LibGuides: Students Taking Action Today: Housing and Homelessness

Formative Texts

Build students' background knowledge with formative texts. Get started with the resources below and provide students with note-taking materials to guide their research.

E-book from Sora and blog entry from Coalition for the Homeless

Read The One With the Scraggly Beard to explore and discuss how it breaks or reaffirms myths on homelessness as outlined by the Coalition for the Homeless.

Article from NewsELA
Free with login or PDF here

Share the article When Cold Winds Blow, Americans give shelter and discuss the challenges faced by people without permanent housing.

Homelessness Statistics by State: Interactive Map

Use the interactive map and statistics on homelessness by state across the United States to analyze how New York State compares to other parts of the U.S.

Project I Am - Students Taking Action Against Homelessness

Watch the video on Jahkil Jackson who created Project I Am to support people who are homelessness and get an overview of what it means to be homeless.

E-books

The One Day House by Julia Durango; Bianca Diaz (Illustrator) Wilson dreams of all the ways he can help improve his friend Gigi's house so that she'll be warm, comfortable, and happy. One day, friends and neighbors from all over come to help make Wilson's plans come true. Everyone volunteers to pitch in to make Gigi's house safe, clean, and pretty. Inspired by a friend's volunteerism, author Julia Durango tells a story of community and togetherness, showing that by helping others we help ourselves. Further information about Labor of Love, United Way, and Habitat for Humanity is included at the end of the book.
ISBN: 1580897096
Publication Date: 2017-08-15
Still a Family by Brenda Reeves Sturgis; Jo-Shin Lee (Illustrator) A little girl and her parents have lost their home and must live in a homeless shelter. Even worse, due to a common shelter policy, her dad must live in a men's shelter, separated from her and her mom. Despite these 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.
ISBN: 0807577073
Publication Date: 2017-01-31
On Our Street by Jillian Roberts; Jaime Casap; Jane Heinrichs (Illustrator) 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 starting to make these observations, the simple question-and-answer format of the main text will provide a foundation of knowledge on the subject matter. A gentle introduction to the issue of poverty, On Our Streetexplores the realities of people living with inadequate resources. Using age-appropriate language, this book addresses mental illness, homelessness and refugee status as they are connected to this issue. Insightful quotes from individuals and organizations such as UNICEF are included throughout to add further perspective on the issue. An invaluable section on how kids can help empowers readers to take what they have learned and use it to make a difference. Child psychologist Dr. Jillian Roberts created this series to guide parents/caregivers through conversations about difficult issues in a reassuring and hopeful manner and help children understand their expanding awareness of the world around them.
ISBN: 145981617X
Publication Date: 2018-02-13
Aunt Pearl by Monica Kulling; Irene Luxbacher (Illustrator) Aunt Pearl arrives one day pushing a shopping cart full of her worldly goods. Her sister Rose has invited her to come live with her family. Six-year-old Marta is happy to meet her aunt, who takes her out to look for treasure on garbage day, and who shows her camp group how to decorate a coffee table with bottle caps. But almost immediately, Pearl and Rose start to clash -- over Pearl's belongings crammed into the house, and over Rose's household rules. As the weeks pass, Pearl grows quieter and more withdrawn, until, one morning, she is gone. Acclaimed author Monica Kulling brings sensitivity to this story about homelessness, family and love, beautifully illustrated in Irene Luxbacher's rich collage style.
ISBN: 1773061534
Publication Date: 2019-08-06
The One with the Scraggly Beard by Elizabeth Withey; Lynn Scurfield (Illustrator) 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. The One With the Scraggly Beardis defined by a simple narrative in which a child's curiosity and perceptiveness act as catalysts for understanding fear, suffering and resilience while exploring themes of homelessness, belonging and compassion. This unique book will speak to children and adults alike. A note from the author explains how the origin of this story is rooted in her own life.
ISBN: 1459818555
Publication Date: 2020-10-13
Just under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno Can you still have a home if you don't have a house? In the spirit of The Truth About Jellyfish and Fish in a Tree comes a stunning debut about a family struggling to find something lasting when everything feels so fleeting. Always think in threes and you'll never fall, Cora's father told her when she was a little girl. Two feet, one hand. Two hands, one foot. That was all Cora needed to know to climb the trees of Brooklyn. But now Cora is a middle schooler, a big sister, and homeless. Her mother is trying to hold the family together after her father's death, and Cora must look after her sister, Adare, who's just different, their mother insists. Quick to smile, Adare hates wearing shoes, rarely speaks, and appears untroubled by the question Cora can't help but ask: How will she find a place to call home? After their room at the shelter is ransacked, Cora's mother looks to an old friend for help, and Cora finally finds what she has been looking for: Ailanthus altissima, the "tree of heaven," which can grow in even the worst conditions. It sets her on a path to discover a deeper truth about where she really belongs. Just Under the Clouds will take root in your heart and blossom long after you've turned the last page. "[A] heartbreaking yet hopeful story of a family searching for a place to belong." --Publishers Weekly "[A] thought provoking debut about the meaning of home and the importance of family."--Horn Book Magazine
ISBN: 1524720097
Publication Date: 2018-06-05
The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson; Ryan Andrews (Illustrator) "A skillfully written and heartfelt novel about a family making a new home, recovering from grief, and the town full of people who join them on their journey." -- School Library Journal (starred review) Twelve-year-old Lowen Grover, a budding comic-book artist, is still reeling from the shooting death of his friend Abe when he stumbles across an article about a former mill town giving away homes for just one dollar. It not only seems like the perfect escape from the city and all of the awful memories associated with it, but an opportunity for his mum to run her very own business. But is the Dollar Program too good to be true? The homes are in horrible shape, and the locals are less than welcoming. Will the Grovers find they've traded one set of problems for another? From the author of Small as an Elephant and Paper Things comes a heart-tugging novel about guilt and grief, family and friendship, and, above all, community.
ISBN: 153621311X
Publication Date: 2020-03-10

Additional Partner Resources

Homeless Children's Education Fund

Visit the Homeless Children's Education Fund website to find explore additional resources for homeless children.

Here are 50 Volunteer Ideas for Children

Do you want to volunteer and help the homeless? Click here for 50 Kid Friendly Volunteering Ideas.

Housing Resources for Americans

This website provides housing help for Americans of all age groups provided by the US Government.

Pet Owners and Housing Insecurity

See if your dog makes the list of dog breeds commonly banned by landlords and insurance companies and learn what tenants can do about it.