No Fixed Address

Twelve-year-old Felix keeps his new family situation a secret: he and his mother are homeless, she only works sporadically, they live in a van, and often go hungry. His knowledge of trivia wins him a spot on a game show and when he wins, he believes the money will solve his family’s problems, but when he learns it will be in trust until he is eighteen, he breaks down on TV and reveals their situation and they finally receive the help they need. This engaging B.C. novel for grades 6-9 deals with issues of homelessness, poverty, affordable housing, shame, loss, fear, grief, trust, and truth and is suited as a class novel as teacher guidance can help students deal with sensitive issues. Social considerations noted.