"No Place Like Home" by James Bird is a powerful and poignant middle-grade novel that tackles difficult and important topics with sensitivity and grace. Through the eyes of Opin, readers are immersed in a world where homelessness, domestic violence, and racism are harsh realities, yet hope and resilience persist in the face of adversity.

One of the standout aspects of the book is Bird's unflinching portrayal of these challenging topics. He does not shy away from depicting the harsh realities that many families like Opin's face, allowing readers to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of homelessness, domestic violence, and racism. Opin's experiences are raw and honest, shedding light on the often-overlooked struggles of marginalized communities.

I think this is an incredibly important book for tweens and up. Opin's story provides perspective on and demystifies homelessness, which is crucial for youths (and adults!) who aren't sure how to connect with their homeless peers. This story reminds us that people who are homeless are, first and foremost, people. They are friends and neighbors and NOT to be looked down upon, especially in a society where we so often look down upon the homeless population. Bird's book also shares insight into Ojibwe language and culture and the experience of indigenous people in the United States.

Overall, I think there is a lot of knowledge to be gained from this book. It can serve as a gateway for conversation with youths. Furthermore, not only is the book full of insightful commentary, it is delivered in a way that I found to be compulsively readable. I devoured this story! It is one that I think will last in my mind for years to come and one that I would not hesitate to recommend to others.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. The downfall was that I requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before the book was archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of No Place Like Home by James Bird.
The story of a boy living in a car with his mother and brother. The story of what it is like to be a kid and to be homeless. The story of a boy looking for roots and friendship. The story of a boy and a dog who helps him cope with life's difficulties.

No Place Like Home” is a middle-grade novel by James Bird about homelessness and hope. The book tells the story of Opin, his brother Emjay, and their mother who are trying to get to Los Angeles, where they hope an uncle and a new life are waiting. Opin’s mother guides him and his brother to live life as a game, even though their battle with being unhoused seems unwinnable. They move constantly to avoid “the cavalry” or Child Protective Services as they search for money, food, and a forever home. Opin’s mother insists that he “keep an active mind.” He hunts down science facts and learns all his school subjects from library books. His mother teaches him Ojibwe words from her grandmother’s handwritten notebook. She teaches him reciprocity, only taking what they need to survive, and street smarts. Opin and his new friend, a Black boy from the shelter they move to in Stockton, are attacked by racist teenagers. The storytelling is superlative, but some of the phrases and descriptions—for example, “metal pony” for shopping cart, “buffalo hunt” for stealing food—feel reminiscent of Native tropes, despite seeming to be intended to show Opin’s feelings of connection to his heritage. Some scenes would have benefited from more context: Opin’s mother, who performs her own version of Ojibwe dancing for money, rebuts a passerby’s criticism that she’s “exploiting our dying Native American culture.” Rather than critiquing the framing of Indigenous cultures as “dying,” she says that she’s “reviving our culture.” But do vibrant contemporary Indigenous ways of life need to be revived? Still, Bird seamlessly weaves in historical events, like the government’s distribution of smallpox-infested blankets to kill Native people, while telling a story of admirable resilience.

This book had an amazing premise but unfortunately it’s just not for me. Almost right away there were some pretty anti-Christian messages. I am a Christian so I was uncomfortable with it but I thought maybe this could be a learning experience and that we would hear out both sides of believers and non believers, finding a sense of understanding and compassion on both sides. I looked up reviews to see if that would be the case and it didn’t sound like it would. I think this would be a great book for others and people who are strong in their beliefs and can look past it. Unfortunately I’m still on my own journey and I don’t see myself being able to adequately read and review this novel.

I loved No Place Like Home and cannot wait to recommend it to my students.

The subject of homelessness and the history that this country regarding the negative treatment of Native Americans is handled with honesty and care. The characters are strong and relatable. They are not perfect and their lives are messy. I feel like readers can easily related to the story in one way or another.

This is a story of homelessness and family that is straightforward about many of the difficulties of living in a car and on the road. It focuses specifically on a Native American family and discusses how that plays into some of the particular difficulties they face. Yet, in the end, the story worked out with a lot of hope for the future that I tend to expect in a middle grade story but was also surprised by given how gritty it had been up to that point. It's a story that I think will be beneficial in helping more young people understand lives that are much more difficult than their own, as well as helping others see they are not alone in their experiences.

The middle grade novel No Place Like Home by James Bird (Feiwel & Friends, August 2023) is a heartfelt tale of resilience and the power of cultural identity. Twelve-year-old Ojibwe boy Opin faces the increasing discomfort of homelessness as he and his mother and brother make their way to Los Angeles to be with family. Using the facts he knows from American history about past treatment of Native Americans, Opin adapts a fantastical look of life that transforms his world into a game of “us” versus the “Calvary,” finding commonalities between his trials and those early Native Americans may have faced. Throughout his transformative journey, Opin evolves from a timid child to a determined individual who refuses to surrender in his pursuit of hope, even as he faces and unknown future.

When I began reading, I had the impression that Opin was possibly “slow” since he did not seem to see his situation clearly. His first-person account of his experience seemed disconnected from the actual events of his homelessness. As his story progressed, I came to see that he was an incredibly smart child. As a part of this, his way of seeing the world, through the lens of a type of Native American survival game, helped protect him from dangerous and uncomfortable realities. While Opin’s brother, Emjay, seemed only to add to their problems, Opin’s attempts to fit him into his narrative gives more insight into these parallel perspectives: reality versus life as a game.

Bird’s portrayal of Opin’s mother, Inde, is also particularly noteworthy as an example of Native American cultural identity. Inde’s parents had endured oppression, forced into residential schools that stripped them of their language and traditions. Inde takes joy in learning her tribal language, listening to Native music, and rejoicing that she is unique. As Opin strives to find his place in the world as an Ojibwe with his mother’s help, I couldn’t help but be moved by the generational journey of reclaiming cultural roots.

No Place Like Home invites readers to reflect on the often-overlooked issue of homelessness, especially among marginalized communities. The story helped me reflect on the empathy, understanding, and support these individuals so desperately need. James Bird skillfully weaves together themes of homelessness, Native American culture identity, and family bonds, creating a story that captivates young readers. It would be difficult to forget Opin’s life perspective and unique voice.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really loved this one and can’t wait for readers to get their hands on it. The themes of hope, resilience, perseverance, love for family are strong throughout the book. We can all learn more about who we are
as humans, the country we live in and our history, through Opin’s story. Just so good! I suggest it is for grades 6 and up.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
A powerful and difficult book to read. Bird offers a clear look at poverty, homelessness, escaping abuse, Native American culture, survival for a family of three. The mom is doing the best she can to take care of her sons, Emjay and Opin. The book is told from Opin's view. He is the younger brother and the one sharing how this journey is affecting him and the others. They are homeless and spend many nights living in their car. Mom is trying to get to her brother's home for a fresh start but readers see how many obstacles she faces. The tone is dark and realistic as Bird shares what reality was like for him growing up. Too many readers will connect and understand exactly how these scenarios play out. Readers do see glimpses of hope in the stray dog that adopts them and the love the binds them under all the challenges. This is a family that needs healing and counseling and so much more than they will receive in the current systems. The ending does offer hope but also presents a clear view of life. They have an apartment and mom has to work two jobs to keep them together.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of this book. 

Phew - this book has a lot to say and packs an emotional punch! This is such an important middle grade book and I think a lot of young readers will feel seen for the first time in print. In this story, we hear Opin's stream-of-consciousness narration (and processing) about his experiences with being unhoused, living in poverty, and life as an indigenous person in America; not to mention the fear of Child Protective Services and police, safe behaviors for staying in shelters, having an absent parent, the near-impossibility of navigating government assistance, and more. Not only does this book have brilliant representation that is not common in middle grade books, but it provides a lense for readers who don't share these experiences to look at the world through. Opin describes a way of living that is a stark contrast to the middle-class American dream that we see portrayed in most media; he gives a human voice and insight to many of the struggles that children and their families are living through and I cannot emphasize enough how important that is for children to learn about. Maybe it helps a kid show a little more kindness to the kid in class that doesn't smell great or stand up for kids being bullied for looking different from them. I highly recommend this book for readers of any age (honestly there's many adults I know that could learn lessons from Opin and his mom). So glad to see this new wave of diverse middle-grade books that tackle tough topics (Iveliz Explains It All is another one I highly recommend). 

"No, the truth is uglier. The truth is America pays people to house a bunch of kids whose families have no money or are broken in other ways. And who doesn’t want money? Who would say no to that? No one. So kids like me are sent to random houses with random people. I’ve heard a lot of bad stuff happens at these places. Awful things. And if the kids run away from these places or fight back, they go to juvie. It’s on their record forever. Then what chance do any of those kids got? And does America care? Nope. They treat us like being poor is a crime. Well, if it is, it is America that committed it. Not us. They made the game. They wrote the rules. We shouldn’t be punished for playing it."

I feel like I would give this book a higher rating if it was not a middle grade book. In my opinion, it was a decent read as an adult but it wouldn’t be appropriate for a child to read. Our main character, Opin, is homeless and living with his mom and brother in a car trying to eventually get to an uncle in Southern California. The story immediately pulls you in and you feel sympathy for Opin and the difficult situation he is in. You become quickly invested to know if they are going to make it and no longer be homeless. His mother makes their survival a game/adventure, and I loved their relationship for the most part. However, there is a lot of negativity, abuse, and violence isn’t this book which I didn’t love. Opins brother is disrespectful to their mom and constantly causes harm to Opin with no consequences. Opin and his mother (who are Native American) have very strong feelings that the reasons they are homeless is because they are Native American and Opin believes that “the Calvary is coming for him”. This book has strong anti-police “protect and serve they do not” vibes, anti Christian vibes, anti shelter vibes, anti CPS vibes, anti president vibes… just TONS of negativity. While these topics are all so important for kids to know about and discuss, I felt like this book tried to take on too many of them at once and ended up just feeling angry. The mom also has some late night endeavors that are alluded to as being prostitution or something of that sort which I definitely didn’t feel was appropriate for a children’s book. I did like the ending and as an adult, this book made me think about some of these topics and how it would feel to be a kid in these shoes. I also wish I had read the authors note first because he WAS a kid in these shoes. That makes me feel more empathy for the story but still doesn’t change the fact that I think it could have been done better and more positively for our emerging generation.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

I truly loved this novel. It was so heartfelt and emotional. It was well told, with the. main character being exceptionally sympathetic. I can't wait for students to read this.

This is a steering portrait of homeless and how the poor are kept poor because it is hard for them to get out of that situation. It's also a look at Native Americans and how they are still treated badly across America.
Opin is such a sweet character that will do anything for his mom. I liked watching him with the dog Ani, as he learns more responsibility.
This is a hard read, but necessary.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Opin lives in a car, along with his mother, Inde, and his brother, Emjay. They are trying to get to Watts in southern California, where Opin’s uncle lives. Inde hopes to find a job there so they can get a place to live and get off the streets. But, being homeless brings a whole set of challenges and it’s difficult to get out of that situation. Everything seems stacked against them. Will the family ever find a home of their own?

This book really hits home. I’ve been briefly homeless too and it is a seemingly hopeless situation. For a single mother trying to raise two kids on her own, the difficulties look insurmountable. The shelters are often full, and shelters don’t accept dogs. Finding safe places to park so you can sleep in a car is very difficult. There are many unseen dangers out there for people living unprotected on the streets. Just making enough money to put gas in the car and buy food is a challenge. Without an address, many employers will not hire someone. The family scavenges food from leftovers that people leave behind at fast food restaurants. They find extremely creative ways to use showers in hotels. (I loved their method. It was so creative!)

Opin and his family are Native American, Ojibwe. They are learning the language and try to find as many opportunities to use it as possible. I think that is awesome. A lot of languages have been lost due to the effects of boarding schools on Native communities. Even in a difficult situation, Inde tries to make sure her kids get an education. She assigns Opin homework and teaches him Ojibwe words too.

What I liked about this story is that Opin and his mother have hope. His brother is going through a lot of struggles and has some issues he needs help with. It was interesting to see the growth in all three characters throughout the book. Emjay is beginning to show some improvement by the end, so the reader can hope that he was able to get the help he needed.

Opin finds a stray puppy that he names Ani. I loved the relationship between the boy and his dog. It added another element to their challenges, since shelters don’t usually allow dogs, and the puppy needed to be fed too. But, the fact that Opin had a companion that he could take care of helped him grow as a person too.

Opin easily makes friends with another boy at a shelter, but loses contact when they have to move on. It’s tough for a kid in his situation to have a normal life. He courageously faces all the challenges though. This book would be a good one to assign as a class reading assignment as it brings up many so good topics for class discussion. If any of your students are homeless, this will help them realize that they are not the only ones, and that others have made it out of that situation. The issues Emjay has to deal with as a homeless teen make his actions more understandable, but also the reader can see that he needs to get some help because he is improperly expressing all his anger at those closest to him. The other issues the book brings up include poverty, Native American issues relating to cultural assimilation, racism, classism, and more. I think this book could be an excellent one to base many lesson plans on. Students can relate to a character their own age who is in a really tough situation.

It's an unforgettable book that will bring up much for discussion. It will open eyes to the issues that others have to face when confronted with overwhelming obstacles to their success.

This story packs a punch of emotions and tackles difficult subjects such as homelessness, racism, and dysfunctional family dynamics.

Opin lives in a car with his brother, Emjay, and his mom. They do their best to keep hope alive by channeling in on their Native American culture and ancestors. Opin has some good moments such as befriending a stray dog and making a friend, but it's hard to hold onto anything when you have no home. Their journey is one of hard times, hope and hopelessness, tears, and love. It's an eye opening tale for middle school age children who know little about the Native American experience and people who are experiencing homelessness.

I received an advance copy of the book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a rough, emotional story, but also a story full of hope and love. Opin is living in a car with his mom and older brother, Emjay, since they left his father several years ago because he was violent and abusive. Emjay has a tendency to run off when they stop places on their way to Watts Los Angeles and is full of anger, which sometimes is expressed in violence and being cruel with his words towards his family. But Opin finds a dog, Ani, one night and it rekindles some hope because having Ani gives him something to protect and keeping moving forward for.

This story broke my heart in so many ways, but I also think this story is so important because there is so much messaging about homelessness and the situation of unhoused people as less than human, from the legislation regarding tent cities to the benches being built so no one can comfortably or safely sleep on them. And homelessness is an experience many have at various times. I can easily see this being a book to helps someone feel seen and validated, all while also offering home.

But this isn’t just a story of struggle. There are so many messages about history and how American government has worked to eliminate Native people and history from this country. It also talks about how even as names of the government entities have changed, their purposes remain the same - keep poor people poor, take Native children from their family and community to assimilate them, vilify people who are working the hardest and getting the least return for their efforts. I really loved the historical mentions and framing, as well as the way it works to show that even as white people have tried to erase Indigenous people, they continue to survive, and that is exactly what Opin and his family are doing - surviving and keeping the blood of their ancestors alive.

I really loved this book, even as I struggled with it at times because it made me confront some of my own privileges and the things I take for granted. But I’m also glad it showed that even when things are hard, there is still hope, family, happy moments that make the hard times even a little easier. Opin is such a great narrator, and seeing his growth over the course of the story was so good. Just, I absolutely think people need to read this book, because this is a story that needs to be heard.

[Cannonball will post Aug 5, 2023]

Opin isn't like any other boy he knows. He lives in a car with his brother and mother and has to lie to get even the basic needs like food and a shower. His mother promises that she will get a job and a home but as time goes on these things doesn't happen. Now his brother keeps running away and when he is around he has a dangerous temper. Opin only friend is a dog he found, can they ever find a place that they can call their own?

I found this story wonderful. Yes, its a hard read but important. Many children suffer from homelessness. Parents want better for their children but many are running way from domestic abuse like Opin and his family. Opin is a complex character that I found so interesting. The character I found most interesting is Emjay, Opin brother. Filled with rage with the situation he finds himself in, he runs or acts violent to his brother and others. Watching this character and the changes he makes, makes this story so interesting and so important for today's middle graders to read. I am so glad I had a chance to read this book before the release date. Now I want to read more from James Bird.

I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story. Highly recommend this book for young and for the young at heart!!

No Place Like Home
by James Bird
Pub Date 08 Aug 2023
Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends
Children's Fiction | Middle Grade


I am reviewing a copy of No Place Like Home through Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley:


If your only home is a car, life is unpredictable, not even meals or schooling is a guarantee. Not every town has a shelter where a family can sleep for a night or two, and places with parking lots don't welcome overnight stays.



Opin, his Mother and Brother Emjay are trying to get to Los Angeles, where they hope an uncle and a new life are waiting. Emjay has taken to disappearing for days, slowing down the family's progress and adding to their worry.


After Opin finds a stray dog that needs him as much as he needs her, his longing for a stable home intensifies, and his brothers reckless ways hit an all time high.


Opin makes a new friend in the shelter, but shelters don’t allow dogs…

Will anything other than a real home ever be enough?


No Place Like Home would be a great book to broach the topic of homelessness , and poverty especially as it relates to Native Americans, and a great way to remind young readers that just because someone doesn't have a home, that doesn't mean they don't have goals.


I give No Place Like Home five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!