No Place to Be: Voices of Homeless Children
Description:
Grade 5 Up-- The foreword of this volume puts forth a strong indictment of the society that allows so many of its youngsters to be without a secure place to call home. The body of the book further develops this theme. Over 30 homeless children in New York City, ages 9 to 18, were interviewed; their comments are interspersed with a third-person narrative into which Berck has incorporated quite a few facts and figures. Citations are in the back notes; sources are primarily from the late 1980s, but include some as recent as 1991, making this useful for reports. The chapters deal with why and how children become homeless, the three major types of temporary housing , stress, and the impact of homelessness on children's education and self-identity. The simplicity of the writing style makes this accessible to the intermediate grades; however, many difficult terms are used without definition (consumer price index, evicted, bureaucratic, etc.). While some of the black-and-white photographs are clear, others are so small or so poorly reproduced that the impact is lost. Almost all of them feature black children. Berck's approach is one-sided in that she never blames the adults responsible for these children; government and society are the sole culprits. Readers will close the book with fear, revulsion, and perhaps guilt, as they consider the degradation, discomfort, shame, and danger that is part of these young Americans' lives. --Rosie Peasley, Empire Union School District, Modesto, CA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Type of Resource:
Book
Publication Date:
1992
Location:
Boston