Literature About Poverty
Boys Without Names
Author: Kashmira Sheth Published: 2010 Awards: 2010 A Junior Library Guild Selection, Alan's Picks, 2010 Chicago Public Library: Best of the Best Reading List, YALSA: Hidden Gems of 2010, Semicolon's Twelve Best Middle Grade Fiction Books of 2010, Missourian Book Buzz Picks 2010,Cybils Nominee Middle Grade Fiction 2010, Nominated for Troybery Award 2011 Summary: Eleven year old Gopal and his family are struggling farmers with mounting debt. The entire family must now make the hard decision to move to Mumbai to be with their extended family members. They hope to find good jobs and education. In order to help support his family Gopal decides to take a job and soon learns he has been enslaved. |
Hope is a Ferris Wheel
Author: Robin Herrera Published: March 11, 2014 Summary: Ten-year-old Star Mackie lives in a trailer park with her flaky mom and her melancholy older sister, Winter, whom Star idolizes. Star takes all her misfortunes and tries to look for the future. With all her effort she starts a poetry club at school in order to make friends and show her love of poems by Emily Dickinson. |
Tangerine
Author: Edward Bloor Published: 1997 Awards: American Library Association Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, 1998 Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination for Best Young Adult Novel, 1998 American Booksellers Association Pick of the List, 1997 New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 1997 Summary: Brothers Erik Fisher and Paul Fisher move house, with their parents, from Texas to rural Tangerine, Florida. Older son Erik is a talented football player while Paul, the younger brother, is legally blind as a result of a solar eclipse. As the story plays out Paul is forced to attend school due to a sinkhole at his middle school he discovers another group of friends. Paul joins the soccer team and enjoys learning about the Florida citrus crops. |
Beatrice's Goat
Author: Page McBriar Published: July 1, 2004 Awards: Christopher Award and made Tennessee's Volunteer State Book Award Master List Summary: Beatrice's family is given a goat. It is a blessing to the impoverished family of five who have been struggling to support the family much less send the children to school. Soon after the goat arrives it has two kids which allows the family to sell it for income. Beatrice's family are able to support their family through the gift of this one animal. |