Shelter by Christie Matheson

Release: October 12, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Source: TBR and Beyond Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Indiebound,

Perfect for fans of One for the Murphys and Paper Things, this heart-wrenching middle grade debut considers homelessness from one girl’s perspective and explores deep truths about the resounding impact of empathy.

Fifth grade can be tough for anyone. There are cliques and mean kids and homework and surprise math tests. But after tragedy strikes her family, almost-eleven-year-old Maya has a painful secret that makes many days feel nearly impossible.

And today might be Maya’s toughest yet. Her family is on edge, she needs to travel alone across the city, a bully is out to get her, and Maya has to face this winter’s biggest rainstorm without a coat or an umbrella.

But even on the rainiest days, there’s hope that the sun will come out soon.

Emotional and compassionate, Shelter looks at homelessness through one girl’s eyes and explores the power of empathy, friendship, and love.

About the Author:

Christie Matheson is the author and illustrator of many picture books, including Tap the Magic Tree, Touch the Brightest Star, and Bird Watch. Shelter is her first novel.

She lives in San Francisco with her family. Find her on Instagram at @christiematheson.

Instagram | Goodreads

Shelter Review:

“Shelter” is a rare middle-grade novel that had me in tears because of the instances that happened to Maya, the main character.

Firstly, kudos to the author for talking about a topic that we don’t read much in middle-grade stories, mainly homeless. What happens when your life turns upside down and you have to move out of your house? The author portrayed the characters and events realistically where you immediately want to get into the pages to protect them.

Maya is a strong character, and I immediately adored her from the first page. She does her best to stay hopeful, irrespective of the challenging situations that she encounters. She uplifts her mom and Gabby and prays for her father. I also loved her friendship with Abby. While Abby also has her faults, I liked how she comes through for Maya when needed. Moreover, Maya also has to deal with school drama and bullies like Sloane and Madison (who I detested for their horrid behavior).

However, there are also more reasons to love this story. The author references other childhood classics that Maya leans towards, like “Anne of Green Gable” and “Ramona,” which I cherished. Similarly, the author also writes the story in the form of timeline logs which I thought was unique.

Some moving moments were when she passed through her old neighborhood and reminiscence of her old life or the incident with the backpack that broke my heart. You would need to have a box of tissues next to you when reading this book, as it will make you appreciate life and move you.

Overall, “Shelter” is a beautiful middle-grade novel that I think everyone should read to be more empathetic towards others.