Yesterday I visited a large public library. It was bright, light and welcoming. As I walked into the children's section, hanging from the ceiling was a poster alerting patrons to the fact that it was Homelessness Week. I wandered over to look at the picture books which were displayed in front facing shelving. Ideal, however there was no order to them, so if you were looking for a specific title or author you almost had to rummage through all three walls of shelving. It is good that children can choose by looking at the covers, but if you had a favourite author, say Julia Donaldson, it would have taken a long time to find several of her books. Similarly the beginning chapter books were shelved in a very strange manner, some under the author's surname, some under the series name and yet others where they were shelved by title. I was discombobulated to say the least. So many good opportunities to promote books, gone missing. In fact, wouldn't it have been good to see some books about homelessness displayed to alert children and parents to this social dilemma. Reading about others is a wonderful way to start a discussion, to increase empathy and to allow your child to ask questions.
Homelessness Australia hosts Homelessness Week annually to build community support and government commitment to end homelessness. Alarmingly, there are over 122,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night. From couch surfing to living in an emergency shelter, homelessness can look different for everyone. In Australia, domestic and family violence remains a leading cause of homelessness, not that this needs to be told to a young audience.
What would I have had out on display?
April and her mum have to leave their home in a hurry and move to a refuge. Reminding us all of the importance of hope, April waits for the seeds she has sown to grow, sending up green shoots and with them the healing power of nature.
Isabel is a small girl who lives with her family, and though they have little they have each other, so life is happy. Then disaster strikes and they have to leave their home to move to the other side of town - where everything is grey and cold and sad and lonely.
Everyone walks right past Pete - except for one little boy. He notices Pete's drawings, and big smile, and soon he has a new friend. When Pete gets sick, the boy wants to help. But how do you help someone get better when they don't have a home?
This lyrical story depicts the life of two children thrust into homelessness and uncertain housing situations as 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, never lose their optimism or determination.
A carefully-observed story that challenges us to re-evaluate perceptions of homelessness and is told from a dog's point of view.
Nobody notices the queen on the corner. Nobody, that is... except one young girl. Through her eyes, the woman who dwells in the abandoned plot is a warrior queen, with many battles fought and won. When, one day, danger comes to the street and the queen on the corner sounds the alarm, the little girl must find a way to thank her.
This is a wordless picture book that depicts a homeless woman who is unseen by everyone around her - except for a little boy. Over the course of a year, the boy is witness to all that she endures. Ultimately, in a gesture of compassion, the boy acknowledges her through an exchange in which he sees her and she experiences being seen. This book opens the door for kids and parents to begin a conversation about homelessness.
When the little boy went on a trip, his teddy bear went too—until one terrible day when the teddy bear was left behind in a park. He is found by a homeless person...
This is the story of a person with no job, no family, no home-a nobody, who can't even remember his name. But his day changes when he is noticed by a child.
• Last Stop Market Street by Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson
CJ begins his weekly bus journey around the city with disappointment and dissatisfaction, wondering why he and his family can't drive a car like his friends. Through energy and encouragement, CJ's nana helps him see the beauty and fun in their routine as they travel to the soup kitchen.
Grace and Luna her cat live in a shop doorway. Stopping to talk on their way to and from school, Jess and her mother make friends with Grace and Luna. They swap gifts and stories and Jess learns of the home that Grace had to leave and the long struggle to find a safe country.
This picture book shows readers a women's shelter through the eyes of a young girl, who with her mother's help, uses her imagination to overcome her anxiety and adjust. Includes factual endnotes detailing various reasons people experience homelessness and the resources available to help.
A young girl looks at the rubbish in her courtyard and walks past the woman who sleeps in a cardboard box. She runs past the trash-filled alley and spots a desolate garden...
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.
This book is based on the authors own experience with homelessness and feeling comfortable and finding refuge in libraries. In the story the character moves from family members house to family members house and doesn’t feel settled until a local librarian helps her feel “at home” in the public library. In the end the family does get a home of their own.
• Way Home by Libby Gleeson and Gregory Rogers
It's night and the dark is filled with strange sounds as Shane makes his way home. On a fence he finds a stray cat that at first growls and spits at him, but Shane carries him back to his hidden home.
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.”
Make time to discuss the books you read and the service projects you do together. By talking intentionally and openly about complicated ideas, you are giving your child the opportunity to strengthen their compassion, problem-solving, and empathy muscles.
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