How to Talk to Youth About Homelessness
Age-Appropriate Books
Birthday Wishes is very fortunate to have students, ages 6-22, raising money and holding gift drives for the families we serve. While the concept of a birthday party is easily understood, homelessness can be harder to comprehend.
Having a conversation about homelessness with children can help grow their understanding with empathy. Language used should be intentional, honest, and without bias.
Age-appropriate books are a great way to begin the conversation. Your local librarian is a great place to start. We also recommend these books listed below:
Fly Away Home, by Eve Bunting
Grades PreK–3
A young boy talks about his and his father’s lives living in an airport and has hope for himself when he sees a trapped bird find freedom.
Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña
Grades PreK–3
Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. CJ notices the differences between the cleaner part of town and the dirtier part of town he’s headed to.
Dear Mr. Rosenwald, by Carole Boston Weatherford
Grades 3–6
Based on actual events in the 1920s when a philanthropist – the founder of Sears- offered money to African American communities to build schools.
Changing Places: A Kids View of Shelter Living , by Judy Wallace
Grades 2-6
Eight homeless children’s voices, aged 6-13, are captured with stunning illustrations to give the reader a poignant look at shelter life. It shows, too, how similar children are in their wants, needs, likes and dislikes, no matter what the circumstances.
Wolf Hollow, by Lauren Wolk Grades 5-8
Eleven-year-old Annabelle lives in a rural Pennsylvania community in 1943. The continued fighting of World War II haunts everyone, but life is mostly peaceful—until Betty Glengarry's arrival. The book which received a Newbery Honor raises some of the same issues as To Kill a Mockingbird, but with social status rather than racism as the basis for injustice.
Carry Me Home, by Janet Fox
Grades 6-8
Lulu is trying to take care of her little sister after their dad abandons them at the RV park where they’ve been living. They go undiscovered by adults for several weeks, but one day she misses her sister’s pick-up time. This is a moving story of a determined girl facing homelessness with courage.
Just Under the Clouds, by Melissa Sarno
Grades 6-8
A coming-of-age story about what makes a home, family, and friends. Cora is in middle school and responsible for watching her younger sister while her mom works. Cora loves climbing trees but doesn’t love not having a home or friends. When their mom takes them to stay with an old friend, it finally starts to feel like a home.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond Grades 9-12
Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee. The book transforms a common understanding of poverty and economic exploitation.
Birthday Wishes relies entirely on donor support to provide birthday celebrations to children experiencing homelessness. Thank you for your support in bringing awareness and believing every child deserves to be celebrated regardless of circumstance.