This Is My Bag: A Story of the Unhoused

By Roxanne Chester, Illustrated by Abe Matias

An unhoused person carries a bag through the streets, to a shelter, to a house, to the subway, and the park. With each changing location, the protagonist and their bag also changes, reflecting the various faces and reasons for homelessness and asking the reader to contemplate themes of community, self-reliance, and the meaning of “home.” 6-9 years

A Duet for Home

By Karina Yan Glaser

At first, June can’t believe it: their new home is a homeless shelter? When she’s told she can’t bring her cherished viola inside, she’s convinced the worst luck in the world landed her at Huey House. 

But Tyrell has lived at Huey House for three years, and he knows all the good things about it: friendship, hot meals, and the music from next door drifting through the windows. With his help, June begins to see things differently. Just as she’s starting to understand how Huey House can be a home, a new government policy threatens all the residents. Can June and Tyrell work together to find a way to save Huey House as they know it? 8-12 years

Hello, Mister Blue

By Daria Peoples

A young girl always creates special memories when she visits her grandfather. He lets her sip his creamy coffee, they take a stroll through the park, and they play music together. But this time, something unexpected happens: she meets Papa’s longtime friend, Mister Blue. Mister Blue lives outside, and he and his music have always brought Papa’s community together. At the end of the day, the young girl has many questions for Papa. Is Mister Blue safe? Scared? Lonely, hungry? With her curiosity and kindness, she can change things for the better, for at least one person and one night. 4-8 years

Home for Grace

By Kathryn White, Illustrated by Rachael Dean

When a woman appears with a sleeping bag, living in a shop doorway, Jess is full of questions. Where is her home? Why did she leave? And what will happen when the snow comes? Inspired by a case of unkindness towards an unhoused person witnessed by the author and her daughter, this sensitive and nuanced picture book encourages compassion and embracing differences. Told from a child’s perspective, we learn together that everybody has a story and a personal concept of what ‘home’ is. 5-9 years

Sanctuary, Kip Tiernan and Rosie’s Place:

The Nation’s First Shelter for Women

By Christine McDonnell, Illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov

When Kip Tiernan was growing up during the Great Depression, she’d help her granny feed the men who came to their door asking for help. As Kip grew older, and as she continued to serve food to hungry people, she noticed something peculiar: huddled at the back of serving lines were women dressed as men.

At the time, it was believed that there were no women experiencing homelessness. And yet Kip would see women sleeping on park benches and searching for food in trash cans. Kip decided to open the first shelter for women—a shelter with no questions asked, no required chores, just good meals and warm beds. With persistence, Kip took on the city of Boston in her quest to open Rosie’s Place, our nation’s first shelter for women. 7-10 years

No Place Like Home

By James Bird

When home is a car, life is unpredictable. School, friends, and three meals a day aren’t guaranteed. Not every town has a shelter where a family can sleep for a night or two, and places with parking lots don’t welcome overnight stays.

Opin, his brother Emjay, and their mother are trying to get to Los Angeles, where they hope an uncle and a new life are waiting. Emjay has taken to disappearing for days, slowing down the family’s progress and adding to their worry.

Then Opin finds a stray dog who needs him as much as he needs her, and his longing for a stable home intensifies, as his brother’s reckless ways hit a new high. Opin makes a new friend in the shelter, but shelters don’t allow dogs…

Will anything other than a real home ever be enough? 10-14 years

Home

By Tonya Lippert, Illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier

This lyrical story depicts the life of two children thrust into homelessness. With uncertain housing situations, they move out of their house, to a motel, to a shelter, and finally another more permanent home.  Throughout, the duo is challenged by uncomfortable new places and inquiries from strangers. But ultimately, they never lose their optimism or determination. They have each other, no matter at home, homeless, nowhere, anywhere, or somewhere—always.  4-8 years

Still a Family

By Brenda Reeves Sturgis, Illustrated by Jo-Shin Lee

A little girl and her parents have lost their home and must live in a homeless shelter. Even worse, her dad must live in a men’s shelter, separated from her and her mom. Despite their circumstances, the family still finds time to be together. They meet at the park to play hide-and-seek, slide on slides, and pet puppies. While the young girl wishes for better days when her family is together again under a roof of their very own, she continues to remind herself that they’re still a family even in times of separation. 4-8 years

A Place to Stay: A Shelter Story

By Erin Gunti, Illustrated by Esteli Meza

This simple picture book shows readers a women’s shelter through the eyes of a young girl. With her mother’s help,  she uses her imagination to overcome her anxiety and adjust. This book includes factual endnotes detailing various reasons people experience homelessness and the resources available to help. 5-9 years

The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.

If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and/or leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author

You may like: Kids Books: Food Insecurity https://barbaralowell.com/kids-books-food-insecurity/

How to Explain Homelessness to Children: An Expert Weighs In, https://theeverymom.com/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-homelessness/