On Our Street: Our First Talk About Poverty

Children’s nonfiction can help kids grasp difficult topics

I’m a big fan of our children’s nonfiction collection for several reasons.  One of them is the unique ability of many of this genre’s authors to address difficult and sometimes very sensitive topics in a manner that is appropriate for elementary school-aged children.   This is one of those books. 

On Our Street is structured in a question-and-answer format.  In the beginning, the authors describe homelessness and show its correlation to poverty.  They do a good job of describing in simple terms the myriad of reasons why some people experience homelessness including fleeing abusive family situations, displacement caused by natural disasters, mental illness, and being a refugee from a conflict. 

Toward the end of this book, the authors elevate the conversation to a higher level by discussing the concept of “fundamental human rights,” thus suggesting that in a just society these types of problems shouldn’t exist. And finally, they conclude the book by providing kids with a list of ways they along with their families can help.