply adorable and I was equally fond of many of the people she meets along the way. I also appreciated the roles the cantankerous characters played and I loved that the author was able to bring all of the characters to life, even those we only meet briefly. I want to tell you all about the different characters that I fell in love with but I don’t want to spoil anything for you so instead will encourage you to discover them all for yourself.

“In some ways, this is a story of woe and confusion, but it is also a story of joy and kindness and free peanuts.”

Louisiana’s story is ultimately one of family, friendship and deciding who you want to be. This young girl is going to find her way into the hearts of so many readers, children and adults alike. I already know that I’m going to want to reread this book once I’ve read ‘Raymie Nightingale’ and I expect that I’m going to need to read more of this author’s books as soon as possible.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Louisiana is woken at 3 am by her Granny as they pack up and head out of town. Before she realizes it they have left Florida and entered Georgia. Louisiana isn't happy about leaving home. She misses her friends and her cat and dog. They end up at a motel in a small town in Georgia where Granny has to have her teeth pulled. Louisiana is mostly on her own and ends up making friends with local boy Burke Allen. She tells him all about the curse of sundering on her family and enlists his help when Granny takes off. Granny does leave Louisiana a letter that explains her origins and breaks everything she thought she knew about herself. 

I love that we return to the world of Raymie Nightingale. Louisiana was one of the shining stars of that book and she was definitely worthy of a book of her own. I do wish more would have been done with Granny's obvious mental illness and the fact that she just abandons Louisiana on her own. Learning Louisiana's history was fascinating and explained a lot about Granny. I loved that the book was set up as a story about how Louisiana was able to come to terms with Granny and what she had down and eventually forgive herself. I also loved the unconditional acceptance of the Burke Allen family. They had pure hearts and deserve to have Louisiana as part of their family.

Oh my, if I could, I would give this book more stars. Louisiana just jumps off the page and into your heart. There is just so much I adore about this book. It's deeply philosophical. It's gut wrenching. It's got heart and soul. I cried with sorrow and joy. This is a must read middle grade novel that celebrates the best in all of us.

Louisiana Elefante was introduced to readers in Raymie Nightingale. Although this book can be read as a stand alone, I would recommend you start with Raymie’s story. This book will take you on a roller coaster of emotions as you journey along with Louisiana. She’s thrown into some odd situations that she handles with strength, grit and grace. She meets interesting characters along the way, all while figuring out some of life’s challenges. This book deals with unusual friendships, wisdom beyond years and less than perfect circumstances. Life is not a fairytale and neither is Louisana’s Way Home.

More in depth review at : http://coastandanchor.com/kate-dicamillo-louisiana-rosie/

This book would be a perfect suggestion  for to 5th or 6th grade readers.  DiCamillo is a wonderful storyteller that weaves the story so that the reader stays interested and invested in the characters.

Beloved children's author, Kate DiCamillo, first introduced readers to Louisiana Elefante in the pages of Raymie Nightengale.  Louisiana's Way Home focuses on the relationship between Lousiana and her grandmother. Louisiana's granny has told her all her life that she was under a curse of sundering and she never had a reason to doubt what her granny said. 

At least not until she found herself being taken from Florida and the friends she has come to love. Louisiana learns more than she ever wanted to about sundering. She wonders if she will ever again know what it means to call someplace home.

Louisiana learns a lot about herself and her grandmother and even some about the mystery of her parents. She experiences love, loss and disappointment but also glimmers of kindness, friendship, and a sense of belonging. Louisiana's Way Home is a beautiful tale of a girl who learns that home can be in more than one place and it can be shared with people unrelated by blood.   

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Louisiana's Way Home from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

Poignant story of how Louisiana, a young teenage girl in Florida, navigates her way thru a series of traumatic events to eventually find her way.  Louisiana sets off on a trip with her Granny that crosses a state line. When her Granny becomes ill during the trip, Louisiana is forced to find a way to keep them moving and to help her Grandma.  Then, when her Grandma takes off on a personal family mission of her own, she leaves Louisiana a note.  Louisiana finds herself lost both literally and figuratively.  But with the help of a new friend and his family, she begins to find her way.

I love everything that Kate DiCamillo writes, and Louisiana’s Long Way Home is no exception. When Granny takes Louisiana from Florida to Georgia, Louisiana is over it. She is tired of leaving people and places she loves and she just wants to return to Florida and Raymie, Beverly, Buddy, and Archie. But when Granny gets all her teeth pulled, things begin to fall apart for Louisiana. Her new friend Burke and his family are there for her, but she’s not even sure who she is anymore. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley selecting me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

There is just something about the writing of Kate DiCamillo.  Louisiana's Way Home was a heart-wrenching tale that will stay with you and make you think.  It's hard to even write about it because I am still trying to digest.  Such truth and grit.  Will definitely be recommending this one to my middle school patrons.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Louisiana Elefante is a precocious 12 year old who is being raised by a loving, but unstable grandparent.   Louisiana lives a vagabond lifestyle before finding a place and people worth staying for.

Sweet in its simplicity, yet deeply complex is this story of Louisiana Elefante, who previously appeared in Raymie Nightingale. You don’t need to have read the earlier book to understand this one. It’s compelling and charming and I want to know more about Louisiana’s life after she settles down.

Louisiana Elefante is perturbed, to say the least, when her granny wakes her up one morning and announces that the day of reckoning has arrived and they must leave their home in Florida at once. It's bad enough that Louisiana has to leave behind her friends, Raymie and Beverly, and not much better that Granny immediately has dental trouble and Louisiana has to drive her to a dentist. The worst, however, happens when Louisiana and Granny check into a hotel in a small Georgia town and everything Louisiana thought she knew about her life begins to unravel. All she wants to do is go home, but first Louisiana has to come to an understanding of where that really is.

I felt pretty lukewarm about Raymie Nightingale and two years later, I don't remember much about it. This companion novel, however, told in the strong first-person voice of Louisiana herself makes a much deeper impression. I was drawn into this story immediately, and I read the book eagerly from beginning to end in a single afternoon. The characters are believably endearing and flawed, and Granny's erratic behavior begs the reader to keep turning the pages. Though events of the story are sad, potential sorrow on the part of the reader is tempered by Louisiana's continually upbeat outlook and her willingness to rise to the occasion in even the most dismal of circumstances.

DiCamillo's writing - particularly the details she uses to demonstrate her characters' personalities and quirks - is at its best in this novel. Both of her last two novels, Flora & Ulysses and Raymie Nightingale, didn't really work for me, but to my surprise, this one is actually nearly on par with my favorite of her works, Because of Winn Dixie. (Thanks to Candlewick and NetGalley for the digital ARC!)

Louisiana's Way Home  By: Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick Press
Published date 2 October 2018
Children's Fiction        Middle Grade      240 pages
#LouisianasWayHome       #NetGalley

I know that this book has already been out in the stores for a while but I just couldn't get my review up before now. I did get the book finished before the publish date though.
I have greatly enjoyed this book and a few others that she has written.
This book is about a 12 year old girl named Louisiana and her grandma, who leave the state of Florida at 3 in the morning. Louisiana doesn't know why just that her grandma woke her up and told her to get into the car. She had to leave behind her friends and pets. She has been told that a curse has been passed down from her great grandfather and that it was time to end the curse. The curse is known as a Sundering. The story goes on to explain how the curse was started and why it is called this name. They travel with no money or means on how to get where they are going.  Grandma ends up needing some dental care and time to recover so she has Louisiana help pay for things by her wit and voice. She has a beautiful singing voice. During this time Louisiana meets some a boy who befriends and they are able to have some fun while grandma recovers. On her trip back from one of the visits her grandma has taken off and left her a note. This note explains somethings to Louisiana that changes her life and questions everything that has happened. What did the note say and what does she do?
I do recommend that you read this book or have your middle grader read it. It is a fun and adventurist book.

This book continues the story that began in Raymie Nightingale, following Louisiana Elefante as her Granny wakes her up in the middle of the night, tells her they need to leave their home, and drives them out of Florida and into Georgia. She doesn't understand why her Granny has taken her away from her cat and her best friends. As they travel and several hard truths about her family are revealed, Louisiana will learn what it really means to have a home and be part of a family.
This book is sweet, unique, and heartbreaking. I love Kate diCamillo's books because she uses such poignant storylines and realistic descriptions. The fairy tale quality of this book is enchanting and makes Louisiana's story that much more heartbreaking. I loved the ending because she finally learns what it means to belong to a family and have a home. I highly recommend this book and will be eagerly awaiting the next one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Confession: I haven’t read Raymie Nightingale, but when I got the chance to review Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo, I couldn’t pass it up. My family listened to Flora & Ulysses on our summer vacation a few years ago, and we all enjoyed it so much. I’ve also read Because of Winn Dixie and absolutely adore it, too. Kate DiCamillo is one of those authors where you just want to buy everything with her name on it because you know it’s going to be good.

And Louisiana’s Way Home is no exception. It’s packed with the same rich, unforgettable characters and incredible heart as the other stories I’ve read by her. I love Louisiana’s voice. You absolutely get the feeling a particular girl is telling every line. I love the way her relationships with each other character impact the story. The walrus-like minister is one of my favorites. In one scene, he cries, and it’s not at all the focus of the scene, but it so revealed the kind of person he is without making a big show. I loved it and wholeheartedly recommend Louisiana’s Way Home. And now I definitely have to read Raymie Nightingale!

Review posts 10/10/18

Kate DiCamillo’s latest book is about Louisiana Elefante, a quirky character from a previous work, Rayburn Nightingale. Louisiana’s story is tragic and compelling, as she is whisked away from her home by her granny in the middle of the night. Join in Louisiana’s journey as she seeks to find her place in the world. An excellent choice for upper elementary and middle school students.

In one of my favourite books of the year, Louisiana's Way Home, young Louisiana is telling us the story of how she left Florida after being wakened by her grandmother in the middle of the night, Louisiana doesn't realize at first that they are leaving Florida for good, and is awash in grief when she realizes she's left her best friends and beloved pets behind. 

"It is best to smile. That is what Granny has told me my whole life. If you have to choose between smiling and not smiling, choose smiling. It fools people for a short time. It gives you an advantage."

When Granny has a medical emergency near a small town in Georgia, Louisiana must figure out how to get things done using life lessons learned from wily and conniving Granny. Determined to find her way back home, and avoid being questioned by any authorities while Granny is incapacitated, tenacious Louisiana finds a potential ally in a new friend, a thoughtful and kind boy named Burke.

"I was starting to see what kind of a person he was. He was the kind of person who, if you asked him for one of something, gave you two instead."

Even though this is a fairly short story, author DiCamillo deftly pulls you in and tugs at your heartstrings. I so want to meet Louisiana in real life -- the character is so rich and I loved seeing her growth as she learns to trust, and realizes that the way home is not always what you expected it to be.

"The world was beautiful. It surprised me, how beautiful it kept on insisting on being. In spite of all the lies, it was beautiful."

Awesome Female Character score: 5/5 -- Louisiana is one tough cookie who isn't afraid to get things done. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing me with a DRC of this book.

Louisiana’s Way Home is an emotional roller-coaster of a story as we journey with Louisiana to find out what “Home” really means.  Louisiana is a small girl with a strong, honest voice, and make no mistake, SHE is telling this story.  After meeting Louisiana in Raymie Nightingale, I was delighted to learn that Louisiana’s story would be shared as well.  Kate DiCamillo is one of those amazing writers who can tell a complete and colorful story without weighing it down with too many words. Her characters speak clearly and beautifully through the pages with the voice that she gives them.  I truly laughed out loud, wept tears of both sadness and joy, and hugged the book tightly when I finished reading it,  in an attempt to somehow hug Louisiana, and even Kate herself. This book is brilliant and beautiful, and young (and old) readers will enjoy Louisiana’s voice as surely as if we were listening to her sing in a cathedral.

I haven't read Raymie Nightingale, though I want to change that after reading Louisiana's Way Home. 

Louisiana Elefante is an incredible character. She's very smart and very funny, although I don't think she tries to be. She is already a force to be reckoned with and I'm hoping we get more books about her in the future. (NOTE: Raymie Nightingale isn't about her, although she's in it.)

This is an incredibly sad book, at least in parts. There's so much going on with her, and while quite a bit of it is good---Louisiana is one of those people who makes friends everywhere she goes---it's also a stark reminder that one of the worst things about childhood is how little kids can control what goes on around them. Adults have more control, to a certain extent, but kids? Literally none. "Oh hey, we're moving" and it's a done deal. 

This is a book that will stay with the reader and if you've already met and loved Anne Shirley, I think Louisiana Elefante could be your new best friend.

Highly recommended.

[Please note I fell behind on reading, so I actually have based this review on the audio book, which I purchased from Audible]

I will start by saying that considering how short this book is (the audio is only 3 and 1/2 hours), it takes you on quite an emotional ride. It is gut-wrenching, but not miserable. I loved this look into Louisiana's mind. I listened to the audio and Cassandra Morris is perfect for portraying Louisiana's voice. 

Two years have passed since we met Louisiana in Raymie Nightingale, and she and Raymie and Beverly have remained friends. Then Granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to run away, and she starts the new adventure we share in this book. She meets many new and interesting characters, and treats us to her unique perspective and people and events. I enjoyed the ending. I will need to read the print, as well, because I have a feeling it will be a slightly different experience.