Educational Resources

Books about Poverty for Children

All the Cats in the World (Part of Taking Roots Kit)

Sonia Levitin (Harcourt, 1982)

Description: This is a story of homeless cats and the two women even though poor, they took on the task of feeding them because they cared about hungry creatures. Every day they came with scraps, leftovers purchased for a few pennies from the fishmonger, the butcher and the grocer.

Taking Root Grades 3-6 Sample Curriculum Kit

Augsburg, 2009

Description: A kit to sample the curriculum written for grades 3-6. Each kit contains one Leaders' Guide, one of each of the five student newspapers, a promotional poster, and stickers all on poverty and hunger. Shipping paid for by ELCA Development Services.

Does God Still Love Me?; Letters from the Street

Sr. Mary Rose McGeady (Convent House, 1995)

Description: This are stories about homeless children and how they got that way.

Seekers Series #6; Frank's Fear

G. J. Linko (Augsburg Fortress, 2002)

Description: This is the story of Frank who lives in poverty conditions and is afraid that if he tells his friends about himself he will lose their friendship. Frank becomes trapped in his own web of lies.

It's hard not to worry: (stories for children about poverty)

John M. Barrett and Davis Hannah (Illustrator) (Friendship Press, 1988)

Description: A collection of six stories with Christian emphasis about North American children whose families are facing or living in poverty. Includes discussion guide.

Being Poor (Part of the Taking Root Sample Kits)

Rosenberg, Janet. (Lerner Publishing Group, 1975)

Description: Brief text and illustrations describe what it means to be poor.

Benjamin Brody's Backyard Bag

Phyllis Vos Wezeman, Colleen Aalsburg Wiessner (Brethren Press, 1991)

Description: Do you know about homeless people? Just open this book and see what Benjamin discovered.

Beatrice’s Goat

Page McBrier (Simon & Schuster, 2004)

Description: More than anything, Beatrice longs to be a schoolgirl. But in her small African village, only children who can afford uniforms and books can go to school. Beatrice knows that with six children to care for, her family is much too poor. But then Beatrice receives a wonderful gift from some people far away — a goat! Fat and sleek as a ripe mango, Mugisa (which means "luck") gives milk that Beatrice can sell. With Mugisa's help, it looks as if Beatrice's dream may come true after all.

Everybody Needs a Home

Myra L. Fozard (ELCA, 1994)

Description: The story teaches children the need to help those who are less fortunate and may not have a home of their own.

The Shoemaker's Dream

Masahiro Kasuya/ Mildred Schell (Judson Press, 1980)

Description: Picture book about Martin, the shoemaker, who discovers the truth of Matthew 25:40. The story is based on "Where Love Is" by Leo Tolstoy.

The Quiltmaker's Gift

Jeff Brumbeau & Gail de Marcken (Orchard Books, 2000)

Description: The Quiltmaker's Gift. This charming fable for our times celebrates the joy of giving. A generous quilt maker, with magic in her fingers, sews the most beautiful quilts in the world, and then gives them away. A greedy king, his storehouse stuffed with treasures, yearns for something that will make him happy...Will the quilt maker sew a quilt for the king? Will the king ever learn to share? Can the quilt maker teach the king to be happy? What will the king do with all his splendid things? Look for clues to the story in the quilts.

Butterflies Under Our Hats

Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Joani Rothenberg (Illust) (Paraclete Press 2001)

Description: From best-selling children's author Sandy Sasso, an unforgettable story of losing and finding hope. Once there was a town called Chelm where there was no luck. If something could go wrong, it did. The roofs of the houses always leaked. The sidewalks were cracked. The gardens grew only weeds. Nothing was ever right. So begins bestselling children's author, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso (nearly 500,000 copies of her books are in print), in this charming, original tale inspired by a Jewish folktale.