The House That She Built

Can you remember as a child some of your first memories? Did you help Mom around the house, or was it that you followed Dad everywhere he went? It is these early memories and experiences that shaped you into who you are today. Studies show that self-esteem starts developing in children as young as 4 years old. And it is at this time in our lives that we become more independent thinking and acting, and we form our own ideas of who we want to become.

The book “The House That She Built” focuses on girls learning more about the construction industry, which is currently dominated by men, but after viewing the book, I can see where it can entice young children of either gender to follow their dreams. It also opens the eyes of young minds to the fact that there are many people who come together to make something as simple as a house. This helps them understand that these people are important to the task, and that you can accomplish so much more by working together. This concept may sound simple, but young minds work different than adults. They cannot just be told something and then understand it. This book puts it in a way that they can understand, and that gives them a strong foundation to build on.

The book was written by Mollie Elkman and was inspired by real life events in her life. Mollie could have easily made the book about her story and I am sure it would sell well, but that isn’t Who Mollie is. She didn’t make the story about herself at all. She made the book to tell a different kind of story. Her focus was to inspire young children to become knowledgeable about the world around them and to possibly become something greater than they would have otherwise become. She used this story to pave ahead the roads of success for future generations. You are truly a forward thinking individual. I also want to include the fact that this book, “The House That She Built”, was written by a woman, Mollie Elkman, illustrated by a woman, Georgia Castellano, and published by a woman, Patricia Potts.

Have you ever wanted to meet an author of a book? Well, after a few minutes of browsing through their website, I saw that Mollie and her Illustrator Georgia, are willing to visit your classroom in-person or via Zoom. In fact, they seemed to be excited about doing it. That again speaks volumes about the team that put this book together.

Without planting the seeds of tomorrow, the future is truly uncertain. It is the young who will lead the earth one day and it is our responsibility to make sure that they have the tools they need to succeed. I truly appreciate all of the time and efforts that Mollie Elkman and her team has put into the book “The House That She Built”. Women can have an impact on the construction industry. They just need an opportunity to see what can be. I believe that this book gives us the opportunity to do just that.

There are Industry leaders who are interested in joining hands concerning this book; 84 Lumber and Andersen Windows & Doors are sponsors of the book and support its message to further generate awareness of the skilled trades to underrepresented communities, and, Weyerhaeuser is the educational partner. Furthermore, proceeds from the book will support skilled workforce development, diversity, and inclusion in the construction industry.

The House That She Built is a 10 x 10 hardcover picture book with dust jacket/36 pages, $17.95 retail, ISBN 978-0-86718-7854 and is distributed by IPG. It is available wherever books are sold and by visiting: shebuiltbook.com

as always,… take care, be safe, and I hope you find this helpful…