RESOURCES / CURRICULUM / BOOKS
The following is a list of materials that we have found to be helpful inThe Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson, Garth Williams (Illustrator)
Synopsis: "Old Armand, a Parisian hobo, enjoyed his solitary, carefree life (until he) found that three homeless children and their working mother had claimed his shelter under the bridge. A charming and memorable story."
A Chance to Grow by E. Sandy Powell, Zulma
Davila (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback 1 pages Reprint edition (November 1992) First Avenue Editions; ISBN:
0876145802
From Horn Book
Joe, his sister, Gracey, and their mother are evicted from their apartment and left homeless. There is little character development to make readers care about the hopeful ending as the family obtains a one_room flat in exchange for doing housework. Black and white pencil sketches reveal the literal drabness of the story. Copyright © 1993 The Horn Book, Inc.
A Rose for Abby by Donna Guthrie, Dennis
Hockerman (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback 32 pages (March 1998) Abingdon Press; ISBN: 068706080X
Abby, whose father preaches in a large urban church, sees a homeless old woman searching the trash cans nearby and is inspired to do something for the neighborhood's many street people.
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting, Ronald
Himler (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback 32 pages Reissue edition (March ) Clarion Books; ISBN: 0395664152
Synopsis: Will Andrew and Dad ever have a home of their own? ". . . A small child narrates the facts of his homeless existence sleeping sitting up, washing in the restroom, and above all, avoiding being noticed . . . a first rate picture book that deserves a place in all collections. . . ." School Library Journal, starred review. 1992 ALA Notable Children's Book; Teacher's Choices for 19 92, IRA Committee; American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists;" School Library Journal Best Books of 1991.
Goodbye House by Frank Asch
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback (May 1989) Aladdin Paperbacks; ISBN: 0671679279
Synopsis: As the moving van waits outside, Bear says goodbye to each room in the empty house. What he learns is that it's never goodbye forever for we carry our memories with us.
I Can Hear the Sun: A Modern Myth by
Patricia Polacco (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover 32 pages (September 1996) Philomel Books; ISBN: 039922520X
From Kirkus Reviews , August 1, 1996
Polacco (Babushka's Mother Goose, 1995, etc.) adds to her list of memorable characters in
this somewhat mawkish tale of throwaway (homeless) people, a blind goose, and a park
keeper named Stephanie Michele. The orphan Fondo spends his summer days sitting on a park
bench in a nature preserve on Merritt Lake, watching the homeless people and the geese.
Stephanie Michele, a big_hearted, middle_aged African_American woman, welcomes and
befriends Fondo. She teaches him to help her care for the geese, shows him a blind goose
who needs a little special help, and gives him an official park shirt. The goose becomes
Fondo's special charge; in fact, he spends so much time caring for the geese that the
throwaway people tease, ``Pretty soon, you're gonna turn into a goose!''
When Fondo learns he will be sent away as a ``special needs'' child, he wishes he could fly away with the geese and does. The title page calls this story ``A Modern Myth,'' but most of its elements are too grounded in reality to achieve mythic status. The most fanciful aspects may be the cute bag lady and jolly Vietnam vet. Polacco's characteristic illustrations in warm brown, peach, and green, capture the vulnerability of the unwanted boy, the beauty of the wild geese, and the solid strength and loving warmth of Stephanie Michele. If only the rest of the book were as real as she is. (Picture book. 4-10) Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Someplace to Go by Maria Testa, Karen Ritz
(Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
School & Library Binding 32 pages (April 1996) Albert Whitman & Co; ISBN:
Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. The feelings are on target in this picture book about homelessness for older readers. The affecting first person narrative begins at the end of the school day. All the kids are excited about going home except Davey, who has nowhere to go. So begins his solitary sojourn through the cold city streets. Davey's stops include the library, where a security guard tells him that sleeping is not allowed, and a soup kitchen, where he makes a connection with a very small child. Like the text, the artwork has emotional resonance. Although some of the facial expressions are awkwardly rendered, Karen Ritz's watercolors have a good sense of composition, color, and perspective, capturing Davey's loneliness, despair and, finally, happiness at meeting his mother and brother after a long day even if it is at the homeless shelter where they sleep. Julie Corsaro Copyright© 1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved
Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by
Dyanne Disalvo_Ryan, Dyanne Di Salvo_Ryan
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback 32 pages Reprint edition (April 1997) Mulberry Books; ISBN: 0688152856
Synopsis: DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan's sensitive text and pictures show a bustling, friendly group of workers who welcome the young narrator into the caring world of the soup kitchen as she deals with the problem of hunger at the level for children to understand. Full color illustrations.
Where's Home? by Jonathan London
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback 96 pages (July 1997) Puffin Books; ISBN: 0140375139
From Booklist , June 1, 1995
Gr. 5-7. Like many stories about the homeless on the road, London's first novel is hushed
and reverential, the characters too perfect. Adrian, 14, tells how he and his Vietnam vet
dad have lost everything: first they left the coal mines of West Virginia for Detroit; now
they've hitchhiked west to San Francisco. They meet all kinds of down and out people;
Adrian makes some friends through music and street dancing; they get beat up by vicious
cops and spend a night in jail; they act like heroes at a fire; finally father and son hug
and express their love. What will keep kids reading is the nightmare of homelessness
brought close and the spare poetry of London's style ("We came in foot weary, one of
my high_top soles flapping like a mouth" ). Every page reveals metaphor and music in
ordinary things. Hazel Rochman Copyright© 1995, American Library Association. All rights
reserved.
Anyplace but Here : Young, Alone, and Homeless : What to Do
by Ellen Switzer
Reading level: Young Adult
School & Library Binding 161 pages (October 1992) Atheneum; ISBN: 0689316941
From Horn Book
One or two of the teenage runaways in this book were able to create a successful existence
for themselves, but the author shows that the vast majority of runaways resort to drug
addiction and prostitution when they become homeless. Information for getting help is
provided for kids already on the streets or planning to run away. Copyright © 1993
The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
Asphalt Angels by Ineke Holtwijk, Wanda
Boeke (Translator), Aneke Holtwijk
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover 192 pages (April 1, 1999) Front Street Pr; ISBN: 1886910243
From Booklist , August 19, 1999
When 13 year old Alex is kicked out of the house by his abusive stepfather after his
mother's death, he decides to make his home on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, where he
must survive confrontations with corrupt police officers, pedophiles, and fellow homeless
persons. For protection, he joins a street gang, the Asphalt Angels, but instead of
getting help, he finds himself being sucked into pickpocketing, robbery, and drug running.
Holtwijk, a journalist from the Netherlands, avoids overwriting, maintains objectivity,
and does a good job of capturing the boredom of everyday street life. The striking cover
(a black and white photo of "street teens") and the high interest subject will
entice teens to follow Alex willingly into the streets, but the surprising flat third
person narrative somehow fails to convey the poignancy Alex's story deserves. Debbie
Carton Copyright© 1999, American Library Association. All rights reserved.
A Ceiling of Stars (American Girl Fiction
(Paper) by Ann Howard Creel
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback 96 pages (September 1999) Pleasant Company Publications; ISBN: 1562477536
As her mother disappears into drunkenness, Vivien, 12, named by her father for the Lady of the Lake, clings to the Arthurian tales he told her before he died. Vivien makes friends among the homeless in Denver, and even finds a place to stay in Arch House, where runaway teens can be safe, but she finds the lure of the streets irresistible. The book is told in journal entries and through letters Vivien writes to relatives whose addresses she doesn't have. Creel romanticizes homelessness, inhabits her novel with simplistic good guys and bad guys even a puppy. The result is neither persuasive nor satisfying. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Changing Places : A Kid's View of Shelter Living
by Margie Chalofsky, Glen Finland
(Contributor), Judy Wallace (Contributor), Ingrid Klass (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 9_12
Paperback 61 pages (August 1992) House; ISBN: 0876591616
Book Description: The voices of eight homeless children, ages 6-13, are captured here with stunning illustrations that give you a poignant look at shelter life. Here's the voice of Roberto: "Guess what! Mama and I stopped at this Mexican restaurant she talked the owner into a job! She's gonna cook enchiladas or pay ALL RIGHT, MAMA!" Changing Places acquaints children with the issues of homelessness and poverty. It shows, too, how similar hildren are in their wants, needs, likes and dislikes, no matter what the circumstances.
Synopsis: Captures the voices of eight homeless children, ages 6 to 13. ". . . a wonderful little book, gentle and moving, and I hope it will be read by children." Jonathan Kozol, author of Savage Inequalities in America's Schools. ". . . draws a touching picture of children's incredible strength and clarity under very difficult circumstances." Marian Wright Edelman, President Children's Defense Fund.
December by Eve Bunting, David Diaz
(Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4_8
Hardcover 40 pages 1 Ed edition (October 1997) Harcourt Brace; ISBN: 0152014349
From Kirkus Reviews , October 15, 1997 - An understated holiday story with dazzling art, by the duo behind Smoky Night (1994) and Going Home (1996). Simon and his mom live in a cardboard box, but they have a scrap of a Christmas tree, some found decorations including Simon's toy soldier, and an angel on the wall, named December, torn from an old calendar. On Christmas Eve, an old woman begs them to share their box, and they let her in, where Simon offers her one of the two cookies he is saving for Christmas day. In the morning, the old woman is gone, and the angel herself, singing softly, seems to fill the doorway before fading away. The next Christmas Eve finds Simon and his mother in a real apartment. She has found a job, and the December angel is on their new wall. Diaz's acrylic, watercolor, and gouache paintings have the monumentality and intensity of stained glass, with their flat planes of color and black outlines. The agitation of some of his work has been subsumed into a gentler and more emotionally resonant style, set against collage backgrounds full of roses and angels. The angel, with the wings of the feathered cloak of a Mesoamerican goddess, is a glorious creation. Seen in almost every spread in a glowing palette of rose and gold, she draws the eye and the heart again and again. (Picture book. Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Homeless - Struggling to Survive by Shari
M. Binford
Hardcover; Information Plus; ISBN: 157302046X
Curriculum Review: Few, if any, other publications provide such a tremendous amount of information in as succinct and readable a manner ... All secondary school libaries should seriously consider adding Information Plus to their collection.
American Library Association Booklist ... timely topics ... The importance of the topics and their balance treatment recommend them to the reference and circulation collections of school, public and academic libraries.
Homelessness by Mark McCauslin
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Library Binding (August 1994) Crestwood House; ISBN: 0896868052
From Booklist , February 1, 1995 Gr. 6-9. Homelessness has many causes, primarily the fact that "there are more poor people than there are affordable homes." Accordingly, McCauslin surveys and analyzes the decline of affordable housing units in the past few decades, along with other economic and employment factors that have resulted in growing numbers of homeless in the U.S. This slim volume balances facts, statistics, and engaging vignettes as it considers the factors leading to homelessness, the lives of homeless children, and the vicious circle of crime, danger, and disease as attendant problems. Unfortunately, cartoon drawings introducing each chapter give a cluttered effect to the design; the blackand white photos generally do not reflect enough racial diversity; and the "glossary/index" is really just a glossary.
Still, the book, which is part of the uneven Update series, makes a good introduction to the subject, especially for middle school students, because it presents complex information in manageable doses of well written prose.
Homelessness by Carole Seymour-Jones
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Library Binding (April 1993) New Discovery Books; ISBN: 0027868826
Card Catalog Review: Examines the phenomenon of homelessness, from its first recorded appearance in 448 B.C. to the present world wide crisis.
Homelessness (Overview Series) by Sara D.
Criswell
Hardcover 112 pages (March 1998) Lucent Books; ISBN: 1560061804
From Booklist , July 19, 1998: Gr. 7-12. Hoboes, tramps,
"kings of the road," and drifters might have reflected a certain spirited, risky
adventurousness in the past. More recently, the estimated 750,000 Americans who may be
homeless on any given night, according to one agency's count, include young families,
runaway teens, and abused women, as well as single men still the largest proportion of
homeless. Their reality is bleak, and their problems often confound the theorists and the
helpers. This new Overview title surveys the causes of homelessness today, life on the
streets, the lives of homeless
children, the shelter system, and possible ways of helping. Criswell does justice to the
complexity of the problem, offering no simple solutions and noting the difficulties that
substance abuse and mental illness bring to many people's prospects of moving beyond
homelessness. Ayer's Homeless Children (1977) in the same series is written with more
flair, but the two titles can be used well together by students looking for
straightforward, accessible information. Well chosen black and white photographs
complement the text. List of organizations; bibliography; list of works consulted (though
not arranged by chapter or quote). Anne O'Malley Copyright© 1998, American Library
Association. All rights reserved.
Homelessness : Can We Solve the Problem (Issues of
Our Time) by Jeanne Vestal (Editor), Laurie E. Rozakis
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Library Binding 64 pages (May 1995) Twenty First Century Books; ISBN: 0805038787
A great resource for upper elementary grade students!
This is a wonderful book for teachers to use in the classroom to introduce, "Homelessness." The readability of this book is great for fourth to seventh grade students. The book explores all aspects of the homeless and does so in easy to understand terms. A must for teachers who are interested in educating their students about the homeless.
Homelessness : Whose Problem Is It? (Issue
and Debate) by Ted Gottfried
Reading level: Young Adult
Library Binding 128 pages (March 1999) Millbrook Pr; ISBN: 0761309535
From Booklist , April 1, 1999: Gr. 6-12. Is homelessness the fault of the individual or society? Is the individual responsible for coping with it, or is government? What efforts have been made to counter it, and how successful have they been? In a methodically evenhanded consideration of these and related issues, Gottfried looks at the history of homelessness in this country, from the landing of the Pilgrims to the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. Drawing from cited secondary sources, he presents opposing points of view with a mix of brief quotes, paraphrased arguments, specific cases, and the occasional muddy, black and white photo. This utilitarian collection builder does what it sets out to do, giving readers a framework for developing either (or, ideally, both) written assignments or personal opinions; although it has no URL list, it does back up a brief bibliography with a list of addresses. John Peters Copyright© 1999, American Library Association. All rights reserved
The Lady in the Box by Ann McGovern, Marni
Backer (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover 32 pages 1 Ed edition (September 1997) Turtle Books; ISBN: 1890515019
From Kirkus Reviews , September 15, 1997 - Ben, who appears to be about eight, describes how he and his sister bring food to a homeless woman, Dorrie, thereby bending their mother's rules about talking to strangers - or at least interpreting them widely. Their mother catches on to the missing food and warm scarf: ``Okay, let's see your lady in the box,'' she says. All Dorrie wants is to be allowed to sleep over the warm grate near the deli, whose owner has chased her away; Ben's mother appeals to the owner's sense of charity and Dorrie is restored to her spot. Further, the children start serving food at a neighborhood soup kitchen. Realistic and believable, the story introduces a vast world of homelessness in simple, telling details that are enlarged upon in the art, e.g., a particularly effective picture shows that the people in the soup line are only too accustomed to waiting. Backer uses various techniques to delineate the tone of every scene, sometimes loosely sketching a detail in a thick application of oil paint, sometimes using small, dense flecks to depict snow and the frigid isolation of the conditions outdoors. For readers who witness homelessness every day, the book answers questions, carrying the message that even for large problems, small efforts can make a difference. Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Lives Turned Upside Down : Homeless Children in
Their Own Words and Photographs by Jim Hubbard
Reading level: Ages 9-12
School & Library Binding (October 1996) Simon & Schuster (Juv); ISBN: 0689806493
From Booklist , November 15, 1996: Gr. 4-7. Photojournalist Hubbard runs the Shooting Back program to give homeless children a chance to document their own lives through photographs. Here he presents the stirring first_person narratives and photographs of four young people. Sarah Lewis, 10, and Christina Coito, 9, live at a mission church in Santa Monica, California. Lennie, 12, moves all the time with his family and has lived in their car, in parks, and in public buildings. Brian Heflin, 9, is no longer homeless, but his family can't afford electricity in their house. Hubbard doesn't make the common mistake of crowding too many stories into one book. The design is spacious and accessible, and the black and white photos of homeless people are powerful. However, the narrative voices all sound the same, and the photos are neither captioned nor attributed. Especially in a book that personalizes the "homeless" stereotype, we want to know who's who in the pictures, who took them, and where. Which one is Lennie? Who took the picture? It's the heartbreaking particulars that will grab kids, especially the dreams of shelter and privacy, the yearning to have a house someday "with a fence around it and a dog in the backyard." Hazel Rochman Copyright© 1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved
Monkey Island by Paula Fox
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback _ 151 pages Reissue edition (April 1993) Yearling Books; ISBN: 0440407702
From Kirkus Reviews , July 1, 1991
A fine author considers what it means to be a homeless 11 year old in .Y.C. Clay Garrity's dad, an art director, was out of work; Clay's mother tained for a good job - but it wasn't enough, especially with a baby coming. Unable to cope, Dad disappeared; now, without warning, Clay's distraught mother has also abandoned him, leaving him in an unsavory welfare hotel. When a neighbor suggests calling the police, Clay bolts, afraid that becoming a foster child would mean losing his mother forever. He lands in a park with Buddy, a hard-working young black man who can't earn enough for a rent deposit, and with Calvin, a retired teacher who lost everything in a fire. Weeks later, their fragile existence is destroyed by an invasion of raging toughs (``the stump people'') who demolish their meager, hard-won amenities and scatter the park's inhabitants. Indirect results include Calvin's death; Clay, weak from malnutrition and exposure, is hospitalized.
Focusing on a child who has been secure and well-loved intensifies the impact of his deprivations and suggests that Clay's cruel experiences could happen to anyone. It also allows a subtly upbeat ending: herself again after the baby's birth, Clay's mother finds him, and he begins to forgive her. Exquisitely crafted with spare but resonant detail (like describing, with wry wit, but not quoting the angry four letter words of the stump people - and contrasting them to Clay's reiterated graffiti: ``Stop!'') -an absorbing, profoundly disturbing but ultimately hopeful story. (Fiction. 9+) Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Synopsis: Fox has written a quietly terrifying, wholly compelling novel about the urban homeless, filtered through the experience of an 11_year_old boy. Clear_eyed and unblinking as ever, she shows us the grit, misery and despair of the homeless, along with occasional qualified, but nonetheless powerful redemptive moments. Young adult.
Rosie, the Shopping Cart Lady by Chia
Martin, Jewel Hernandez (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover (June 1996) Hohm Pr; ISBN: 0934252513
Give the gift of Rosie to a child. For any parent, grandparent or friend who has tried to explain homelessness to a child, this book will be an invaluable resource. It paints the picture of Rosie through a child's eyes, and shows the magic power ofsimple love. Makes a perfect gift for the child who is beginning to examine the world around him or herself and ask intelligent questions.
So What Do You Do? by Douglas Evans
Reading level: All Ages
Hardcover _ 112 pages (November 1997) Front Street Pr; ISBN: 1886910200
From Kirkus Reviews , October 15, 1997: Two sixth graders find their third grade teacher living in a cardboard box in the park and give him a fresh start in this contrived, misguided tale from Evans (The Classroom at the End of the Hall, 1995). Charlie isn't sure why he follows the filthy, shambling street person into the public library - until he realizes with a shock that it's Joe Adams, his all-time favorite teacher. When Charlie rushes up to talk, he is coldly rebuffed. Enlisting the help of classmate Colleen, another Adams fan, he begins bringing food and clean clothing to the box where Adams keeps his books and opera tapes, lying about his whereabouts to conveniently oblivious parents. As weeks pass, Adams slowly becomes less hostile, and at last explains how the combination of chemotherapy, divorce, and a publicized incident in which he shoved a bullying student destroyed his self-esteem, led him to resign, and eventually drove him to drink. Ultimately, Charlie and Colleen sneak him into his old school classroom for a week (it's spring break), while appreciative former students gather to get him back on his feet with a check, an apartment, and a pep rally. Evans pays warm tribute to the profound effects a teacher can have, and suggests that helping the homeless often requires more than finding them places to live. Still, there are several characters and subplots undeveloped, and in Charlie's example is a potentially dangerous course of action. Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
From Horn Book: Inspiring as it is to read about how two sixth graders come to the aid of their former teacher, who has degenerated into stereotypically squalid, alcoholic homelessness, the novel loses credibility with its simplistic brand of optimism. The It's a Wonderful Life ending, in which practically the whole community unites to help the man, is, sadly, too good to be true.
Copyright © 1998 The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
Poems, Pictures and Other Great Stuff
$7.50
A collection of poetry and art work by homeless children.
Homeless Children and Families Program, Salem-Keizer Public Schools, P.O. Box 12024, Salem, Oregon, USA 97309-0024, Phone: 503-399-3353, Fax: 503-391-4095.
Homeless Children & Youth: A Resource Guide for
Educators
$5.00
This book, published by the Salem Keizer Public Schools
Homeless Education Department, is a
handbook for educators working with homeless youth. Published August, 1997, it has up to
date
information, tools, and techniques!
Homeless Children and Families Program, Salem-Keizer Public Schools, P.O. Box 12024, Salem, Oregon, USA 97309-0024, Phone: 503-399-3353, Fax: 503-391-4095.
The Education of Homeless Children & Youth: A
Compendium of Research and Information
$12.00
Includes an introduction and overview of issues; selected articles; an annotated bibliography; the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Available from: SERVE Publishing and Quality Assurance, Attn: Distribution Specialist, 1203 Governor’s Square Boulevard, Suite 400, Tallahassee, FL, 32301, Phone 800-352-6001, Fax 850-671-6020.
Educating Homeless Students: Promising Practices,
Edited by James H. Stronge & Evelyn Reed-Victor
$39.95
This text is for educators who wish to serve students who: temporarily share housing with other families; live in homeless shelters or motels; or camp out in cars and other stopgap places. Provides specific details on many programs and practices. Hardcover, 290 pp. Available from : Eye on Education, 6 Depot Way West, Larchmont, NY, 10538, Phone 914-833-0551, Fax 914-833-0761.
On The Street Where You Live
These lesson plans are designed to be used in conjunction with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, but can also be used to stimulate classroom awareness. The lesson plan books contain materials for immediate application for K-5th grade students and middle school students (grades 6-7-8). It includes descriptions of and actual materials for classroom projects and a guide to resources that can be used to generate additional classroom projects.
K-5th Grade Curriculum
$35.00
Middle School Curriculum $35.00
Available from : Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, 122 W. Franklin Ave., Suite 5, Minneapolis, MN, 55404, Phone 612-870-7073, Fax, 612-870-9085.
Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve
Free - order on-line at: http://www.huduser.org/publications/homeless.html
The 1996 National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients is a landmark study. It was designed to provide updated information about the providers of homeless assistance and the characteristics of homeless persons who use services. The survey is based on a statistical sample of 76 metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, including smallcities and rural areas. Data for the survey were collected between October 1995 and November 1996.
The survey is a response to the fact that homelessness remains one of America's most complicated and important social issues. Chronic poverty, coupled with physical and other disabilities, have combined with rapid changes in society, the workplace, and local housing markets to make many people vulnerable to its effects. With the enactment of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, Congress recognized the need to supplement "mainstream" federally funded housing and human services programs with funding that was specifically targeted to assist homeless people. Over $11 billion in McKinney funds have been appropriated since then, and billions more have been provided through other federal, state, and local programs and benefits. The information in this report is critical to discussions about effective public policy responses needed to break the cycle of homelessness. As such, it provides an important baseline and foundation for future assessments of the nature and extent of homelessness. It also provides a valuable overview that will improve our understanding of the characteristics of homeless people who use services, the nature of homelessness, and how best to address it.
Making The Grade: Successes & Challenges in Providing Educational Opportunities to Homeless Children & Youth, The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children & Youth and The National Coalition for the Homeless, Sept 1999
The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth is an association of individuals bonded together by a common interest in insuring that all homeless children and youth are afforded the opportunity to enroll in, attend, and succeed in school. NAHCY believes that in each state and territory, efforts must be implemented to ensure that children and youth residing in temporary living situations receive equal access (equity) to appropriate educational services, while maintaining continuity and quality in instructional and non-instructional programming (excellence).
Available from: The National Coalition for the Homeless, 1012 14th St., NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC, 20005, Phone 202-737-6444, Fax 207-737-6445 or email: nch@ari.net or go to: http://www.nationalhomeless.org
Pieces of the Puzzle
This is a comprehensive guide to the education of children and youth in homeless situations. Contents: manual and videotape cover the topics of: awareness, understanding, barriers, opportunities, references, and resources. Available from:
Office for the Education of Children and Youth, 2901 North IH-35, Austin, TX, 78722-2348, Phone: 512-475-9702, Fax 512-232-1853, or order on-line at: http://www.tenet.edu/OEHCY/ or you can download the text "Pieces of the Puzzle" document (119 pages) at their website (Adobe Acrobat Format-PDF).
Our Wish
The first children's publication of Homes for the Homeless, tells the story of a family shaken by homelessness. After their home is destroyed, Mrs. Bun E. Rabbit and her children find themselves in need of a helping hand. Our Wish is not just a story about a rabbit family; it is also a tale of the many homeless children across America today. They represent a new poverty in our country, one in which over a million children find themselves living in shelters, welfare hotels or doubled and tripled_up with family and friends.
Come along with us on Ronny, Rachel, Ricky, Roberta, Rocky, Rupert, Rosie and Mrs. Bun E. Rabbit's journey marked by a fear of the unknown, yet filled with hope for tomorrow. This beautifully illustrated, full color children's book will help children and parents alike to understand the plight of homeless children and families across America. Only then can we together move our nation away from this new poverty and fulfill the wish of every young child for a clean, safe and warm home of his or her own. Available for $4.95 $3.95 for non-profits, and educational initiatives. $2.95 for bulk orders of ten or more.
To order: Call The Institute for Children and Poverty at (212) 529-5252 or send a check for the proper amount to: ICP, 36 Cooper Square, 6th Floor New York, New York, 10003.
Also available from Homes for the Homeless:
Homeless in America: A Children's Story. 1999
A national report on the status of homeless children from the Institute for Children and Poverty and Homes for the Homeless. This report explores homeless children's educational experiences, physical and emotional health, hunger and nutrition, and exposure to violence. It is the first step in an ongoing process that will monitor what is happening to homeless children across America and should serve as a powerful tool to shape policy. 64 pages with over 50 graphs and tables. $10.
Ten Cities: A Snapshot of Family Homelessness Across America. 1997-1998
Our first national report on homeless families, including information on demographics, housing histories, education, employment, and public assistance receipt. 32 pages with over 40 graphs. $3.
The Cycle of Family Homelessness: A Social Policy Reader. 1998
A compilation of the Institute for Children and Poverty's research on the demographics of homeless families, policy objectives and model programs for the future. 67 pages plus graphs and charts. $5.95
ICP Reports
4 to 12 page reports discussing recent research findings. With tables and graphs. Available on_line or in hard copy ($1.00 per report) from Homes for the Homeless.
Homeless Families Today: Our Challenge Tomorrow. 1998.
Day to Day . . . Parent to Child: The Future of Violence Among Homeless Children in America. 1998.
A Trail of Tears . . . Trapped in a Cycle of Violence and Homelessness. 1998.
For Whom The Bell Tolls: The Institutionalization of homeless Families in America. 1997.
Common Sense: Why jobs and training alone won't end welfare for homeless families. 1996.
The Dollars and Sense of Welfare: Why Work Alone Won't Work. 1996.
The Age of Confusion: Why so many teens are getting pregnant, turning to welfare and ending up homeless. 1996.
A Tale of Two Nations: The Creation of American "Poverty Nomads". 1996.
An American Family Myth: Every Child at Risk. 1995.
Job Readiness: Crossing the Threshold from Homelessness to Employment 1994.
Homelessness: The Foster Care Connection. 1993.
Access to Success: Meeting the Educational Needs of Homeless Children. 1993.
The New Poverty: A Generation of Homeless Families. 1992.
The New Poverty: Homeless Families in America
A full-length book by HFH President Ralph Nunez that calls for the transformation of the shelter system into a network of family oriented residential education and employment training centers. 226 pages with photographs, tables, figures and charts. 1996. Hardcover $25.95; paperback $16.95.
Contact Insight Books/ Plenum Publishing at 1-800-221-9369 for ordering information.
Hopes, Dreams and Promises: The Future of Homeless
Children in America
A book by HFH President Ralph Nunez detailing the issues of families in poverty
and offering viable solutions to eradicate homelessness in America.
52 pages; includes 37 figures, tables and charts. 1993. $10.
Journal of Children and Poverty
A bi-annual, cross disciplinary journal that offers a forum for research and policy initiatives in the areas of education, social services, public policy, and welfare reform. One year subscription $14; Two year subscription $26.
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This page was last updated November 08, 2006 01:58 PM
