Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I appreciate seeing stories about the affects of homelessness on children. These characters make do and conceal truths when their existence is boiled down to just a few necessities. Books like this one show us how a "normal" low income family cam be thrown completely off balance and lose absolutely everything when there is no safety net. Lulu does a solid job keeping her family together projecting normalcy and protecting herself and her sister. This book carries a message of knowing your strength but also how it is okay to ask for help, to turn to even strangers who largely turn out to be good and kind. The plot is ultimately a bit overly optimistic but largely affirming.

At times Lulu and Serena's story feels hopeless but by the end, readers will recognize that overall this is a story about hope. And it's a nice reminder that we can't always know what other people are going through so be kind!

Fox skillfully transports us into the heart of the main character Lulu who is desperately trying to take care of her little sister after their dad abandons them at the RV park where they’ve been living. Hopefully, she makes paper cranes and wishes that her dad will come back as he has before. They go undiscovered by adults for several weeks but one day when she misses her sister’s pick-up time, Social Services is called and the truth comes out. When it does, Lulu learns what community means, that adults aren’t the enemy, and that her dad is never left them — he’s been a John Doe in the hospital. This is a moving story of a determined girl facing homelessness with courage.

This was a really interesting, though-provoking read. I enjoyed spending my time in the world the author created, and I think you will, too.

The artwork alone for this book had my attention. Twelve year old LuLa takes on the role as parent to her younger sister, Serene, when their father disappears from the car in which they live near an RV park in Montana. Winter is soon approaching and they are ill-prepared to winter in their car.
Strong, resourceful Lulu manages to keep the two of them under the radar so no one will discover the secret of their homelessness or the fact that they’ve been abandoned. She fears foster care and is terrified she and her sister wil be separated if anyone finds out they’re living conditions. Her talent as a singer emerges and her hope is kept afloat by the outlet of a new friend and a school production. Things spiral downward when an issue arises with Serene. She soon discovers how much the community and a few wonderful people care for her.
Wise beyond her years, selfless, and headstrong, Lulu exemplifies resilience. Despite her life’s challenges, she perseveres and keeps going for her family.
This story tugged at my heartstrings, especially knowing that this is the life of some of my students, past and present. I love how the story unfolded one flap at a time as it revealed the backstory of how the family got to the point of homelessness. Reminiscent of Stay, Parked, and The Benefits of Being an Octopus, this book will find a place on the bookshelves of my middle school classroom and will surely be scooped up as soon as I share it with my students.

I intend to purchase this for my elementary library as I think it's a sensitively told story about the painful reality of homelessness. While most of my students will only see homelessness if they travel to the city an hour away, and very possibly not even then, we do have many families who are never settled and always moving from one temporary spot to another—none of which are ever home.

I usually have a few readers each year seeking "sad" stories, and while this one does have a hopeful ending, I know those kids will appreciate the gentle way the author shares the heartbreaking struggles of two sisters. Lulu and Serena find themselves first with no mother, then no home, and then no father...just a Suburban filled with a few dollars and each other. Serena does eventually come to recognize that there are others she can trust and the importance of allowing a community to love you.

I appreciate multiple timelines and it seems that the majority of adult fiction books I've read this year features those, but I do think it can confuse some growing readers.. They don't always pay attention to details such as the chapter headings that give important contextual information. In this case, the author uses the headings Before, Way Before, and Now to distinguish between timelines. I'll just be sure to point this out to my younger readers. I think those in third grade up into middle school would enjoy this.

Big thanks for NetGalley and the publisher!

Finished in one sitting. Important subject matter. Immediate links/ladders to books like Applegate's CRENSHAW. Supportive characters make this a mentor text in talking about resources and resourcefulness.

Newly arrived in Montana, preteen sisters Lulu and Serena wake up alone one morning in their car. Thus begins their subterfuge to keep anyone else from finding out that Daddy is gone. Moving between past and present we see the slow downward spiral of poverty, the gradual loss of privacy and security, the way homeless erodes the girls’ sense of self as they wash from a bottle of water and wear musty second hand clothes, cook on a camp stove, struggle to keep up with school and are mocked by the mean girls. Stripped bit by bit of all the advantages and conveniences that we take for granted, Lulu fights a losing battle with the cold winter weather, the overdue RV camp rent, the hunger and fear and hopelessness, trying to fold 1000 cranes in order to earn her wishes.
Things wrap up neatly: The family is reunited and housed, Lulu makes friends and discovers new talents. And learns that it’s not a bad thing to ask for help.

Carry Me Home is similar to a modern-day version of The Boxcar Children, just more realistic. It follows Lulu and her family on their journey through grief and homelessness. While this is middle grade fiction, the writing style feels like the younger end of that group (think 7-10 year olds). That being said, Janet Fox addresses a lot of heavy topics that will bring out real emotions. I would recommend reading this book with your child so that you can have the important conversations as they come up. Carry Me Home is a reminder that even though life can be hard, there are still kind people in this world.

This is such a sweet and tender book. I love the journey of Lulu and the way we learn about her problems. It's so heartwarming and is such a great read. It's a great read for readers ages 9-12.

I predict this middle-grade novel will be a favorite this year. A heartbreaking and heartwarming story of a young girl, bolstered by her love of family, pushing through tragedy and grief, facing homelessness head-on with hope and resilience to discover the community surrounding her can provide more strength than she realized.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read an arc version of this book!

Wow, this was a sweet book. Lulu is a powerful main character--she has the best of intentions and desires for her sister and father, but she is also young and just trying to be happy, so some of her actions can appear selfish or unthoughtful. As a teacher, I was thinking of this book through the lens of, “Would I teach this?”, “What would students stand to gain?”. This is a solid empathy-building book centered on a family experiencing housing insecurity/homelessness, best suited for middle-grade students. Lulu experiences ups and downs, and finds hope in other people through their kind and generous actions. Carry Me Home feels heavy at times, but there are moments of light to keep the reader engaged. Highly recommend this book--still reflecting on whether it is appropriate for my own classroom!

There are stories that make us better as people, and Janet Fox's Carry Me Home is one of those. In this contemporary middle grade novel, Fox tells the story of the Johnson family, Lulu, 12, her father, and her younger sister, Serena. After the death of Lulu's mother, their life unraveled, as grief pulled apart the stable home they had built. Lulu's father is so trapped in his sadness, he is unable to work or to manage the mountains of bills they amassed during his wife's cancer treatments. Driven by despair, he first leaves the children with their stern aunt for a month before returning to whisk them away for a life on the road, traveling, living, and sleeping in their old Suburban. And Lulu adapts to it all, until the morning she wakes up and her father is gone, his cell phone, wallet, and $60.65 all that remain to keep Lulu and Serena safe and protected.
As Lulu struggles to keep Serena warm, fed, and reassured, she spins from fear to anger to grief, reliving the months that led up to their flight from Texas and their arrival in Montana. With steely resolve, she vows to protect Serena and keep their shredded family together, a weight far too great for her shoulders, and when things fall apart, Lulu is left alone, without her sister, their Suburban home, or anything but the backpack on her back. Only when her strength is played out does she crumble enough to ask for help.
Fox's story is gentle and quiet, but so powerful, driven by the relationship she builds between readers and her characters. We care about Lulu enough to worry about her, and we want to be the ones to help her. Through a realistic story, Fox illuminates the problem of homelessness and invites her readers to become Mrs. M.'s and Hanks, Jacks and Deanas, to become the people who help without judgment.

This is a story about two sisters, 12-year-old Lulu and her younger sibling Serena. After their mother passed away a year or so ago, their father moves them from Texas to Montana to start over. (and to escape the growing pile of unpaid bills) Starting over is difficult and they must live in their Suburban until they can get back on their feet again. One day the girls' father does not come home. This has happened before and Lulu is not too worried. But as the days keep passing by without their father showing up, Lulu takes on the responsibility of taking care of her sister. A tender story about a sensitive topic.