Louisiana’s Way Home

by Kate DiCamillo

Candlewick Press

Candlewick

Children’s Fiction

Pub Date 02 Oct 2018

I am reviewing a copy of Louisiana’s Way Home through Candlewick Press and Netgalley:

Louisiana’s Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her the day of a reckoning has come and they have to leave home right away.

Louisiana isn’t overly world though her Grandma is full of many middle of the night ideas but this one is different this time she does not have any intention on them coming home. Louisiana finds herself away from her best friends Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to find a way home but fate and her Granny but soon her life becomes entwined with a motel owner, a preacher and a boy with a crow on his shoulder.

Will Louisiana find her way home?

Or will she have to build a new life elsewhere?

I give Louisiana’s Way Home five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

It’s difficult to provide a synopsis of this book without giving away the plot. In short, it’s a heartwarming story of self-discovery for young readers. Louisiana’s honest and sweet perspective is a pleasure to read.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There is something about a Kate DiCamillo novel that brings you right back to your childhood, even if the character’s childhood is nothing like your own.

Louisiana Elephante has an unusual upbringing that involves family curses, a con-artist grandmother, and deceased-trapeze artist parents.

Louisiana is a clever, funny character that readers first discovered in Raymie Nightingale. Louisiana’s plight is a strange and difficult one. Life is often difficult, even for children. All of Louisiana’s struggles and interactions with uncaring adults are beautifully counter-balanced with the good in the world, to bring hope.

The writing is strong and the characters are even stronger. The humour in Louisiana’s first-person narrative adds a bit of joy in tough situations. Secondary characters are multi-dimensional as well. I still want to taste one of Mrs. Allen’s cakes!

This is a wonderful middle-grade novel. Readers will enjoy Louisiana’s whimsy. It is what you would expect of DiCamillo. Highly Recommended.

I read this book in 2 days. I love Kate DiCamillo and I was expecting it to be good and it was great. I loved it better than Raymie N. because it went deeper into the plight of many children in today's world. This book explored many issues that children have to deal with, live with, and figure out and many adults don't have a clue about what is going on in their young minds. I am a teacher and I think Kate developed the character's words, actions, and fears quite authentically. I loved the 17 cakes detail, the walrus image, the reference to Pinoccio and his story. I love the minister, Kate seems to bring religion into her stories as a way for kids to even think about going into a church, which many of them have never been exposed to. I love the friendship theme, and exploring how some people are alone. My favorite part was in chapter 24 when she learns that she needs to forgive. This is such an important message. The fact that we may and will not ever understand things is very important to tell children and adults. I cannot say enough about how well this book is written. I also love how Kate is trying to explain about how there is hunger in this world and it is very real. The fact that this girl wants 14 packs of peanuts is something that I never would have even thought about. She is hungry and knows hunger and hunger is part of her life. I remember that from the Raymie book about stealing food from the buffet and buying tuna cans because they're cheap and good protein. Again, Kate is bringing to the forefront an issue that many families struggle with: not having enough food.

Unfortunately, not my favorite Kate DiCamillo book. Good sequel, but a little too quirky for my taste. Those that loved the first book will enjoy this one as well.

What would you do if you were woken up in the middle of the night by your granny and forced to leave the home that you love? Louisiana Elefante and her granny have a curse on their heads that will not let them settle in one place for long. The problem is that Louisiana has two best friends that she is being separated from. Granny is determined to move to Georgia and Louisiana is not happy. She argues with granny and when that doesn't work she gives her the silent treatment. They run into several problems along the way, including granny having to pull over on the interstate because she is having extreme tooth pains. It is up to Louisiana to try to figure out how to get her to help, so Louisiana attempts to drive to safety. She ends up getting them off the interstate and to a small town in Georgia. She gets her granny to a dentist who has to pull every, single one of granny's teeth. Louisiana gets her granny to a motel run by a mean, old lady, but she finally convinces her to give them a room so granny can rest. While hanging outside the motel she meets a boy that helps her sneak snacks out of the vending machine. Little does Louisiana know that her life is about to drastically change. Will Louisiana ever make it back home to her best friends? Does Louisiana even know what home is? And will Louisiana and her granny ever be able to get rid of that awful curse on their head? Read this incredible book to find out what happens.

We were first introduced to Louisiana Elefante in Kate DiCamillo's book Raymie Nightingale. Louisiana is such a funny character with so much wit and charm that you can't help but love her. I was so excited when I found out that we get to read more about Louisiana. Don't miss out on this one!

Another phenomenal book by Kate DiCamillo! Thank you for the e-galley. I already own Ramie Nightingale and will be purchasing this companion book also. I loved being able to read about Louisiana Elefante and her eccentric Granny once again. The family curse, the new characters Louisiana met, and her poverty make it a hopeful read that young readers will connect with.

Even though it was more than sixteen years ago, I can vividly remember walking into my elementary school’s Book Fair in third grade and seeing Because of Winn-Dixie on the shelf. I picked up the book because I liked the dog on the cover, but I kept reading because of the spectacular voice of Opal – the book’s main character.

I became a huge fan of Kate DiCamillo when I was just eight years old. As a teacher, I’ve had the privilege of watching the same thing happen to my students. That’s one of the main reasons I was so excited to pick up Lousiana’s Way Home: because I know Kate DiCamillo’s books are so often both heartbreaking and healing for kids.

Lousiana’s Way Home tells the story of a young girl whose grandmother wakes her up in the middle of the night and tells her that the day of reckoning has arrived. Lousiana Elefante’s granny sticks her in the car before driving straight out of Florida and into Georgia. Louisiana is used to her grandmother’s crazy ideas, but this one lands Louisiana in a small Georgia town where she is forced to come to terms with her past – and her present.

I finished reading this book a week ago, and yet I’ve thought of its characters every single day. DiCamillo manages to make the characters so incredibly real – especially Louisiana herself. In fact, this is the first time DiCamillo has written in the first-person since Because of Winn-Dixie! In addition to Louisiana, DiCamillo builds other strong characters like neighborhood boy Burke Allen, motel owner Bernice, and even a crow named Clarence.

Each of DiCamillo’s characters seems so real in the masterfully created setting of a small town in Georgia. The characters and setting both contribute to a plot that moves quickly, yet leaves time for readers to ponder Lousiana’s next move. Although this book exists in the same universe as DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale, the text can absolutely stand alone.

I can’t wait to see what this book does in the hands of young readers. I can see students rereading this one and sharing with their peers – I know Louisiana will be a friend that many readers will want to meet again and again.

“We all, at some point, have to decide who we want to be in this world.” My heart broke for Louisiana as her world got turned upside down, and she tried to figure out her place in the world and who she wanted to be. Kate DiCamillo develops the story and introduces the most perfect supporting characters along the way. I could not love Louisiana Elefante or this book more.

Another great children's book from a beloved author. This one will definitely make it onto our library's shelf.

Kate DiCamillo NEVER disappoints! This one broke my heart over and over, but in true Kate Dicamillo fashion, it has beautiful redemption qualities as well. I loved reading more about Louisiana from Raymie Nightingale, and her unstable grandma. It has been a while since I've read Raymie, so I also feel Louisiana's Way Home could be a stand-alone, for those who have never read Raymie. Of course, I want my students to read both, but Louisiana could be read first if they haven't read Raymie.

Louisiana's Way Home by Kate Dicamillo is a beautiful story.

In honor of this fine novel, if you have any further questions, my answer will include the word "cake" in every instance. #bookaday

Publication date: 10/2/2018

Louisiana Elefante is a character from DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale, a novel I haven’t read yet. But this is Louisiana’s story, beginning as her grandmother whisks her away from her home, pets, and friends, heading toward an unknown future. It works exceptionally well as a stand-alone novel, although now I’m very motivated to read Raymie’s tale. Louisiana’s life has been filled with fantastical stories about her circus performing family and the whims of her very unusual grandmother, and this gives this novel a whimsical, fairy-tale quality even as bad things begin to happen.

Louisiana herself is a staunch character, keeping her chin up and always moving forward. She finds kindness in a Lost Boy-esque character, who literally feeds her from a vending machine, but her path is also filled with apathetic grown-ups and big questions about her past and identity. It could have easily veered into dark middle grade novel territory, but that whimsical quality kept it afloat, and it’s that whimsy that lingered with me, as I write this review a week after finishing the book.

I really enjoyed this novel, and recommend it to anyone interested in middle grade books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

Who isn’t excited to see a new Kate DiCamillo book come out?? Thanks to netGalley for this ARC, I couldn’t wait to read it. The main character has a great voice (at first I found the writing voice choppy but it does suit the character with time) and the characters she encounters feel simple, but still worth caring for. This is a rather short melancholy text, but the sweetness is there too. I think this would make a great pick for book groups (it’s manageable length with a compelling story are a solid combo), or as a class read aloud. I could see a class getting entrenched in her journey and all sorts of projects spinning off of this book, from character analysis, to discussions about class/SES, or a final project asking kids what they would do and why if they were in the main chavearer’s shoes.. etc. The length + punch of this one is a strong combination for the middle grade world!

Louisiana's Way Home is a wonderful story that will stay in your heart for a long time. Kate DiCamillo has a way with characters. Her characters are unforgettable and somehow worm their way into the heart of the reader as friends. Cannot wait to purchase this one.

So thankful for this advanced copy through Netgalley. The writing in this book is just.. perfect. I enjoyed this as much as any children's book I have read in the past few years. DiCamillo brilliantly weaves through sadness, humor, quirkiness, and humanity. I so appreciate the effort she must have taken to craft this novel so that it was just right. I highlighted many, many phrases that were either sharply humorous or meaningful-or both.

If you loved Raymie Nightingale and even if you didn't read it, Louisiana is a stand alone with a great voice. You will giggle, cry and cheer. I loved Louisiana and cannot wait to share her with my students!

Louisiana Elefante is a character that will stay with me all of my days (I am even talking like her now). This book made me laugh and cry and generally just want to read 10 more stories about Louisiana and her adventures. The characters in this book or so vivid and make your heart burst with the kindness of people. The scene with Grandpa Burke Allen and the ice cream made me cry and it instantly became a classic scene to share with my students. Thank you so much Netgalley and Candlewick Press.

I enjoyed this more than I did Raymie Nigthingale and I liked Louisiana’s voice telling the story. It's an interesting story with ups and downs and a satisfying ending. But, I was left feeling disappointed because the story didn’t have the depth of some of my DiCamillo favorites like Winn-Dixie or Tiger Rising.

First off, I LOVED Raymie Nightingale (DiCamillo 2016) and Louisiana was my favorite character in the book. I was thrilled to get to spend more time with her in this book. So my thoughts are probably a bit skewed. Louisiana is a character like no other. She has a unique way of expressing herself and her voice is very strong throughout the book. The way she views the world is very different to say the least. She is both brazen and innocent at the same time. Although the story seems a bit far-fetched, it all just seems very "Louisiana" to me. Nothing surprised me (well almost nothing). I was not surprised when Granny needed her teeth out or when 12 year-old Louisiana drove the car, or when they landed in a motel room with no money to pay. In true DiCamillo style, readers will meet and get to know new and interesting characters. There are two cranky women who are always in various stages of curling their hair, three characters named Burke, and a nurturing, cake-baking mother.
Of course Granny is an intriguing character in her own right. She is grumpy, non-nonsense, cunning and fiercely protective. I think she could have her own story explained in a book some time.
The ending is surprising and satisfying and just seems "right". Readers will love Louisiana with her swampy lungs, fainting spells, beautiful singing voice and her adorably woeful outlook.
I would recommend this book for grades 4-6.