Children's Book Suggestions | Income Inequality

HUD's annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count, which estimates how many individuals are living without stable & secure housing, will be held on January 25, 2024. Whether you're hoping to help kids see themselves in a book or help them develop empathy for their friends and classmates, these books on poverty, homelessness, and foster care shine a light on an all-too-common experience.

Updated December 15, 2023
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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Dear Librarian
Sigwarth, Lydia M.
Paper Book
When Lydia was five years old, she and her family had to leave their home. They hopped from Grandma's house to Aunt Linda's house to Cousin Alice's house, but no place was permanent. Then one day, everything changed. Lydia's mom took her to a new place -- not a house, but a big building with...

Libraries were Lydia's refuge when her family didn't have a home of their own. Now a librarian herself, she writes a thank you letter to the librarian who welcomed her. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

On our street : our first talk about poverty
Roberts, Jillian
Paper Book
The World Around Us series introduces children to complex cultural, social and environmental issues that they may encounter outside their homes, in a way that is accessible. Sidebars offer further reading for older children or care providers who have bigger questions. For younger children just...
A helpful tool for parents who need help explaining this complex topic to young children. (Parenting Age 6-8)
Isaiah Dunn is my hero
Baptist, Kelly J.
Paper Book
A coming-of-age tale about a boy who proves that with superhero courage--and a few great sidekicks--you can take on even the toughest of odds. Adapted from a story that first appeared in Flying Lessons & Other Stories and perfect for fans of The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson....

After his father dies and his family moves into a hotel, Isaiah Dunn finds his voice with the help of a journal his father left behind. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The blue house
Wahl, Phoebe
Paper Book
In the tradition of Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House comes a heartfelt story about a father and son learning to accept the new while honoring and celebrating the old. For as long as he can remember, Leo has lived in the blue house with his dad, but lately the...

A boy and his dad grieve when their landlord decides to tear down their old house and come together to make their new house feel like home. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

Snow foal
Bailey, Susanna
Paper Book
A beautiful and heart-wrenching middle grade debut, this title is a memorable story, full of love, healing, friendship, and hope. When eleven-year-old Addie goes to stay with a foster family on a remote Exmoor farm in the midst of a very cold winter, she is full of hurt, anger...

A girl who's recently gone into foster care bonds with a pony in rural England. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Something like home
Arango, Andrea Beatriz
Paper Book
The Pura Belpré Honor winning novel in verse, in which a lost dog helps a lonely girl find a way home to her family . . . only for them to find family in each other along the way. From the Newbery Honor winning author of Iveliz Explains It All. "Trust me: this book will touch...

Sent to live with her aunt after a well-meaning 911 call sends them to rehab, Laura copes with her feelings by training a stray puppy to be a therapy dog in this moving novel in verse. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A duet for home
Glaser, Karina Yan
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling creator of the Vanderbeekers series comes a triumphant tale of friendship, healing, and the power of believing in ourselves told from the perspective of biracial sixth-graders June and Tyrell, two children living in a homeless shelter. As their...

A young musician bonds with a longtime resident when her family moves into a homeless shelter. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Lasagna means I love you
O'Shaughnessy, Kate
Paper Book
What are the essential ingredients that make a family? Eleven-year-old Mo is making up her own recipe in this unforgettable story that's a little sweet, a little sour, and totally delicious. Nan was all the family Mo ever needed. But suddenly she's gone, and Mo finds...

A heartfelt exploration of the power of food and family connections, featuring a foster kid who creates a website dedicated to family recipes in the hope of connecting with her own distant family. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Priya puts herself first
Fairbairn, Nathan
Paper Book
The best dog-walkers in town are back in the third book of this heartwarming graphic novel series that is the Baby-Sitters Club for pets! Perfect for fans of Real Friends and Allergic! The holidays have arrived for the PAWS team! And the girls are about to discover...

This graphic novel series is a must-read for fans of The Baby-Sitters Club! In this third installment, Priya's family is evicted and must move across town, straining her friendships with the other girls in her dog walking business. (Children's Graphic Novels Grades 3-5)

Free lunch
Ogle, Rex
Paper Book
Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex's mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he's on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex has to shout....

A gut-wrenching memoir about the shame and stigma the author experienced as a student receiving free lunch. (Children's Nonfiction Age 10-14)

How to train your dad
Paulsen, Gary
Paper Book
From the legendary author of Hatchet, a laugh-out-loud misadventure about a boy, his free-thinking dad, and the puppy-training pamphlet that turns their summer upside down. Twelve-year-old Carl is fed up with his father's single-minded pursuit of an off-the-grid...

Embarrassed by his dad's money-saving dumpster dives, a tween boy uses a dog training guide to try and change his dad's behavior in this funny novel from the author of Hatchet. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Genesis begins again
Williams, Alicia
Paper Book
"Reminiscent of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye." --The New York Times "One of the best books I have ever read...will live in the hearts of readers for the rest of their lives." --Colby Sharp, founder of Nerdy Book Club "An emotional, painful,...

A Black middle schooler struggles with bullying and colorism after her family is evicted from their home. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

What is given from the heart
McKissack, Pat
Paper Book
CORETTA SCOTT KING - JOHN STEPTOEILLUSTRATORAWARD FOR NEW TALENTWINNER This final, magnificent picture book from three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honor author Patricia McKissack is a poignant and uplifting celebration of the joy of giving. ...

A story about the power of generosity centered around a young boy who both gives and receives gifts during his church's Valentine's Day drive for those in need. (Picture Book Age 4-8)


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