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Here are a few books that address poverty. These books familiarize children with poverty and can be used to promote empathy and self-worth.
Books about poverty
Those ShoesBoelts, M., & Jones, N. Z. (2009). Those shoes. Sommerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Jeremy has dreams about those shoes— the black high-tops with white stripes that all the other kids have, but his grandma tells him that they cannot afford ‘wants’, only ‘needs’. Jeremy feels like everyone has a pair of those shoes except him. After his shoes break at recess and Mr. Alfrey gives him a pair from “the box for children who need things,” he wants those shoes more than ever. Jeremy buys a pair from the thrift shop even though they are too small and after cramming his feet in shoes that don’t fit, Jeremy realizes that his loving grandma and helping kind friends are far more important than those shoes. Those Shoes is a great example of poverty because it is very relatable; most people have wanted something at one point in life that they could not afford. This book illuminates the idea that material possessions are insignificant compared to love and generosity and that what you have never defines who you are.
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Maddi's fridgeBrandt, L., & Vogel, V. (2014) Maddi's fridge. Brooklyn, NY: Flashlight Press.
Maddi and Sofia are best friends. When they play together at the park they stay until the sun goes down. They live in the same neighborhood and go to the same school, yet Sofia’s fridge is full of groceries, while Maddi’s fridge has only one carton of milk. When Sofia discovers Maddi’s empty fridge, she is sworn to secrecy, but Sofia wants so badly to help her friend that she tells her mom. Although Sofia did not keep her promise, Maddi is not upset–she is thankful that she has such a caring friend. Maddi’s Fridge provides its readers insight to impoverished life, but does so in a way that the relationship between Maddi and Sofia is the focal point of the story, rather than making this ‘a book about poverty’. This story generates awareness for the burden of poverty that affects so many kind-hearted people, while simultaneously revealing the significance of cherished relationships as the reader sees how love and compassion can overwhelm some stresses of poverty.
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a chair for my motherWilliams, V. B. (1982). A chair for my mother. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
A young girl, her mother, and grandmother are saving money to buy a chair– “a wonderful, beautiful, fat, soft armchair.” Every day, mama puts her tips from The Blue Tile Diner into a jar and grandma puts in the money she saved from bargains at the market. When they have enough coins, they are going to, “get the best chair in the whole world,” because their old chairs, and everything else they owned, burned up in the house fire last year. After their apartment turned into ash, their family and neighbors brought them a table, chairs, a bed, and lots of other things, but no one brought a comfy chair. When the jar was finally full, they rolled the coins, exchanged them for cash at the bank, and went searching for the perfect chair. Finally, they found the chair of their dreams that mama could sit on after a long day at the diner. A Chair For My Mother illuminates the immense value of saving, working together toward a common goal, and appreciating the little moments in life. It also conveys the idea that although poverty may hinder the ability to afford material items, if you prioritize a common goal, working together can overcome many obstacles.
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the braids girlMcCourt L., & Ladwig T. (1998). Chicken soup for little souls: The braids girl. Deerfield Beach FL: Health Communications, Inc.
Izzy’s Grandpa Mike volunteered every single Sunday at the Family Togetherness Home. Grandpa Mike called it “God’s Work.” One day, Grandpa Mike asked Izzy if she wanted to come along. Upon arriving Izzy was a little scared because the strangers at Family Togetherness Home looked so different than what she was used to and wore strange clothes. When she looked around, she saw Grandpa Mike giving them food and laughing with the people who lived there. Izzy saw something strange in the corner. It was a girl about the same age as her huddled on the floor. Grandpa Mike suggested that Izzy bring her some soup. Izzy made sure to tell the girl that Izzy was not living in the home. The next few days Izzy brought her clothes, barrettes, and toys. When Izzy would give them to the girl, the girl would frown and walk away. Izzy could not understand why she was making the girl sad. Izzy kept thinking about what she was doing wrong. Until she realized the girl does not need things to make her happy. The girl just wants a friend. So the next time Izzy and Grandpa Mike went to the Family Togetherness Home, she played with her new friend Susan all day long. Izzy realized Susan was just a regular kid, just like Izzy and her friends. That is what Susan wanted right from the start—for Izzy to see her that way.
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a boy called dickensHopkinson, D., & Hendrix, J. (2012). A boy called Dickens. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.
Dickens is a poor boy who lives in foggy London. He is forced to live on his own and work long hours in Warren’s factory. While working at Warren’s, Dickens is able to make money to support himself and the rest of his family in prison. The only time Dickens has a break is late at night after all work is done. During this time, Dickens writes adventure stories. These stories captivate anyone who asks to hear his stories. Eventually, his family gets out of prison and Dickens still has to work at the factory. Dickens loses his job. Then Dickens gets to what he has wanted to do forever, go to school! Dickens gets to attend school with all the other boys and he also gets to read as many books as he likes.
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gettin' through thursdayCooper, M. (1998). Gettin’ through Thursday. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books.
André is a boy who grows up in a single-parent household where money is tight. André lives with his sister, Shawna, his brother, Davis, and their mother. André’s mother, who is called “Mama” in the book, works as a lunch lady at a school where she gets paid on Friday of every week. Because André and his family live paycheck to paycheck, they learn how to become creative and useful with the resources they already have to get through to the next Friday. By Thursday, André’s family has used up the majority their money and resources, and so they must find substitutes for what they want. If there’s no soda to drink in the house, they drink water from the faucet. If they run out of toothpaste, they use baking soda. However, this Thursday is different because Thursday is report card day, and Mama said at the beginning of the school year that if André, Shawna, or Davis get on the honor roll, she’ll throw a party to celebrate. The report cards come in the mail, and Mama opens them to find that André has made the honor roll. André’s whole family starts cheering for him, but as the night goes on André becomes extremely upset and disappointed because he realizes there won’t be a party that night for him because they don’t have the money to buy the supplies for a party. Mama tries to comfort André by telling him they’ll throw a party the next night, when she gets receives her paycheck, but André gets extremely angry because his mom is not able to deliver on the promise she made earlier in the year. André goes to his room in anger, but shortly after Mama opens up the door and tells him that they are going to do a dress rehearsal of the celebration. So, they have an imaginary party with imaginary cake, candles, and presents. The next night they have a real party, with a real cake and gifts. The next Thursday comes around, and André doesn’t think getting through the week is that hard anymore because of the gifts of love and family he got on report card day. Gettin’ Through Thursday is an incredible representation of what many kids from disadvantaged and single-parent households experience on the home front. This book depicts poverty in a realistic and explicit manner, while demonstrating that having family and love are more important and valuable than any material possession.
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last stop on market streetPeña, M. (2015). Last stop on Market Street. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
CJ and his Nana ride the bus across the city to serve at the soup kitchen after church every Sunday. However, on this particular Sunday CJ questions and complains about why he does not have the luxuries other people do such as a car, an MP3 player, or the ability to be lazy after church. Every time he asks a question, Nana provides a response that explains how good in life he has it. As time goes on and different people get on the bus, CJ realizes how riding the bus and embracing the people around him make him extremely happy and content. When CJ and Nana arrive to the soup kitchen, CJ asks why the area is so dirty. Nana responds by teaching him that there is a lot of beauty surrounding him, he just has to look in the right places. CJ ends up being extremely grateful for being brought along to the soup kitchen because he gets to see people he’s friends with. Last Stop on Market Street is a great book that represents that beauty can and does exist in the midst of poverty. [MF1] The book does a really effective job at displaying to the reader that the most beautiful things in this life can’t be bought with money. I think the book does an incredible job at highlighting the importance of investing in relationships with other people rather than investing in material objects. The book demonstrates how much people miss out on the beauty of life itself because of how distracted they can be by the things they buy. In addition, the book does a great job at exposing how someone can make an impact in their neighborhood, even if they too are disadvantaged.
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something beautifulWyeth, S. (1998). Something beautiful. New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell.
A young black girl looks outside the window of her house and is depressed by seeing the trash that fills the courtyard. She views her home and neighborhood as an ugly place. She sees negative words graffitied on her building, a homeless lady living under a cardboard box, and runs down a dark alley with trash scattered all over. She reflects on her mom saying that everyone has something beautiful in their life, which makes her question what is the beautiful thing in her life. So, this young girl goes on a search to find something beautiful in her life. She gets several ideas of what qualifies as beautiful from places such as her teacher at school, a waitress at a diner, and her friends, and learns that everyone has their own meaning of what is considered beautiful. After finishing talking to everyone, she comes back home and sits on the steps to her apartment building. After some thought, she decides to clean the graffiti off of the door and suddenly feels powerful. From this one good deed, she becomes inspired to make more change in her neighborhood. The girl through making change comes to the conclusion that she does have something beautiful, her mom. Something Beautiful is a very powerful book that exposes the negative psychological effects living in poverty has on children. Children are more aware of their surroundings than one might think, and this book is effective in displaying how one’s circumstances impact their view of themselves. This book demonstrates that people in poverty, regardless of their age, have the ability and power to make positive change in their communities.
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