Poverty Fiction

This heart-wrenching novel in verse describes the life of a poor girl surviving the Irish Land War and the everyday challenges she experiences.

When a serious illness strikes Lucy's mother, Lucy has to grow up faster than she expected. As the illness gets worse and money gets tighter, even a school trip - which Lucy hoped would give her a break from home - seems out of reach. Out of frustration and desperation, Lucy starts selling her mom's medical marijuana. But she's not exactly an experienced dealer. And when Lucy gets busted, she has some serious explaining to do - to school authorities, to the police, and to her mom.

There's going to be a free Thanksgiving dinner for the whole town of Greenfield—except the turkey is missing! The Aldens are helping out at a new food pantry, collecting donations and putting up signs. But someone keeps moving the signs, and when the main course for the big town dinner disappears, the Boxcar Children have a mystery to solve!

Hearing impaired and way too smart for her West Bronx high school, Tamika Mik Sykes copes by reading lips and selling homework answers. She's a tough girl who never gets close to anyone, until she meets Fatima, a teenage refugee who sells newspapers on Mik's block.

When you believe a better life waits for you beyond death, the perfect place to die is a difficult thing to find. Content warning: this story contains self-harm and disordered eating. "Ghost Bread" is one of 9 short horror stories in Nightfire's audio anthology. Come Join Us by the Fire S2...

A pivotal moment arrives when their son Mateo brings home a seed from school—an apple tree seed. In a twist of fate, this humble seed becomes a catalyst for change, leading the family down a path of disciplined transformation. At the heart of the story is a family united by love, with parents dedicated to the happiness of their young children.

Who is your invisible neighbor? When Mrs. Johnson gives her fourth grade class this new riddle to solve, Isabelle can’t wait to take on the challenge. She’s a smart, curious girl who loves competition and hopes to be a veterinarian someday. But this riddle is the most difficult one she’s ever had to solve. Before she can unravel the mystery, Isabelle will need a few more clues. Join her on the journey as she meets a stranger, takes a surprise field trip, and hears a most unusual secret. Along the way, Isabelle learns to see things she’s never seen before.

Cole and Claudia are poor and homeless on Christmas Eve. Cole's kindness toward another hungry child draws attention from Santa Claus, who gifts the siblings with a very special gingerbread house.

In early 1968 the grisly on-the-job deaths of two African-American sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, prompted an extended strike by that city's segregated force of trash collectors. Workers sought union protection, higher wages, improved safety, and the integration of their work force. Their work stoppage became a part of the larger civil rights movement and drew an impressive array of national movement leaders to Memphis, including, on more than one occasion, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King added his voice to the struggle in what became the final speech of his life.

Shy Anna doesn't think she is anything like her outgoing, funny, clever mother. One day, Anna sees a hungry man on the street and decides to find a way to help. When she uses her tzedakah money for an act of kindness, she realizes she and her mother have something special in common after all.

Dyamonde Daniel has her eye on a new pair of red high-top sneakers. Following some bad advice from a classmate, she thinks she has the right idea to go about getting them - by demanding her mother buy them! Unfortunately for Dyamonde, Mrs. Daniel doesn’t appreciate being told what to do and decides to teach her daughter a lesson. Soon Dyamonde finds herself in a clothing crisis, with almost zero to wear! Dyamonde is furious.

Ching Ching can't wait for Christmas. She loves looking at twinkling fairy lights, wrapping presents and eating yummy treats! So when Ching Ching realises not everyone is as lucky as she is, she decides to help. She wants everyone to have the best Christmas ever!

Anne har svært ved at forstå, at verden nogle gange ikke er et særlig rart sted for nogle. Derfor bliver hun meget ked af det, da hun ser en hjemløs, der lægger sig til at sove bagved supermarkedet. Ane vil gerne hjælpe ham, men hvordan? Ane-bøgerne fortæller om Ane og alle hendes oplevelser både i skolen og derhjemme sammen med venner og familie. Per Gammelgaard (f. 1948) blev uddannet bibliotekar i 1973 og har siden da skrevet en række digtsamlinger.

Children will learn the wonderful qualities of love and wisdom (through an enjoyable story)! A little girl, Amelia, hopes to help the hungry children on the other side of a (very wide) river. When her plan comes crashing down, she soon finds that a far greater plan was unfolding all along! A positive and inspiring story with clear moral lessons. This inspiring fable-like story carries compelling moral messages. This could lead to some excellent discussions on why some children live in poverty or how we can best care for those in need.

When he finds himself in a cruel orphanage, Anton does just that and hides on an ocean liner. Fear and desperation are his only companions. Two other passengers have secrets of their own. When nothing is what it seems, can they help each other? Or will they sink into a sea of troubles?

Frankie loves blueberries and is used to getting his way. When he comes home to find his parents can no longer give him what he wants, he struggles to understand. If is parents love him, then why don’t they give him everything that he wants? Frankie wrestles with what many children deal with everyday...economic hardship. Through the love of his parents and friends, he comes to understand why he must change to find happiness.

Zebi, a homeless seven-year-old, girl lives in a part of the world where many young children don't have access to education or basic necessities of life. Zebi, her mother, and her baby brother panhandle on the streets of a sprawling metropolis. While struggling to survive, Zebi glimpses a different kind of life, one that appears like a fairytale to her: happy clean girls running into school every morning and beautiful families riding in air-conditioned cars on scorching hot days.

Undocumented is the story of immigrant workers who have come to the United States without papers. Everyday these men and women join the workforce and contribute positively to society. Juan grew up in Mexico working in the fields to help provide for his family. Struggling for money, he crosses over into the United States and becomes an undocumented worker, living in a poor neighborhood and working hard to survive. Although he is able to get a job as a busboy at a restaurant, he is severely undercompensated - he receives less than half of the minimum wage!

Cybils Award-winning author Laura Amy Schlitz crafts a masterful interpretation of one of the Grimm Brothers' most engrossing fairy tales. A cold and hungry soldier is returning from war. He has no money, so he makes a pact with the devil. If he can wear a bearskin for seven years, he will always have plenty of gold. But if he tells anyone of the pact, he will lose his soul.

Here's a heart-wrenching story about a poor little girl forced to sell matches on Christmas Eve. As she stumbles barefooted into a cold and lonely alley, she is enchanted by visions of Christmas wonders and her beloved grandmother long passed. "The Little Match Girl" is a tale that makes us all grateful for what we have this holiday season.