29 Powerful Books About Poverty and Its Impact

Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin

I love the short story genre and I needed to add one here. Baldwin is a master storyteller and this is one of his best. Read this story for Baldwin’s unique way of finding humanity, and the brokenness in every person. Also, read it for the way Baldwin paints with words and language. An amazing story.

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

This newly released young adult novel is not about poverty, per se, but I just read it and loved it. In Love Radio, the two main characters find themselves falling in love and navigating that along with growing up, applying for college, and part-time jobs. A sweet story, well told, that is realistic but doesn’t center Black trauma. 

Disgruntled by Asali Solomon

Disgruntled is one of the best novels I’ve read in the past 5 years. Full disclosure, Solomon was featured in a Tree House Books event in 2020, so we love her! I’ve added Disgruntled to this list because Solomon deals with the very real barriers that keep people in poverty. It’s also told with grace, humor and humanity. (You can read my interview with Solomon here.) 

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

A memoir that follows the author growing up in a small town in New Jersey and discovering how their queerness and Blackness impacts the world around them. In many ways, this memoir is a love letter to Johnson’s grandmother and is a beautiful tribute to her. Come for the funny growing-up stories, and stay for the impact of the family drama.

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Journalist Wilkerson makes the case for a social stratification existing here in the United States. In this book, she details the difficulty of moving from one social level to another, exposing the myth of the American Dream of upward mobility. 

Myth of the Welfare Queen by David Zucchino

If you remember the politics of the mid-eighties, there was a Regan-inspired movement to demonize those on public assistance. Welfare Queens were taking from the State, driving expensive cars, and owning big TVs.

Zucchino took to the streets to find out if this was true. I include it here because we are seeing a rise in this type of shaming happening as our politics continue to fracture. 

Push by Sapphire 

Push is a look at life in the poverty-stricken streets of Harlem in the eighties. The main character is an illiterate 16-year-old pregnant with her second child by her father.

The commentary on a life of poverty and the struggles to get out of her situation are horrific but inspiring. It is incredibly difficult, but such a worthwhile, thought-provoking book.

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Years after I read this book about poverty, I still think about it. Ki Lim and Sang Ly live at the largest dump in Cambodia with their child, Nisay. Every day they scavenge recyclable goods from the trash to raise money to pay the rent.

But when Sang Ly learns a secret about the rent collector, she sets off on a journey to save her son. The searing depictions of poverty are overlaid with a poignant tale of a mother’s love to create a story that will stick with you for years to come.

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

When a mother is faced with an impossible choice, she does the only thing that she can think of and puts up a sign “2 Children for Sale”.  When Ellis, a struggling reporter, sees the sign, he takes a picture. 

Although he never meant for anyone to publish the photo, it becomes news and unleashes events that Ellis could never have anticipated.  Lillian, an aspiring reporter who works at the paper, feels guilty about her role in the release of the photograph.  Together, Ellis and Lillian work together to try and put a family back together. This book about poverty and motherhood will probably lead you to tears!

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

All I can say is wow.  This book is absolutely illuminating.  I cannot believe the laws in this country that were created to systematically segregate  America.  More than just redlining, banks, and the government created a system in which there were completely different sets of rules depending on the color of your skin. 

I did not know anything about these laws prior to reading the book and it left me flabbergasted. This is a must-read, non-fiction book about poverty and the history of our country. I think it should actually be required reading.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

Stevenson’s memoir about his early career is truly eye-opening. I had no idea about the scope of injustice towards black men in the criminal justice system. The stories of the inmates on death row who were falsely accused broke my heart.

I can’t believe our country doesn’t have more reform in this area. Stevenson’s career is truly incredible and one that should be commended. I’m very interested in seeing the movie now. If you are looking for a nonfiction that reads like a novel, this is the perfect pick. It is a perfect pick from nonfiction books for beginners.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I read this book a few years ago and I was absolutely stunned.  With each page, I kept thinking to myself “this can’t be true” and yet, somehow, it was.  

In the 1950s an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks unknowingly had her cells taken.  These cells, known as HeLa,  were the first human cells to survive outside the human body and could reproduce indefinitely.  HeLa cells became the basis for medical breakthroughs from the creation of the Polio vaccine to cancer and Aids research.

However, Henrietta Lacks’s family was never compensated for her contribution to science and could not afford to pay medical bills despite the cells making billions for companies. if you have not read this non-fiction book about poverty and science, it should be at the top of your list.

Finding Me by Viola Davis

April 2022 Oprah’s Book Club Pick

Viola Davis’s life story had me entranced as I learned what she needed to overcome during her childhood, college, and her early career to become the powerhouse she is today.

Her thoughts on life in Hollywood were enlightening. Her deep love for her family and her roots shone through. And her story made it very clear that she takes nothing for granted.

Viola worked damn hard to be successful and she deserves every accolade she’s received and more. Her narration even earned her an Audie Awards 2023 nomination.

Maid by Stephanie Land

Stephanie’s story about trying to build a better life for her child is so compelling and thought-provoking. Detailing how she worked as a housemaid to make ends meet, she also detailed the struggles to afford basic needs.

This book about poverty and a mother’s love was eye-opening and so compelling. It reminded me of a more modern Nickel and Dimed.

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

I read this book about poverty in college and I still think of it today. For one year, Barbara set out to live off minimum wage at the lowest-paying jobs in America.

Over the course of the year, she is a hotel maid, a waitress, a cleaning woman, a nursing home aid, and a Wal-Mart associate. Her stories of the conditions she lives in and what people need to do to get by on the poverty line fundamentally changed the course of many people’s thinking over the years.

It shows how hard people are working for minimum wage and how little those salaries get you. This is one of those books that make you think about what is wrong with what we value in this country.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas has done it again with this book.  Unlike the book, The Hate U Give when I completely understood Starr and her motivations, Bri was different for me. 

In this case, I questioned her actions and related more to her mother than I did to her.  I wanted to reach through the book and talk some sense into her.  It felt like I was sitting by while someone made bad decisions and there was nothing I could do about it.  This book is a must-read book for book clubs.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

This recently banned book tells the story of Mia and her family who are immigrants from China. Mia’s struggles to be successful in America are met with the divide between classes in her school, the racism she faces, and her family’s quest to make ends meet.

Why We Love This Book: I loved learning from Mia and watching her problem-solve to help her family as they took over caring for the Calivista Motel. If you are looking for realistic fiction middle grade books that skew a little younger, check out this realistic fiction book.
Appropriate for ages 9-11
Find this book in Coming-of-Age Books / Books for 10-year-olds / Audiobooks for Kids / Hotel Novels / Books about Poverty and It’s Impact

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

If you are a Middle-Grade book lover, then this is one of the books about poverty that you NEED to read. Katherine Applegate tells a heartwarming story about Jackson and his family.

They don’t have the funds to pay the rent and now they are living out of their minivan. Triggered by his family’s struggles, Jackson summons Crenshaw, an imaginary friend who happens to be a cat. Crenshaw helps Jackson get to the truth of what is going on with his family in this touching book.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is the first book in the Hunger Games series and it is epic! In the aftermath of what was once North America, there are 12 Districts surrounding the capital.

Each year, each district sends one boy and one girl to fight to the death in a competition called “The Hunger Games”. Katniss Everdeen volunteers as a tribute to save her younger sister from the certain death of the games. This book has everything but at its heart, it is a perfect pick for books about poverty and its impact.

If you love the Hunger Games, check out these 24 books just like it!