by Bobbie Pyron
I’ve written two books featuring kids experiencing homelessness. The Dogs of Winter, was inspired by the true story of Ivan Mishukov who lived on the streets of Moscow as a young child. Piper, in my recent book, Stay, lives in a family shelter and worries the kids in her new school will know she’s homeless. In both books, I wanted to explore what we mean by “family” and “home.” Piper lives with her human family in a shelter; Ivan lives on the streets with a pack of feral dogs. Despite their lack of a home, they both feel loved and protected by family.
One of the best parts of being a children’s author is hearing from readers. Kids are wonderfully unfiltered. They will tell you exactly what they think. I’ve felt joyous when kids tell me that, after reading my book, they don’t look at someone experiencing homelessness the same. I’ve felt humbled when a kid tells me my book made them feel less alone because they too are experiencing something similar.
Each year, an estimated 4.2 million youth and young adults are living without a home. They may be living with family, but about 700,000 are not. They live in cars, hotels, emergency shelters, parks and on the streets. Despite unimaginable challenges, many go to school. And the Covid pandemic has only made the situation worse.
One reader wrote, “After reading your book, when I see a homeless person, I don’t look away anymore. I remember they were once a child too.” Unfortunately, too many of the homeless are kids.
November is Homeless Youth Awareness Month, a time to not just acknowledge the families and youth experiencing homelessness but to not look away. To look into their eyes, see beyond the circumstances and offer our humanity. As Piper in Stay says, “Everybody needs another heartbeat on their side.”
For more information about youth homelessness, visit https://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/homeless-and-runaway-youth.aspx
Bobbie Pyron is the award-winning author of six books for youth. You kind find out more about her at her website bobbiepyron.com