This is a well-written, uplifting story. A third-grade girl and her mom have a house built for them by their church and community. The girl, Sharonda, tells the story from her perspective with enthusiasm. I like this book, but I don't love it because it has no context. Young readers will want to know why Sharonda and her mom didn't have their own house in the first place, or why people are building a house for them, but this story doesn't go there. It's primarily about the excitement of watching the house get built by their kind, generous community.

At the end, we get a note from the author indicating that this story came from a Women's Build project, which is cool, but I kind of wanted more. The illustrations are realistic and arty, sort of Pinkney-esque. ( )

Author George Ella Lyon worked on a Women’s Build crew to build a house for Sharonda and her mother. is picture book tells the story of the construction, Sharonda’s e orts to help, and the time when they are nally “home sweet home

In my opinion, this book was an okay book to read. It didn't really keep my attention as much as i hoped for. One reason I did like the book though, was because of the illustrations throughout. In the book, the illustrator, Stephanie Anderson paints wonderful pictures of the journey Sharonda and her mother encounter while they build their new house. For example, in the book Sharonda talks about how she sees "folks measuring, sawing, drilling and hammering to build me and mama a house." The illustrator painted an amazing detailed picture of the workers building the house. You see lots of colors and detailed images of tools and people. Children love to see a lot of color in picture books. It keeps their attention and makes them more interested in the story. ( )

I liked this book, You and Me and Home Sweet Home, because it sent a clear message to the readers about hard work and helping others. You and Me and Home Sweet Home told the story of a young girl’s journey to building her own house with the help of her church and complete strangers. Due to the nature of this story, this book is a great way to push young readers to think about being service-minded individuals and giving back to their communities. This book has a strong undertone of supporting Habitat for Humanity and other projects that build homes for low income families; therefore, a teacher may use this book before starting a service-learning activity or introducing the Habitat organization to young students.
The main character, Sharonda, is very relatable to young students since she herself is also in the third grade. Sharonda, who has worked on building her home with the help of volunteers, shares the story of nailing the first nail into the wooden frame of her house to her classmates. Young readers would be able to relate to Sharonda’s experiences if they have helped build something or even shared a story in front of their own class. The writing and language of the text also aids in readers understanding of the story as it is descriptive and flows in a clear timeline from the groundbreaking of the home to the final product. For example, Sharonda says “I do a ‘Love Your Roof’ dance,” at which points readers can envision the young girl doing a happy dance in her new home. Overall, I would recommend this book to young readers and teachers. ( )

Sharonda and her Mama have been living for awhile in the back room of her aunt's apartment and it's time for them to leave. Sharonda learns that a team from church will build them a house. When the week of construction arrives, Sharonda watches as all kinds of people work together to put up the walls and trusses, pound nails and paint. Sharonda can't help with the big work but she does pound the first nail and make a flower box. Soon the house is complete and Sharonda and Mama move in. This story has several themes: homelessness, community, compassion, teamwork, hope and a project very much like Habitat for Humanity (although it never cites it specifically).