Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo - Review

This is another of the Carnegie longlist books that I managed to get at the library before everyone was told to stay at home. I started reading it while still finishing something else, but then really got into it and finished it one evening. It's middle grade so quite a short, straightforward book, but it has a real depth and a lot of heart that I really liked. I would definitely read something else by Kate DiCamillo!

The book is set in the mid 1970s and stars Louisian Elefante. She is twelve and has been brought up by her Granny, who is an eccentric character and who believes that there is a curse upon the family. It was brought about because her dad, Louisiana's great-grandfather, a magician, sawed his wife in half and didn't put her together again.

Louisiana is woken up in the middle of the night by Granny and told that they are leaving Florida because of the curse. The two travel to Georgia, where Granny becomes unwell and has to have dental surgery. The two hole up in a motel, where Louisiana meets Burke Allen and his crow. Then everything goes haywire, and Louisiana is left to muddle her way through it.

Apparently she made an appearance in a previous book about her friend Raymie Clarke, which I would like to read. I found the book funny, touching, and a really good middle grade story for 9-11 year olds. I'm giving it four out of five.