Book about poverty. Help me with the title.

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher and every summer I try to read a few books that may impact my teaching. I read a very interesting book last summer called Unequal Childhoods. I work in a Title One school so it was very pertinent. I reread again this summer. Years ago, I picked up a book at the library and ended up putting it back down for some reason. It sounds similar to Unequal Childhoods. I believe it took place somewhere near the Great Lakes. possibly in Michigan or maybe Ohio. It detailed the different lives children lived there. Some children lived on the "wrong side of the tracks" and it detailed how their lives were different from the wealthier families. If anyone could help me with the title, I would appreciate it. Also, if you have any other titles about poverty and childhood, I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Savage Inequalities? Anything by Jonathan Kozol will help you.

[Anonymous]

Or, another great author - Ruby Payne. I learned a lot from reading some of her writing.

[Anonymous]

Definitely Savage Inequalities.

There Are No Children Here

[Anonymous]

Angela's Ashes - I still cannot bear the parts (and I read this YEARS ago) where mothers would gloat about their kids eating while other kids went hungry.

[Anonymous]

About families in poverty, generally: Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich. Essential reading.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestions. I did start There Are No Children Here and then returned it after renewing it a few times. I will try out some of the other titles. Thanks! Keep them coming. I also just checked out Evicted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Angela's Ashes - I still cannot bear the parts (and I read this YEARS ago) where mothers would gloat about their kids eating while other kids went hungry.

I also read Angela's Ashes years ago and I found it to be so stressful to read: McCourt made me feel I was going through the indignities of the poverty he experienced along with him. His experience of being poor in Ireland was so much worse than when he was here in the US. A book like this can be really eye opening.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you'd enjoy "I Will Always Write Back."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Savage Inequalities? Anything by Jonathan Kozol will help you.

I was going to suggest Rachel and her Children.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Nickled and Dimed. Also read No Shame in My Game because you'll hear some colleagues claim the poor people stay poor because they don't value work.

[Anonymous]

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

[Anonymous]

Ah man! I thought you wanted help with the title of a book you're writing about poverty. I was going to suggest "The Poors."

[Anonymous]

+1 to Ruby Payne, especially if you're a teacher. I don't think that's the book you were thinking of though.

[Anonymous]

You could watch Country Boys, and Poor Kids, which were 2 PBS documentaries. They are really eye opening in regards to how many kids s get zero support at home, and how their home life actually works against them succeeding.