Shelter Folks

Kroll, Virginia. Shelter Folks. Grand Rapids, MI: William B Eardmans Publishing
Company, 1995.

Shelter Folks is the story of Joelle and her family as they are forced to move into a shelter because her Mom isn’t making enough money. At first Joelle is embarrassed that she is a “shelter folk.” She hides her face on her walk to school, doesn’t ever talk about home, and won’t let people drive her back to the shelter. However, as time goes on Joelle realizes how kind and caring everyone at the shelter is. She also meets another girl in her class that lives at the shelter and slowly becomes more okay with living there. However, it is only when everyone from the shelter comes to her school play that she realizes how great the people are. She is even able to stand up to other kids in her class and admit she lives at the shelter.

This story is marvelous for an elementary school library. This book illustrates the feelings that children might have if there family became homeless. It talks about the anxiety and loneliness that they might feel. In addition the book goes on to discuss her school life. This shows children that homeless people do not all live on the streets, but they can have homes and go to school. The family was simply going through hard financial times. Virginia Kroll used her own experience struggling with finances to draw inspiration for this story.

The most prolific part of the story is the community that is built and the pride that Joelle openly takes in to this community. One student is beginning to mock Joelle’s shelter friends who came to watch her in the play. Joelle bravely stands up to them and says they are with her. She was able to realize that it is okay to be homeless, that there is nothing wrong, you just have a different kind of house. Although, the author sugar coats the issue a little, she does so in a way that ensures no stereotypes are created. By not including starvation or alcoholism, things that are common in shelters, she has presented the information through a child’s emotional reaction to the situation. This allows all readers to connect with Joelle.