Fly Away Home
by, Eve Bunting
Illustrated by, Ronald Himler
This is the story of a homeless father and his son, living at the airport. Written from the little boy's perspective, he shares what this experience is like for him, and how he and his dad work to remain invisible so that they don't get caught.
I truly got goose bumps as I read this story. I love that the author wrote such a heartfelt story about homelessness. It illustrates very well that the face of homelessness is not always what many people think. Children are homeless. Well dressed, professional looking fathers are homeless. So often, as a society, we think of homelessness as only impacting individuals who struggle with alcohol and drug abuse, older disheveled looking men pushing shopping carts, etc.
I struggle to think of this book as a controversial book. As adults, we sometimes want to shelter our children from the idea that some children really struggle in our world. Children cope with all sorts of issues, homelessness being among them. I believe that it is essential that children learn about lifestyles and situations outside of their own experiences. This story addresses the topic of homelessness in a sensitive, heartfelt way that children and adults can both learn from.
I thought that your posts were well-written and provocative. I read several posts where you decribe being moved by the books that you are reviewing--you come accross as a passionate book lover. You have a nice balance of explinanation/analysis.
ReplyDeleteI think this book sounds like a great idea of introducing our children to the other types of people that do exist in our communities. I can see where it might be controversial but i think it is important for children to understand where other people come from. If they don't learn at a young age they may grow up not knowing and be more judgmental towards different groups of people.
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