Homelessness and Food Insecurity Books for Children and Teens

Updated March 25, 2026
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The exact location of home
Messner, Kate
Paper Book
Kate Messner pens a new moving tale of family and friendship about a tech-savvy boy searching for his father during tough times. No one is ever too lost to be found. Kirby "Zig" Zigonski lives for the world of simple circuits, light bulbs, buzzers, and...
The girl in between
Carroll, Sarah (Volunteer worker)
Paper Book
"A deeply moving story of family, homelessness, and the ghosts that won't let us go. Haunting and unforgettable."--Megan Shepherd, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Horses of Briar Hill Told in the naïve voice of a homeless girl sheltered by her...
Girl in pieces
Glasgow, Kathleen
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A haunting, beautiful, and necessary book."--Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she's already lost more than most people...
Learning to breathe
Mather, Janice Lynn
Paper Book
A 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection Amelia Bloomer List's 2019 Top Ten Recommended Feminist Books for Young Readers A Governor General's Literary Award Finalist A Junior Library Guild Selection A Sheila A. Egoff Children...
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...
The one with the scraggly beard
Withey, Elizabeth
Paper Book
A child tries to understand the life of a man he has seen sleeping under a bridge. The boy's mother patiently answers his questions and explains how people's life paths can be so different. The child observes the things he has in common with the man and wonders where his own path will lead...
Poverty and hunger
Spilsbury, Louise
Paper Book
With our 24/7 news cycle and constant access to the latest headlines, the world can be a scary place. Now imagine you're a child trying to make sense of it all! What does this news mean? How does it affect me? That's where Children in Our World can help. This beautifully...
Still a family
Reeves Sturgis, Brenda
Paper Book
New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2017 A family has fallen on hard times and are living in different homeless shelters. But even though they are separate, they are still a family. A little girl and her parents have lost their home...

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