Poverty in the USA (57 books)

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A librarian posted to ALA Think Tank "ISO: Adult, nonfiction titles that discuss poverty in America for a teacher (k-12) book study group. Looking for a mix of narratives and more "informational" texts. We're hoping for materials that challenge small town ideas - or discuss poverty found in unexpected places."

NOTE: If you want to make a list of books on other subjects, go ahead. Please limit this list to books about Poverty in America.

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1	Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich 3.66 avg rating — 196,192 ratings score: 782, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	30 Years Behind Bars: Trials of a Prison Doctor by Karen Gedney (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 156 ratings score: 700, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 116,055 ratings score: 682, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 1,383,926 ratings score: 397, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam 4.04 avg rating — 4,381 ratings score: 386, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance 3.83 avg rating — 509,528 ratings score: 297, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild 4.12 avg rating — 18,116 ratings score: 294, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town by Nick Reding (Goodreads Author) 3.70 avg rating — 6,908 ratings score: 281, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer 4.13 avg rating — 12,525 ratings score: 279, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado (Goodreads Author) 3.58 avg rating — 6,097 ratings score: 276, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn J. Edin 3.96 avg rating — 8,905 ratings score: 270, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson (Goodreads Author) 4.48 avg rating — 119,426 ratings score: 270, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Fire in the Ashes: Twenty-Five Years Among the Poorest Children in America by Jonathan Kozol 4.10 avg rating — 1,871 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Glass House: The 1% Economy and the Shattering of the All-American Town by Brian Alexander 3.91 avg rating — 1,890 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Juror Number 2: The Story of a Murder, the Agony of a Neighborhood by Efrem Sigel (Goodreads Author) 3.35 avg rating — 55 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare by Jason DeParle 4.06 avg rating — 1,002 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Hollowing Out the Middle: Why America's Small Towns Are Dying and What Can Be Done to Save Them by Patrick J. Carr 3.67 avg rating — 446 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools by Jonathan Kozol 4.26 avg rating — 19,027 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker by Katherine J. Cramer 4.01 avg rating — 1,074 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	There are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America by Alex Kotlowitz 4.30 avg rating — 16,218 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle 4.49 avg rating — 30,798 ratings score: 175, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Carry It On: The War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, 1964-1972 by Susan Youngblood Ashmore 4.10 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Homeplace: A Southern Town, a Country Legend, and the Last Days of a Mountaintop Honky-Tonk – An Intimate Portrait of Music, Class, and Race in Winchester, Virginia by John Lingan (Goodreads Author) 3.61 avg rating — 147 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Dispossessed: How Predatory Bureaucracy Foreclosed on the American Middle Class by Noelle Stout (Goodreads Author) 3.73 avg rating — 22 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Sister of the Road: The Autobiography of Boxcar Bertha by Ben L. Reitman 3.74 avg rating — 404 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself by Steve Corbett 4.20 avg rating — 14,121 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America by Elizabeth Hinton 4.17 avg rating — 833 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Third Wave Capitalism: How Money, Power, and the Pursuit of Self-Interest Have Imperiled the American Dream by John Ehrenreich 3.58 avg rating — 24 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Other America: Poverty in the United States by Michael Harrington 4.06 avg rating — 1,225 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Reclaiming Class: Women, Poverty, And The Promise by Sandra L. Dahlberg 4.50 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Escaping Poverty by Reading Harbor 4.28 avg rating — 18 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Green Capital: A New Perspective on Growth by Christian de Perthuis 3.80 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Signal Through the Flames: Mitch Snyder and America's Homeless by Victoria Rader 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth 3.68 avg rating — 5,513 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Idealist: Jeffrey Sachs and the Quest to End Poverty by Nina Munk (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 1,478 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me about Life, Faith, and Second Chances by Rachel Anne Ridge (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 2,239 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Great Society at Fifty: The Triumph and the Tragedy by Nicholas Eberstadt 3.62 avg rating — 13 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads by Paul Theroux 3.79 avg rating — 6,038 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Poverty of the Poverty Rate: Measure and Mismeasure of Material Deprivation in Modern America by Nicholas Eberstadt 4.62 avg rating — 8 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War by Joe Bageant 3.85 avg rating — 4,221 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Indian Country by Peter Matthiessen 4.09 avg rating — 175 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Those Who Work, Those Who Don't: Poverty, Morality, and Family in Rural America by Jennifer Sherman 4.07 avg rating — 161 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery by Abby Sher (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 347 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Generation Unbound: Drifting into Sex and Parenthood without Marriage by Isabel Sawhill (Goodreads Author) 3.51 avg rating — 95 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Rosa Lee: A Mother and Her Family in Urban America by Leon Dash 4.30 avg rating — 765 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Spark: A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius by Kristine Barnett 4.08 avg rating — 7,842 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne 3.92 avg rating — 5,439 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Road Out: A Teacher's Odyssey in Poor America by Deborah Hicks (Goodreads Author) 3.68 avg rating — 167 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago by LeAlan Jones 4.31 avg rating — 2,106 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler 4.04 avg rating — 5,752 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities by Ruby K. Payne 3.88 avg rating — 1,064 ratings score: 82, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Under-Resourced Learners: 8 Strategies to Boost Student Achievement by Ruby K. Payne 3.87 avg rating — 75 ratings score: 81, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Working with Students: Discipline Strategies for the Classroom; by Ruby K. Payne 3.74 avg rating — 81 ratings score: 80, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 1,269,489 ratings score: 77, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The American School: From the Puritans to No Child Left Behind by Joel Spring 3.73 avg rating — 97 ratings score: 76, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting 4.29 avg rating — 3,843 ratings score: 75, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto by Tavis Smiley 3.84 avg rating — 864 ratings score: 74, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars