Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Last seen in Raymie Nightingale? (2016), Louisiana Elefante, daughter of dead trapeze artists and prone to fainting, is awakened in the middle of the night by her grandmother, who orders her into the car. Granny has been told in a vision that they have a date with destiny, an opportunity to reverse the family curse, but they must immediately hit the road. Once over the Florida border into Georgia, Granny's aching teeth become an emergency. Louisiana, 12, is forced to get behind the wheel and locate a dentist in the small town of Richford. Once there, she finds a friend, but loses both her bearings and her history when family secrets are disclosed, whereupon she discovers she has more moxie in her small body than she thought possible. DiCamillo, in an unusual turn for her, tells Louisiana's story in first person, bringing the reader close to what's in the girl's head and heart—including pure anger at the disruption of her life. The writing is terse, with short paragraphs and even shorter sentences. DiCamillo offers a master class in how to tell and shape a story once all fat has been cut away. Though set in the mid-1970s, there's a fairy-tale quality to this, with heroes, helpers, villains, and one princess looking for a home. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: DiCamillo's done it all—except write a sequel before. A 10-city author tour and coordinated global release are planned. Grades 4-7. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
BookPage Reviews
Louisiana's Way Home
In Louisiana's Way Home, award-winning author Kate DiCamillo expands on the story of Louisiana Elefante, a fan-favorite character from 2016's Raymie Nightingale.
When Louisiana's Granny wakes her in the middle of the night, she claims it's the day of reckoning and says they have to leave town. After a long, eventful drive across the Florida-Georgia state line, Granny's toothache forces them to stop in a quirky small town with a motel, a church and a friendly boy with a pet crow. Louisiana desperately wants to return to Florida and reunite with her best friends, but Granny has other plans. As Louisiana learns something new about her past and grows closer to the people of the town, will she be able to choose between making a new home and returning to her old one?
Louisiana tells her story in first person with unaffected charm, gentle warmth and keen observation, making it easy to see why the townspeople immediately embrace her. The magic of DiCamillo's storytelling is in its simple, believable realism. Some people are kind, some are less so. The world can be harsh, even terrible, but it can also be beautiful. The way Louisiana notices, takes in and shares this wisdom is what makes DiCamillo one of our finest storytellers. This lovely story of independence and community will resonate with readers of all ages.
This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
Copyright 2018 BookPage Reviews.ForeWord Magazine Reviews
In Kate DiCamillo's beautiful follow-up to Raymie Nightingale, Louisiana Elefante is back, and she and her granny are out to face the family curse. When they stop to sleep in a small Georgia town, Louisiana is left to wander on her own. She meets Burke Allen, who is kind, has a pet crow, and can get her anything she wants from the motel vending machine. The two form an instant friendship.
Louisiana returns to her room to find her granny missing, having left a note that turns her world upside down. Louisiana must rely on the kindness of the people she meets, primarily the town minister and Burke Allen's family, as she tries to figure out what to do next.
Louisiana is a precocious lead with an interesting sense of ethics, a sometimes sharp tongue, and a lovely singing voice. Left alone in a strange place, far away from friends and utterly without family, she must learn some very large truths; much of what she thought defined her simply no longer applies. She knows she wants to go home, but how can she possibly find her way home when she doesn't even know who she is?
The book strikes a delicate balance between relating a charming, entertaining story full of colorful characters and imparting a deeply meaningful life lesson about deciding what kind of person to be. Not everyone Louisiana meets is interested in helping her, but those that do reach out to her with great love and compassion. Louisiana takes a large step towards maturity, learning to be her best self and to redefine what home really means.
© 2018 Foreword Magazine, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Horn Book Guide Reviews
Louisiana Elefante's flighty, unstable grandmother abandons her at a motel, leaving behind a letter revealing that Louisiana is a foundling whom she rescued and raised. Louisiana (Raymie Nightingale) is a resilient and sympathetic character, and the juxtaposition of her down-to-earth observations with Granny's capriciousness lightens the narrative and allows for a good deal of humor. Overarching themes addressing forgiveness, love, friendship, acceptance, home, and family ring honest and true. Copyright 2018 Horn Book Guide Reviews.
Horn Book Magazine Reviews
Readers first met Louisiana Elefante in Raymie Nightingale (rev. 3/16) as the orphaned daughter of famous trapeze artists and as one of the Three Rancheros, a steadfast trio of young friends who vowed to always have one another's backs. In this companion novel, Louisiana's flighty, unstable grandmother awakens her one night (because "the day of reckoning has arrived"), insisting that they must leave town immediately. Louisiana and Granny travel through Florida and stop in Richford, Georgia, at the Good Night, Sleep Tight motel. There Granny abandons Louisiana, leaving behind a florid letter revealing the shattering information that Louisiana is not her kin at all, but a foundling whom she recued and raised. Now Louisiana is truly alone, not really knowing who she is, but knowing she isn't who she thought she was. DiCamillo builds a resilient and sympathetic character in Louisiana, and the juxtaposition of her down-to-earth observations with Granny's capriciousness lightens the narrative and allows for a good deal of humor. DiCamillo graces the plot with a brief moment of magical realism, a device that may allow both readers and Louisiana to eventually forgive Granny. The overarching themes addressing forgiveness, love, friendship, acceptance, home, and family ("Perhaps what matters when all is said and done is not who puts us down but who picks us up") ring honest and true. betty carter Copyright 2018 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
Abandoned twice over, Louisiana Elefante discovers in herself the "magic that puts things back together." "There is a great deal of power in writing things down," Louisiana observes as she begins her chronicle, a powerful tale of finding her way home. In a convincing first-person voice, the 12-year-old relates the facts of her 1977 journey to Richford, Georgia. She takes note of surprising details and adds her own philosophical thoughts. Readers who first encountered Louisiana in Raymie Nightingale (2016) will be heartened to learn more about her, but this is a stand-alone tale of how she lifted the "curse of sundering" she thought was her legacy. This is not only a story of a child deciding who she wants to be, but also of the power of generosity, especially in the family of Burke Allen, the boy who becomes her friend after she has left Raymie and Beverly behind in Florida. Louisiana's life with her grandmother has not been easy, but she has some amazing talents: a voice lik e an angel and skill at convincing others to meet her needs. Much about her experiences could be devastatingly sad—sometimes this vulnerable white child makes other characters cry—but there's also humor, especially in Louisiana's biting observations about some of the adults around her. The book adheres to the white default. For readers who relish thoughtfully constructed plots, well-developed characters, and carefully crafted language, this will be a special treat. (Historical fiction. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus 2018 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Fans of Newbery Medalist DiCamillo's
School Library Journal Reviews