Alone like me by Rebecca Evans

A hopeful, universal story about the power of friendship to dramatically improve 

the quality of everyday life. Kirkus Star review

A beautiful purchase about friendship even in difficult circumstances. 

School Library Journal

Publisher blurb: Liling and her family have moved from their rural farm to an overwhelming urban city. Because of Chinese law, Liling can't go to school and spends her days with Mama or Baba at work. At the playground, the other children throw sand at her and tease her old red coat and dirty shoes. But after she shares a smile with a girl in a bright yellow jacket who lives in an apartment beneath hers, Liling has a big idea! She draws a picture and lowers it down to the girl - Qiqi - who returns it with a drawing of her own. When the new friends meet face to face, Liling takes Qiqi's hand, and they walk bravely into the park - together.

This is a perfect book to share with children when you talk about the concepts of Windows and Mirrors - or in this case just 'Windows'.  I am sure the children in your Australian library group will have no idea that some children cannot to go to school. Reading about children who live very different lives to ours is a perfect way to build empathy. You could share this book with children aged 7+ as a way to talk about friendship and even bullying. With students from Grades 5 and 6 you could use this book to talk about the 'Rights of the Child'.

Sometimes I go to work but the can factory isn't a place for little girls either.

Liling cannot go to school because of the Chinese system called hukuo.

The children of farm workers (Chinese: 农民工; pinyin: nóngmín gōng) are not allowed to enroll in the city schools, and even now must live with their grandparents or other relatives to attend school in their hometowns. They are commonly referred to as the "stay-at-home" or "left-behind" children. There are around 130 million such left-behind children, living without their parents, as reported by Chinese researchers. (read more here) Watch this ABC video. 

Alone like me was published in 2022 and is still available. I found a copy in a public library in Melbourne.

Rebecca Evans is a first-time children's book author who has illustrated several picture books written by others, including Two Is a Lot, Plants Fight Back, and If Animals Built Your House. She also illustrated Mark Weston's Finding the Speed of Light, which Kirkus called a "highlight" in a starred review. She lives in Maryland with her family.

If you are talking about the history of China and Mao try to find this fabulous book:

Sparrow Girl

Sounder by William H Armstrong

"He ran his fingers back and forth over the broad crown of the head 

of a coon dog named Sounder."

Publisher blurb: Set in the 19th-century American South, this is the story a poor African-American sharecropping family, their faithful dog, Sounder, and the eldest boy's efforts to learn how to read and help his mother to support the family after his father is arrested for stealing a ham. When Sounder chases after the Sheriff's deputies he is shot and he crawls away, seemingly to die. For weeks the boy thinks that he has lost both his father and his dog, but then Sounder comes back, lame and missing an ear. The boy continues to search for his father, until a few years later the father returns home, disabled from a quarry accident. Reunited at last, the father and Sounder go on one final hunting trip together . . .

Sounder was published in 1969 and it won the Newbery Medal but, while I had heard of this book, reading it last week was a new experience for me. You can read a longer plot summary here. 

There is a whole lesson you could using book covers - you can see a good selection at the top of this post. This is also a book to use if you are talking about the power of a short novel. I had lots of readers in my former school library who not only judged a book by its cover but also by its length. For some a long long book was prestigious for others a shorter book meant the reading might be accomplished more quickly but for other, the kids who worried me, a shorter book somehow meant it would not be good or worth reading. If I was book talking Sounder either with a library group or with one reader I think this book could be the one to persuade them that shorter books can be just as terrific as those long tomes.

Here are some text quotes that resonated with me:

"What the boy saw in Sounder would have been totally missed by an outsider. The dog was not much to look at - a mixture of Georgia redbone hound and bulldog. His ears, nose and colour were those of a redbone. The great square jaws and head, his muscular neck and broad chest showed his bulldog blood."

"The boy pressed his head deep into his straw pillow. The pillow was cold, but it felt smooth, and smelled fresh. He had the same feeling he got when he rubbed his face against the sheets that hung on the clothesline every Monday. His mother washed his pillowcase and sheet every week, just like she did for the people who lived in the big house down the road."

"He watched his mother as she patched his father's overalls with a piece of ticking. The combination of faded blue overall cloth and grey-and-white-striped ticked looked odd."

"The loneliness that was always in the cabin, except when his mother was singing or telling a story about the Lord, was heavier than ever now. It made the boy's tongue heavy. It pressed against his eyes and they burned. It rolled against his ears. His head seemed to be squeezed inward, and it hurt."

"The boy was crying now. Not that there was any new or sudden sorrow. There just seemed to be nothing else to fill up the vast lostness of the moment. ... The tears ran down through the cobwebs and dust that covered his face, making little rivulets. ... There was so sign of Sounder's body."

The novel's strength lies in its meticulous portrayal of the boy's internal world as he grapples with the injustice inflicted upon his family. Following his father's arrest and subsequent imprisonment, the boy embarks on a series of lonely journeys, seeking his father in chain gangs across the landscape, his steadfast loyalty mirroring Sounder’s own unwavering devotion. These journeys are not merely physical; they are spiritual odysseys that test the limits of childish optimism and force a premature confrontation with the world's cruelty. Armstrong masterfully uses the natural world – the desolate roads, the changing seasons – as a backdrop that both reflects and amplifies the boy's emotional state, a silent witness to his quiet suffering. Reviewer Insight

Companion books:

Shiloh

The truth as told to Mason Buttle

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

In summation and conclusion, the Malone family has four members who are very bright, very good-looking and uniquely talented, just not all in one person at the same time. We are the only family in the world, in my ken, that has a motto of our own! That motto is “We are a family on a journey to a place called Wonderful.” I can’t wait until we get there!

Hoping is such hard work. It tires you out and you never seem to get any kind of reward. Hoping feels like you’re a balloon that has a pinhole that slowly leaks air.

Meet Deza - "I am neither very intelligent nor very tall. I also have not been blessed with a beautiful singing voice. I have a pleasingly even disposition unless it’s one of those times that I become very angry or scared and have embarrassing wishes to hurt someone real bad." "My most annoying trait is that some of the time I might talk a little too much, I can be very verbose. I also exaggerate but that is because I come from a family of great storytellers which is not the same as great liars."

And her mother - "My mother, Mrs. Margaret “Peggy” Sutphen Malone, was born here in Gary, Indiana. She is willowy and radiant and spell-blindingly beautiful. She is also very intelligent. She has a great job cleaning for the Carsdale family. Yes, that Carsdale family! The family whose patriarch is the president of the Gary Citizens’ Bank. Her most endearing trait is that she is the glue holding this family together."

My father who uses alliteration every chance he has - "He always calls me his Darling Daughter Deza, and I’m supposed to answer that he is my Dearest Delightful Daddy. He calls Jimmie the Genuine, Gentle Jumpin’ Giant, and Jimmie’s supposed to call him his Fine Friendly Father Figure. Father also calls Mother the Marvelous Mammalian Matriarch ... "

And Deza's brother is Jimmy - "The oldest child in our family, Mr. James Edward Malone, is fifteen years old and has been blessed with the singing voice of a angel. Jimmie’s most annoying trait is that he has what Mother says is a napoleon complex. That means Jimmie is not as tall or robust as most boys his age and tries to make up for it by being as loud and full of braggadocio as he can. He also gets in lots of fights. Jimmie’s most endearing trait is that he loves me more than any big brother has loved a little sister since time immoral."

The year is 1936 - the years of The Great Depression. The Malone family are poor. The have to rely on community food handouts. Deza desperately needs to see a dentist and her brother is bullied and taunted for being small and 'slow'. 

“And I know you, Peg. I know you’re going through the same thing, we both know that that little brown-skinned angel is something beyond special. You know if there’s any chance in the future, it’s riding on her narrow shoulders. So you tell me, you tell me how can I come home empty-handed knowing that that sassy, smart, beautiful, charming little girl…my Mighty Miss Malone…is slowly rotting away on the inside and we can’t afford to have her teeth looked after, we can’t even get them pulled?"

Her father is badly hurt on a fishing trip. Her mother loses her cleaning job. Then Deza's Daddy heads away to find work in Flint. Mother, Deza and Jimmy try to follow him but one night Jimmy heads off. He has a dream to be a singer but is he just being conned? These are dangerous times for the mother and daughter who find themselves living in a camp or shanty town with other displaced people. Their dream, though, is to try to find a place called Wonderful with a house of their own and everyone reunited. 

Deza is a top student and her teacher recognises her abilities and also her poverty. In a beautiful scene near the beginning of the book Mrs Needham gifts Deza some shoes and clothes. 

Inside the bag there was a beautiful pair of new patent leather shoes and some folded-up clothes. Mother says it’s rude to set shoes on anything but the floor so that’s where I put them. “Do you wear a size five?” “I’m not sure.” “Try them on.” I picked up the first shoe. There were some socks rolled up in it. “Should I put on the socks too?” “Yes.” I was glad I was behind her desk and she couldn’t see my shoes and socks. My shoes are quite tired and my socks have been darned a million times. Jimmie says our socks and clothes are very religious because they are so holey. My hands were shaking, but I pulled the new socks on and slipped my feet into the shoes. I knew just how Cinderella felt! They were a little big, but maybe that was because mine were so tight. I sat on my socks so Mrs. Needham wouldn’t see them. She said, “My niece from Cleveland spent the summer with me a while ago and left a few things. I thought they might fit you.” Did Mrs. Needham really mean these shoes were for me?

I've included this long quote above because I was utterly devastated later in the story when Deza accidentally leaves her precious clothes behind. 

To get to Flint they jump a train. They are given some really important advice about ways to stay safe in the camp - these were called Hooverville during the Depression.

"You gonna have to be extra careful when you get to camp, that’s unsafe too, if you don’t know what you’re doing.” “What do you mean?” “It’s just like anything else, there’s just enough bad folks in camp to make it so you got to keep your guard up at all times. It’s especially hard on women, and even worst for little girls.” She looked at me and a shiver went through my heart. “You just gotta keep your wits about you and don’t let no one in on your business. Keep it to yourself why you’re on the road alone.” ... “Always let folks think your husband or your brother is with you, always tell ’em that he’s gonna be back later tonight. There’s strength in numbers so let folks think there’s a lot of y’all. You’re a good-looking woman, you gonna have to be careful not to draw a lot of attention you don’t want.” Mother’s jaws tightened. “And don’t let no one get too familiar either, man or woman. Don’t let ’em know where y’all are really from. They’ll start prying and before you know it they’re looking to help you out in some way that ain’t no kind of help at all. Just keep your head low. Don’t look weak or scared.”

Spoiler alert - there were moments I cheered in this story: When Deza and her mother move into a room in a real house; when Deza has an address so she can get a library card; when Deza finally gets good dental help; and when the series of letters arrive with money and news about her father. AND there were moments of despair: When Deza lost her clothing gift; when she couldn't go to the special extra lessons with Mrs Needham; and in her new school when 'black' students are always given low grades no matter how well they perform. 

Bookseller blurb: Deza is the smartest girl in her class, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression hit Gary, Indiana hard, and there are no jobs for Black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. While Jimmie's beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, Deza and Mother continue on, clinging to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of the Malone's journey reveal not only the devastation of the Depression but also the enduring strength of family bonds and the mighty heart of young Deza Malone.

Listen to an audio sample here. The Might Miss Malone was published in 2012 but because it won the Coretta Scott King Award it is still in print and available in paperback. 

Each of these reviews has more plot details:

Vivid picture of what it was like to live through the Great Depression, as well as what it was like to live with every day prejudice. Deza is a strong character, and her family tries their best to survive and prosper during a difficult time. Ms Yingling

The Mighty Miss Malone is a Superlative Stupendous Story and a Totally Awesome Book. The Book Smugglers

The fluidity of the writing, the strong sense of place and time combined with well-drawn characters will captivate and delight. Kirkus Star review

We talk now about the importance of representation in books for children. Here is a wonderful quote from The Mighty Miss Malone which epitomises this:

"When I was in Gary and would read novels I used to put myself right in the middle of the story. I knew it was a great book when it felt like the author was writing about me. Some of the time I’d get snapped out of the book when I read things that I couldn’t pretend were about me, even if I had the imagination of Mr. William Shakespeare. Words like “her pale, luminescent skin” or “her flowing mane of golden hair” or “her lovely, cornflower-blue eyes” or “the maiden fair.” I would stop and think, No, Deza, none of these books are about you."

Deza is a character from a previous book by Christopher Paul Curtis:

Bud not Buddy

Last Stop on Market Street Matt de la Pena illustrated by Christian Robinson

Through simple yet powerful storytelling, Matt de la Peña explores themes of gratitude, perspective, and community. CJ begins the story feeling envious of what others have, 

but as he listens to his grandmother’s wisdom, he comes to see value in his experiences—in the people they meet, in the music of the streets, and in the sense of belonging 

that isn’t tied to material wealth. The book captures how young children process social differences and how caregivers can shape their understanding of privilege, joy, and human connection. Reading is Resistance

Last Stop on Market Street is a timeless masterpiece transcending age and genre, creating an immersive reading experience that will stay with readers long after turning the final page. This book is not just a journey through the city; it’s a journey of the heart—a celebration of diversity, resilience, and the beauty of the human spirit. Allow yourself to be transported by its magic. 

The Children's Book Review

It is easy to see this is part of CJ and his grandmother's weekly routine. After church they head to the bus stop. CJ has lots of questions but it is the answers that are truly special. His grandmother is filled with the joy of life even though clearly, as we discover, life is tough - she always has a positive answer to questions such as 'Nana how come we don't got a car?'; 'How come we always gotta go here after church?'; and 'How come it's always so dirty over here?'.

The bus is filled with many different people - not in a forced didactic way - if you have been on a suburban bus, you have seen they are usually filled with a variety of people from all walks of life. We see an older lady, a businessman, a young boy with tattoos, a blind man with his guide dog and a guitar player. The bus feels like a small community. His grandmother reacts to each person in a genuine and warm way - what a beautiful example for CJ to follow. When the guitar man plays his tunes, the experience of this bus ride becomes quite magical - but where are they going?

Last stop on Market Steet is a soup or community kitchen. It is in a poor part of town, but CJ sees a rainbow and the scene is transformed. Now look closely at the final page - have CJ and Nana come here for food - no - why are they here?

Last Stop on Market Street won the 2016 Caldecott Medal. 

Other awards:

• 2016 Caldecott Honor Book
• 2016 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book
• #1 New York Times Bestseller
• New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of 2015
• NPR Best Book of 2015
• Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015
• Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2015
• 2015 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
• Horn Book Best Book of 2015
• The Huffington Post Best Overall Picture Book of 2015
• Boston Globe Best Book of 2015
• Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2015
• 2015 E.B. White Read Aloud Award Finalist

The air smelled like freedom, but it also smelled like rain, 

which freckled CJ's shirt and dripped down his nose.

He ducked under his nana's umbrella, saying 'How come we gotta wait for the bus in all this wet?' 'Trees get thirsty, too,' his nana told him. 'Don't you see that big one drinking through a straw?' CJ looked for a long time but he never saw a straw.'

You need to take your time reading this book - the story unfolds slowly.

Last Stop on Market Street doesn’t make political points. It just shows a visit to a soup kitchen from a small child’s perspective. The lead up to their arrival shows community spirit and strangers being nice to each other (whether they are heavily tattooed, or elderly ladies, or blind men with guide dogs). And the soup kitchen is an extension of that – from CJs point of view, it is about being nice to others and helping those who need help. So while it may be, on one level, an ‘issue’ book, it is also a simple ‘day in the life’ story of a little boy, who just happens to regularly go to a church, and take a bus to help out in a soup kitchen. It can be read in that simple way for children to enjoy and make sense of however they wish. But it also opens a window to experiences that are (hopefully) outside of their own and make them think about the difficulties that other people suffer....  It’s an observation of the world, designed to make us and our children think. Rhubarb and Wren

Christian Robinson’s acrylic and collage illustrations are smart, captivating snapshots of CJ’s day as he watches and interacts with a variety of people on the bus and at the soup kitchen. The visual camaraderie of the passengers—old and young, tattooed, talented, and disabled—as they talk together and smile at one another will cheer readers. The color scheme of bright and pastel colors shared from page to page enhances the book’s themes of interconnectedness and cohesion, and the clean, unadorned images reflect the idea that often the simple things in life really are the best. Celebrate Picture Books

Companion books (including one for older readers):

It's a no money day

Free Lunch

Runaways by EL Norry

Visiting Gleebooks the other day I spied this book which was published in 2025. I had not heard of the author EL Norry but the cover looked intriguing.

I would call this a collision story. Dreadful things have happened to these two kids who come from very different backgrounds, but life events mean that they do meet or as I have said collide.

July has been in foster care on and off but recently she has moved back with her mother. Mum was caught up in drugs and alcohol, but she has been on a program, now has a job and has a plan for further study. Things should be good for July but then her mum invites an old (and dangerous) friend to stay and July is sure her mother will go back to her old habits, so July runs away hoping to find the last foster carer who was kind and understanding.

Jamie's dad has recently left the family and now his mum has moved in with a wealthy man called Garrett. Jamie is sure Garrett does not like him and now his mum has decided he will attend a posh school which means he won't be with his true friends. As the story begins Mum has gone away for a few days and Jamie is left with Garrett. Things do not go well and then Garrett bluntly tells Jamie that his dad is not just away - he is in jail. Jamie is furious and he pushes Garrett down the stairs at home. Convinced Garrett is now dead, Jamie runs away.

The voices of the two kids in this book are set out in two different fonts. It does take a long time in the story for these kids to meet each other and of course neither of them is prepared to share the truth about why they are now in Bournemouth. As is often the scenario for stories involving running away, over the course of the story July has her belongings stolen and later Jamie's money, bag and shoes go too. 

I read Runaways in one sitting. It is an action-packed story that races towards an expected but not too predictable or saccharine happy ending. 

Publisher blurb: Jamie and July are both eleven-year-olds living in London – but they have very different lives. They meet for the first time at Waterloo Station in the last week of the holidays. They are both desperate to get away from home. July is really worried about her unreliable mum - she needs to get help. Jamie has done something terrible - and left in a panic. Despite their worries, the sun is shining and, as they escape everything they've left behind in the city, Jamie and July can't help but sense adventure in the air. But running away isn't just harmless summertime fun. What are they really trying to escape? And will either Jamie or July find a place that finally feels like home?

July and Jamie learn some hard truths about life, love, the fallibility of parents and the strength of those they can really trust. Friendship and finding your way in life isn’t necessarily easy but there is always hope. Scope for Imagination

Alternating chapters gives each child a voice, allowing the reader to empathise with their actions as they experience the potential pitfalls and dangers of leaving home- being exploited, robbed, finding somewhere safe… E L Norry manages to handle these threats in an age appropriate way yet leaves the reader in no doubt as to how real these dangers are. However, this story is ultimately one of hope, one with a (two!) happy ending which leaves the reader uplifted and optimistic for Jamie and July’s futures.  I really hope this book gains the recognition it deserves. Beautifully written, deeply moving, it is essential reading for everyone.  Through the Bookshelf

About EL (Emma) Norry: I’m an author based in Bournemouth. I write fiction and non-fiction for 8-14 year olds (sometimes called MG, middle-grade). I also write many other things, including a couple of episodes of the UK soap opera, EastEnders. ... As a child, I grew up in the care system. I was born in Cardiff, Wales but moved around a lot. .... I’m passionate about diversity and inclusion and showing children that authors can come from different backgrounds.

Companion books:

Bird and Sugar Boy

Raven Winter

Charlie and Me 421 Miles from Home

Runaways

Talking to Alaska

Summer of the Gypsy Moths

Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

Ministers and priests and Buddhist monks and talk-show hosts—all those people who are supposed to be real smart and wise and stuff—always say dumb things like “Money isn’t everything,” or “The best things in life are free.” 

But they’re wrong. Money is everything. The best things in life aren’t free.

I hate Sam 'cause he beats Mom. I hate him even more for beating me. I hate Mom for beating me. And I hate her even more for going crazy all the time. I hate that they don’t have money. I hate that they always fight about not having money. I hate that all the kids at my school seem happy all the time. Sometimes I hate the whole world. Sometimes I don’t know who to hate. I guess, most of the time, I just hate myself.

Rex lives with his mum, her partner Sam and their son Ford. It is a home filled with violence, neglect and often there is no food. School is a refuge for Rex, but it is also a tough place with traps and rules. Thank goodness Rex does make a friend - I just wanted to hug this kid named Ethan. Ethan just accepts Rex - no judgement - only genuine kindness. His grandmother is also someone wonderful but sadly her daughter, Rex's mum utterly rejects her help and even throws away all clothes, toys and the groceries she brings on her visit.

Even though his situation is utterly dreadful Rex has intelligence and integrity. He does understand his mother, he tries to help her, and he would deny this, but he deeply cares about his much younger brother. I was sure Rex would make something more of his life - it is fantastic to read that he wants to succeed at school and while he knows others have a way better life than his I felt certain Rex would be okay. 

Here are some text quotes (note this book has strong language and explicit violence) - I really enjoyed taking this journey with Rex. I recommend this book for readers aged 13+. Free Lunch was published in 2020 and it is still available in paperback. There is a sticker on the front cover because this book won the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award.

It’s not just Mom’s fault—it’s mine too. I shouldn’t have raised my voice at her. I really do try to be a good kid, but sometimes I get so angry. Everything turns red. Feels like my blood is on fire and I’m going to puke or pass out or . . . I don’t know. Next thing I know, I’m screaming so hard. But that’s all I do is yell.

This year was supposed to be great. It’s only the first day, and everything is falling apart already. Yesterday, I was so excited. Now, I’m angry and pissed off and alone. All ’cause of . . . ’cause of what? I come to school with a black eye and have to beg for a free lunch. It’s bull crap. No one should have to ask for handouts. No one. Especially not kids. Now everyone knows I’m nothing but trailer trash.

I hate that Mom and Sam are in charge of me. Adults aren’t always smarter than kids. I’m always doing stuff that parents should do. Like hooking up the wires for the TV or the stereo, or jump-starting a car. That stuff is easy for me. Mom doesn’t even know how to make toast, and I can cook, like, twenty kinds of meals, even stuff without recipes. Plus, I know a bunch of facts ’cause I read a lot. I for sure know more than Sam. He can barely write a full sentence. Sometimes he has me fill out job applications for him. And I’m good at math. Mom has me double-check hers in her checkbook all the time.

Mom’s bedroom is empty except for the mattress and the box spring under it, and the metal frame under that. Some clothes are in the closet on wire hangers. There’s a fan in the corner. That’s it. No photos. No albums. No books. No jewelry box with a ballerina in it. No tin of little keepsakes. My mom doesn’t have anything.

I think about how we were homeless for one night, and that was awful. But now we have a roof over our head. And Sam and Mom never let us starve, even if we have to do without TV or a toaster for a little while. Mom didn’t sign me up for the Free Lunch Program to punish me. She did it so I could have food.

I guess I should have realised this book is a true story because the name of the author and the main character match, but it just didn't occur to me until I read the heart wrenching afterword.

Bookseller blurb: Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex’s mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he’s on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex has to shout Free Lunch is the story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade—who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he’s trouble—all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. His mom and her boyfriend are out of work, and life at home is punctuated by outbursts of violence. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period every day until the buses have left, so no one will see where he lives. Unsparing and realistic, Free Lunch is a story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace. Rex’s voice is compelling and authentic, and Free Lunch is a true, timely, and essential work that illuminates the lived experience of poverty in America.

Ms Yingling has written a very thoughtful review of Free Lunch - please take the time to read it. 

A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism. Kirkus Star review

There is a rawness to Ogle’s writing, an honesty that shines on the page. His weaving in of hope makes reading this book possible, not leaving the reader to languish in the haunting and horrible world he writes of. That hope is vital for the character of Rex too, it keeps him making new friends, finding a way forward, and being willing to change himself to make his family better. Profoundly honest and full of heart, this book is one that all teachers and librarians need to read to understand the children they serve.  Waking Brain Cells

Here are some words from the author about his life:

The worst part of living like this is thinking as I did—that I was alone, that I was shameful, and that I had less worth because of the situations into which I was born. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. No child should feel alone. Or ashamed. Or worthless. They need to know that their circumstances are not their fault. ... No matter how bad your circumstances may seem, things can change. And until they do, no one can take away your most powerful gift—your ability to hope for the better.

Companion books:

The Other Shadow

Orbiting Jupiter

Gossamer

One for the Murphys

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

AMIR: The garden’s green was as soothing to the eye as the deep blue of that rug. I’m aware of color—I manage a fabric store. But the garden’s greatest benefit, I feel, 

was not relief to the eyes, but to make the eyes see our neighbors.

This book is such an interesting discovery. It is a book for Young Adult readers but I am sure adults will enjoy the way this book is written as a jigsaw puzzle where we meet a diversity of characters all linked through their connection with a community garden. (In the UK this might be called an allotment). Seedfolks was published in 1997 - I read an ebook version. The good news is the paperback [9780064472074] from 1999 seems to be available to order from your favourite independent book seller.

Publisher blurb: A Vietnamese girl plants six lima beans in a Cleveland vacant lot. Looking down on the immigrant-filled neighborhood, a Romanian woman watches suspiciously. A school janitor gets involved, then a Guatemalan family. Then muscle-bound Curtis, trying to win back Lateesha. Pregnant Maricela. Amir from India. A sense of community sprouts and spreads. 

Characters

• Kim: A Vietnamese girl mourning her father, who plants beans to connect with him.
• Ana: An elderly Romanian woman who initially distrusts Kim but later helps tend the garden.
• Wendell: A school janitor who supports Kim and contributes to the garden.
• Gonzalo: A young Guatemalan boy who feels responsible for his uncle and finds purpose in gardening.
• Curtis: A muscle-bound man trying to win back his ex-girlfriend through gardening.
• Leona: A passionate woman who fights to clean the lot and grows goldenrod, believing it has healing properties.
• Maricela: A pregnant teen who learns to care for plants and finds hope for her future.
• Amir: An Indian immigrant who grows eggplant, sharing his heritage with others in the community.
• Tío Juan: Gonzalo’s uncle, a farmer who finds joy in sharing his knowledge with children.
• Sae Young: A Korean woman who finds solace among neighbors as she tends to the garden.

Here is the Kirkus review. There is a link to book club questions on the publisher web page. Wikipedia have more plot details. 

Listen to a discussion about his book with All Things Considered.

Quick facts (Source Audible blog)

• Seedfolks features 13 distinct narrators, each telling their own chapter of the story.
• Despite its large and diverse cast of characters, the book is only 80 pages long.
• The story is set in Cleveland, Ohio, and spans one year, from the planting of the first seeds to the following spring.
• Seedfolks was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults in 1998 and won the Buckeye Children's Book Award for ages six to eight in 1999.
• Seedfolks has been adapted into a play and performed on Broadway.
• The audiobook version features 13 different voice actors to represent each character.

Here are a few text quotes:

KIM: All his life in Vietnam my father had been a farmer. Here our apartment house had no yard. But in that vacant lot he would see me. He would watch my beans break ground and spread, and would notice with pleasure their pods growing plump. He would see my patience and my hard work. I would show him that I could raise plants, as he had. I would show him that I was his daughter.

WENDELL: There’s plenty about my life I can’t change. Can’t bring the dead back to life on this earth. Can’t make the world loving and kind. Can’t change myself into a millionaire. But a patch of ground in this trashy lot—I can change that. Can change it big. Better to put my time into that than moaning about the other all day. That little grammar-school girl showed me that.

LEONA: There were probably lots of folks who’d want to grow something, just like me. Then I studied all the trash on the ground. Don’t know why anyone called that lot “vacant.” The garbage was piled high as your waist, some of it from the neighborhood and some dropped off by outside people. The ones who don’t want to pay at the dump, or got dangerous chemicals, or think we’re such slobs down here we won’t mind another load of junk. ...  The gardeners had made some trails through it. But I knew precious few would join ’em until that mess was hauled away.

NORA: That small circle of earth became a second home to both of us. Gardening boring? Never! It has suspense, tragedy, startling developments—a soap opera growing out of the ground. I’d forgotten that tremolo of expectation produced by a tiny forest of sprouts. What a marvelous sight it was to behold Mr. Myles’ furrowed black face inspecting his smooth-skinned young, just arrived in the world he’d shortly leave. His eyes gained back some of their life. He weeded and watered with great concentration.

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California. The son of well-known children's novelist Sid Fleischman, Paul was in the unique position of having his famous father's books read out loud to him by the author as they were being written. This experience continued throughout his childhood. Paul followed in his father's footsteps as an author of books for young readers, and in 1982 he released the book "Graven Images", which was awarded a Newbery Honor citation. In 1988, Paul Fleischman came out with "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices", an unusually unique collection of poetry from the perspective of insects. This book was awarded the 1989 John Newbery Medal. Factoring in Sid Fleischman's win of the John Newbery Medal in 1987 for his book "The Whipping Boy", Paul and Sid Fleischman became to this day the only father and son authors to both win the John Newbery Medal.

Parked by Danielle Svetcov

It doesn’t seem right to be living in a van in a city this rich, this dazzling. 

I don’t think Mom imagined how badly this could go for us. I think she only pictured good. 

I can imagine how bad, though. 

I read Oliver Twist in fourth grade. I can imagine a lot.

“Why are you living in a van?” Cal asks. How long has he waited to ask that hot potato? ... “Did you hear my question?” “Yes.” But it’s my question. I ask it in my sleeping bag every night, staring at a rusted ceiling. I ask it every morning when I wake up, stiff on a deflated pad. 

I ask it when I’m trudging to the public bathroom with the overflowing garbage cans 

and the sinks that only run ice water.

The setting for this story is San Francisco - and yes even if you haven't been there you will get a feel for the city with its harbour views and very hilly streets. Readers aged 10+ will also gain a good insight into the lives of people with extreme housing insecurity. 

The lives of Cal and Jeanne Ann are set to collide. 

Jeanne Ann's mother moves her daughter across the country to California. When they get there Joyce cannot find a job and the promised housing is no longer available. Mother and daughter are forced to live in their van which they nickname Carrot. Meanwhile Cal lives across the road in a huge house which has a wall of windows to face the glorious views. Cal's mother manages a restaurant, but she no longer cooks there. They serve vegetarian food. Jeanne Ann's mother is a cook and her specialty is eggs and she most certainly is not a vegetarian. Joyce also collects cookery books. But she is a loud and opinionated lady and it seems no one will hire her. Surely there is a way to link Cal's mum with Jeanne Ann's mum so we can all enjoy the happy ending but NO things in life are never that simple. 

Cal is an artist but he is in trouble because he created a huge art piece on the wall of his 'posh' school. His mother decides his punishments will be working in her restaurant and limited access to his art materials but this does not stop Cal from continuing to draw and also from caring about the van dwellers who live across the street from his house. Cal also has to change to the public middle school.

Jeanne Ann sure is stubborn and she won't accept help from anyone especially Cal. Cal on the other hand is so kind and he is a problem solver, and he has some emotional intelligence. He knows Jeanne Ann needs space and she has her pride, but he absolutely does not give up on her. Jeanne Ann is desperate to start middle school but she has no fixed address and so cannot be enrolled. 

There is a little thread in this book based on the overdue book notice from Chicago where Jeanne Ann used to live. She has a huge list of overdue books and then Jeanne Ann 'pawns' a heap of book at a local shop to raise money for basics like food. I worried about this firstly because with each letter from the library the fines grow bigger and bigger and secondly because it seemed the books would now never be returned - but there is a fantastic resolution to all of this which will make all library users smile. Also, her list of overdue books could give you some terrific titles to explore yourself. I also love the librarian Mrs Jablonsky. Mrs. Jablonsky treated new library card registrations like magical events. She’d have released balloons from the ceiling for every single one if the library had had a budget for it.

 

Here are some text quotes:

The store there has been vacant since somebody invented the Internet in 1990-something, Mom says, but no one ever took down the posters that are taped to the inside of the glass, facing out. There’s one of the Eiffel Tower and one of the Taj Mahal. And one of the Golden Gate Bridge. They’re all faded like everything else on this block, but Mom likes to tap the glass over the Golden Gate Bridge poster like she’s got a plan. Which she does. I know she does. She just hasn’t shared it with me yet.

We’re at the front of a line of vans that look a lot like ours—drained of blood. I thought they were abandoned, but last night I caught sight of an arm popped out of a window two vans back; it dumped something wet and steamy onto the sidewalk. Not a good sign.

Mom calls someone who scratches at the same worry, over and over, a “grinder.” I am definitely grinding. But Labor Day is when school starts in Chicago. It’s gotta start around the same time here. And I’m pretty sure I can’t go without an address. I know I can’t check out a library book without one.

I settle my eyes on the homes across the street. To them, looking down, we’re just a shadowy crease, like in the fold of my book. Everything that matters is off to the sides of us—the water and bridge out my window, the mansions and hills out Mom’s. We’re in the no-place place.

The absence of a credit card is like the absence of a thumb, Mom says. You can’t grip things tightly. We lived in a crummy apartment in Chicago because of the absence of a credit card. We live in this van because of the absence of a credit card. We can’t pay this new parking ticket. Missing a thumb is something you notice quick.

Parked has 400 pages but I read the whole book in one day on a long train journey - and yes, it is THAT good! I always enjoy books with different voices and Danielle Svetcov makes this easy to identify with alternating chapters and a different font for each of these kids. 

Kirkus, however, think this book is too long and there are too many neat coincidences, but it did hold my attention right to the end. I did have one reservation myself (hence the 4 stars) - I was not sure why Cal drew all his images of people with wings and I wanted to know a little more about his absent dad and his distant mum. I did enjoy the minor characters - the crazy kid who keeps escaping from his daycare/summer activities program and the generous and kind man in the van next door. 

Ms Yingling also has a few reservations about Parked:

The juxtaposition of Cal and Jeanne Ann's lives was particularly interesting since they lived on the same street. The details of why the family ends up living in a van, and how they manage various activities is important in helping young readers understand how others may face difficulties they may not. Cal's presence makes the neighborhood initiative to remove the vans more interesting, and the fact that Jeanne Ann loves reading will immediately endear this to librarians and language arts teachers. The San Francisco setting and the different restaurants adds to the appeal of this.

Publisher blurb: Jeanne Ann is smart, stubborn, living in an orange van, and determined to find a permanent address before the start of seventh grade. Cal is awkward, sensitive, living in a humongous house across the street, and determined to save her. Jeanne Ann wants Cal's help just about as much as she wants to live in a van. As the two form a tentative friendship that grows deeper over alternating chapters, they're buoyed by a cast of complex, oddball characters, who let them down, lift them up, and leave you cheering. Debut novelist Danielle Svetcov shines a light on a big problem without a ready answer, pulling it off with the perfect balance of humor, heartbreak, and hope.

When I am travelling I like to read books on an e-reader so my next few blog posts I will share the books I read over the last couple of weeks.

Parked was published in 2020 but a paperback from 2021 is currently available here in Australia.

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

"And that's when I saw him, my dad, staggering from the bedroom, his lips bloody, a pistol in his hand ... me and my mum kept rolling. The sound of the gun cocking. The sound of the door unlocking. As soon as she swung the door open, my dad fired a shot. He was shooting at us! My dad! ... One things is for sure, that was the night I learned how to run."

Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) thinks his true sport destiny is basketball - not that the other bigger kids will let him play but then he stumbles on the track and decides to join in a race and even though he is wearing the wrong shoes and the wrong clothes and he has had no training and has missed lunch he somehow wins the race. The coach can see this kid has potential and so he invites Ghost to train with his team. Ghost is not a kid who knows how to stick with things, but he does keep coming back to the track and he does try to master all the warmup drills and endurance races. He desperately wants to fit in and one way to do this would surely be wearing the right shoes but Ghost has no money and his mum is working hard and only just keeping them afloat.

"Where I live. Where I live. When anyone ever asks about where I live, I get weird because people always treat you funny when they find out you stay in a certain kind of neighborhood. But I was used to people treating me funny. When your clothes are two sizes too big, and you got no-name trainers, and your mother cuts your hair and it looks like your mother cuts your hair, you get used to people treating you funny."

The sport shop has so many fabulous shoes - surely it cannot hurt to just try them on. At this point in the story I actually called out a warning to Ghost but of course he didn't listen to me (after all I was only the reader, the  bystander, the observer).

Publisher blurb: Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons —until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?

Readers aged 10+ need to read this book especially those kids who ask for sport stories. Ghost is a quick book to read with only 200 pages and large print and a story that will keep you turning the pages. I read it in one sitting. Listen to a five-minute audio sample here. If you don't have this series in your school library please add all five books (see below) to your library wish list. I highly recommend Ghost - I wish I was still working in my school library because I would love to put this book into the hands of so many Grade 6 readers. 

An endearing protagonist runs the first, fast leg of Reynolds' promising relay. Kirkus Star review

Readers will quickly fall into step with Ghost’s slangy voice and will find themselves relating strongly to a character who’s just trying to get through each day with all the anger and hurt he feels about the cards life has sent his way. ... This story also interrogates our perception of wealth and poverty and the impact of poverty on kids. Finally, at its core, the story is about healing, moving forward from the need to escape oneself because of past trauma. Reading Middle Grade

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award Honoree, a UK Carnegie Medal winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King honors, a Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Margaret A. Edwards Award. He was also the 2020–2022 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His debut picture book, There Was a Party for Langston, won a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. He lives in Washington, DC. 

The most perfect book to read after Ghost is not about sport - it is about shoes!

The Wrong Shoes

I am very late in my discovery this fabulous book from 2018 but I am now totally hooked, and I can't wait to read the rest of the Track series (and that is fairly unusual for me as I don't always continue with a series). All of the books are currently available but might need to be ordered from your local independent bookstore. Colby Sharp shared the newest book from the series - Coach. You can see more books by Jason Reynolds here and notice how many have award stickers on their covers.