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Our very own librarians have chosen some books to help you learn more about poverty.
But before we get into that here’s a great article from the SSN Blog about the intersection of poverty, race, and gender:
https://blog.ssa.gov/poverty-data-shows-why-social-security-matters-to-women-and-people-of-color/
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Adults
Broke in America by Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox
Joanne Samuel Goldblum, CEO and founder of the National Diaper Bank Network, and Colleen Shaddox, a journalist and activist, give a book shedding light on the realities faced by those living in poverty across the United States and provide a road map for eradicating poverty via policy changes.
We Fed an Island : the True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time by José Andrés with Richard Wolffe
When Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, chef José Andrés sprang into action, responding the best way he knew: through food. Andrés and his team of chefs didn’t just feed hundreds of thousands of Americans in a moment of extreme need; they created a movement for change. Read about his experience confronting the roots of inequality on the island.
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the City by Matthew Desmond
Harvard sociologist Matthew Desmond takes us into some of the poorest neighborhoods in Milwaukee to show how the threat of eviction is affecting people who already live on the edge. Interviewing eight families whose fates are in the hands of their landlords, Evicted puts human faces on housing inequality that keeps people stuck in poverty in our own big cities.
My (Underground) American Dream : My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive by Julissa Arce with Mark Dagostino
On the surface, former Wall Street executive Julissa Arce lived the perfect American Dream: She rose up from a modest upbringing in San Antonio, achieved academic success, and landed a six-figure job. But Arce’s story is much deeper than that. As an undocumented immigrant, her very successes risked revealing her secret. Since coming out of the shadows, Arce has become an outspoken advocate for immigrant rights.
Call Me American by Abdi Iftin
You may remember Abdi Iftin, a Somalian refugee who won the visa lottery and settled in the US in 2014, from Oxfam’s 2017 takeover of Donald Trump’s childhood home. His memoir, released in 2018, recounts his childhood learning English from Michael Jackson songs and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies to his harrowing escape from Somalia during his country’s civil war, and his path to becoming a refugee advocate in America.
Not for the Faint of Heart : Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence by Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman
In her memoir, Wendy Sherman—undersecretary of state for political affairs under President Obama and former Oxfam America board chair—offers us a seat at the negotiating table, a place few people, especially women, are granted access. Sherman’s skills aren’t only useful for high-level negotiations like the Iran nuclear deal. She also offers practical advice for applying these skills to the challenges in our own lives.
Born a Crime : Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
“The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah explores what it was like growing up half-Swiss and half-Xhosa in South Africa at a time when mixed-race unions were punishable by time in prison. Noah manages to weave humor into his stories even while illustrating the effects of institutionalized racism, extreme poverty, and domestic violence on his family.
Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay
This collection of essays from culture critic and prolific Tweeter Roxane Gay calls for a new way of thinking about modern (intersectional) feminism—through a warts-and-all philosophy of embracing the authenticity and vulnerability of women’s experiences. In short, she reminds us that there’s no “right way” to be a feminist.
Some of My Friends Are… : The Daunting Challenges and Untapped Benefits of Cross-Racial Friendships by Deborah Plummer
Most Americans tend to make and maintain friends within their own racial group. Through research and interviews, psychologist Deborah Plummer examines why we find it so difficult to make friends outside our race, and she offers guidance on how we can overcome those factors to make deeper connections to engage more meaningfully about race.
Factfulness: 10 Reasons We’re Wrong About the World by Hans Rosling
Physician and statistician Hans Rosling breaks down the 10 very human instincts that distort our perspectives, from the tendency to divide the world into “us” versus “them” to the idea that progress leads to things getting worse. Follow his advice to overcome your biases and look at the world more factfully.
Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo
MIT economists Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo throw economic theories out the window in this book that posits the best way to understand what life is like for poor people in developing countries is to understand context, which they illustrate through observations and randomized trials. Poor Economics shows that creating a world without poverty begins with first comprehending the daily decisions that poor people have to make.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
White Tiger follows poor Indian villager Balram Halwai on his ascent from low-class servant to so-called “self-made” Bangalore businessman, all the while offering a skewering take on India’s class structure. Aravind Adiga won the Mann Booker Prize for this tale that manages to break down corruption and inequality without losing its dark sense of humor.
An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma
This twist on Homer’s Odyssey centers on a young poultry farmer named Chinonso who sells all his possessions so he can attend college and impress the family of his wealthy, educated love Ndali. What happens next is an epic about destiny spanning time and space, written in the Igbo tradition.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Junior is a young cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington. He leaves the reservation to pursue an education in a better-resourced school in the neighboring town, but finds himself at a high school where the only other Indian is his school’s mascot. The semi-autobiographical novel tracks Junior through his school year as he struggles to find a balance between his identities on and off the reservation.
Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
Narrator Nayeli lives in the coastal Mexican town of Tres Camarones while her father—and just about all the working-age men in her village—have migrated north to the US to find work. Tres Camarones is left with a population that is vulnerable to drug traffickers. Inspired by watching the film “The Magnificent Seven,” Nayeli and her friends conspire to cross the border and recruit seven “warriors” to repopulate their town.
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Set in an unidentified city during a State of Internal Emergency, A Fine Balance sees four strangers—a widowed seamstress, a student whose family’s business is failing, and two Untouchable tailors—seeking shelter from the tumult of 1970s India. For the characters, the trick to surviving the swirl of violence and uncertainty surrounding them is maintaining a “fine balance between hope and despair.”
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
This book illuminates what life is like for hijras—the term for transgender and intersex people in India—through a decades-spanning tale. Our main protagonist, Anjum, was born Aftab in a comfortable yet stifling household. She runs away and creates a home underneath a graveyard in Old Delhi that grows into a refuge not just for other hijras, but societal outcasts and activists on the run.
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
When violence escalates in their unnamed country, lovers Nadia and Saeed make the difficult choice to flee their homeland. The key to their exit is a stroke of magical realism—they find a door that transports them to another country. It turns out there are other doors, and the more migrants hear about these doors, they become more difficult to escape through.
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
This novel follows two New York City families: the Jongas, immigrants from Cameroon, and Jende Jonga’s employers, the Edwards. Imbolo Mbue emigrated from Cameroon in 1998 and lost her job in the 2008 financial crisis, which led her to realize that the American dream is not accessible to everybody. That plays out in the book as we witness the unequal effects of the financial crisis on Lehman Brother executive Clark Edwards and his family and the Jongas.
Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
Written originally in German, Jenny Erpenbeck looks at the European refugee crisis through the eyes of a Berliner confronted with the flight of refugees for the first time in his life. As our narrator, Richard, gets to know the African refugees in his community, he takes on a journey of inner transformation as he comes to realize the asylum seekers are more like him than not.
Teens
The Great Jeff by Tony Abbott
Abbott further develops characters from Firegirl in this stand-alone title. After leaving private St. Catherine’s School to preserve a tight family budget, Jeff distances himself from former friendships and is isolated by his unstable home environment. His mom loses her job, straining an unhealthy codependent relationship that forces Jeff into adult responsibilities. His mother’s drinking interferes with employment, and overdue rent leads to eviction. A visit with Jeff’s father provides no resolution. The fast-paced plot provides an intense view of the denial, resentment, and despair of losing everything.
The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
Charged with caring for three younger siblings and most household responsibilities, seventh grader Zoey Albra can’t join after school activities, doesn’t complete homework, and shoulders the stress of a premature adulthood in her rural community. Zoey’s teacher pushes her to participate in debate, and she uses her skills to take down the weak arguments of Lenny, her mother’s abusive boyfriend. Braden shows how invisible layers of poverty, from childcare and transportation hurdles to domestic violence and physical appearance, halt mobility. Zoey’s strength shines through.
Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
Cisneros highlights the connection between lack of documentation and poverty. Protagonist Efrén reveals incredible resourcefulness as he cares for his twin siblings and fills the role of his recently deported mother. Readers unpack the financial and emotional costs of traveling with a coyote who smuggles people across the border toward a future of uncertainty. Community members sustain one another, sharing resources such as food and childcare. The lack of a happy resolution creates a realistic representation of struggles often faced by those without documentation.
Find Layla by Meg Ellison
Fourteen-year-old Layla parents herself and her younger brother, Andy. Her single mother is largely absent, mentally checked out, and subject to abrupt changes in personality. Layla is tormented by peers for her clothing, hygiene, and hair, but her love of science sustains her. When Layla films her apartment for a school project and exposes her living conditions, a chain reaction of events leaves readers with a portrait of family trauma, poverty, and the foster care system. A realistic portrait of young adult life at a turning point.
Millionaires for the Month by Stacy McAnulty
When Felix and Benji find a wallet and take $20 before returning it, they are offered a challenge by billionaire Laura Friendly. The boys must spend the entire sum of money without telling anyone in order to win a real reward. Readers will be entertained by the unbelievable challenges and more aware of the power of financial privilege.
Free Lunch by Rex Ogle
This memoir recounts Ogle’s experiences receiving free school lunch and the struggles in his home life. His mother offers love, explosive anger, and abandonment. Ogle often cares for his younger brother, while his compassionate grandmother attempts to provide resources to the household. Ogle paints an uncomfortable portrait of a family moving between love and dysfunction under the pressures of poverty. He also presents an empathetic picture of the constraints his family endured.
Genesis Begins Again by Alicia Williams
This novel opens as 13-year-old Genesis discovers her possessions on the front lawn. It’s not the family’s first eviction. Genesis struggles with her mother’s enabling behaviors that support her father’s gambling and alcohol addictions. Layering with discussions of poverty, addiction, and colorism, Williams demonstrates a path to coping, through music, and creates dialogue around issues that often go unaddressed.
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
The Tang family struggles with employment and their new life in America. When the family optimistically accepts a position at the Calvista Motel, 10-year-old Mia finds herself working the front desk. Mr. Yao, their boss, abuses labor rights and manipulates the family. Yang highlights the often unfair treatment of new immigrants who may be highly skilled but forced to accept lower-paying jobs. Readers will develop an understanding of how poverty intersects with immigration.
Maya and the Return of the Godlings by Rena Barron
In the second installment of Barron’s fantasy adventure, Maya further embraces her role as a guardian of the universe. Even though she rescues her father from the Dark, his strength is vastly weakened because his soul was left behind. Readers will immerse themselves in this all-out battle between good and evil.
Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen
Yared lives in Addis Prime and regularly escapes reality through gaming. When he logs into the system with his real name, everything changes: his uncle Moti disappears and Yared embarks on a quest to find him. Students will get lost in this alternate galaxy filled with Ethiopian traditions and stories.
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Paola loves science, but when she visits the mysterious Gila River, unbelievable superstitions ring true. When best friend Emma goes missing, Paola and Dante embark on a journey to find her and encounter supernatural tales come to life. La Llorona and chupacabras take readers on an adventure through Mexican American folklore.
Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna
Kiki Kallira escapes from anxiety by drawing in her sketchbook. When one of her drawings opens into another world of Hindu mythology, readers are launched into the tale to defeat Mahishasura, also known as the Demon King. Kiki uses her artistic talents to overcome anxiety and fight in the battle against evil.
Kids
Jimmy the Greatest! by Jairo Buitrago and illustrated by Rafael Yockteng (translated by Elisa Amado)
Jimmy lives in a small town by the sea where there is just one tiny gym. The owner of the gym suggests that Jimmy start training, and to inspire him, he gives Jimmy a box full of books, as well as newspaper clippings about Muhammad Ali – “The Greatest.”
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
A young boy rides the bus across town with his grandmother and learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things.
A Place to Stay by Erin Gunti and illustrated by Estelí Meza
This simple, touching picture book shows readers a women’s shelter through the eyes of a young girl, who, with her mother’s help, uses her imagination to overcome her anxiety and adjust. Includes factual endnotes detailing various reasons people experience homelessness and the resources available to help
The One with the Scraggly Beard by Elizabeth Withey and illustrated by Lynn Scurfield
In this poignantly illustrated picture book, a young boy asks his mother questions about a homeless man he’s seen
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. But Jeremy’s grandma tells him they don’t have room for want. What Jeremy needs are new boots for winter. When Jeremy’s shoes fall apart at school and he must make do with a hand-me-down pair, the boy is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy comes to realize that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.
