Monica Gunning

Zettie and her mother leave their home country of Jamaica to come to the United States. Without papa, things are hard. Zettie's mother cannot find a job and the two of them must take shelter in their car and deal with the challenges that come with that. Relying on each other to stay positive and hopeful, Zettie's mother gets a job and the two of them will finally have a real home. I thought this book exemplified real class struggles people in the United States (especially immigrants) face every day. I enjoyed it and would read it to my class to expose them to real problems.… (more)

Zettie and her mom moved to America after her father passed away to try and live a better life. Since her mom does not have a reliable job, they cannot afford to live in a house or apartment therefore, giving them no choice but to live in her mom's car. This really shows a deep look into the not so fortunate side of society. It shows a mother, who is trying to do her best and came to America to provide a better life, yet cannot seem to get up on her feet. All of the money she makes goes to mostly food and gas. The illustrations are very powerful. They show the sadness and worry in Zettie's eyes. "A Shelter in Our Car" fully depicts the rough times families have to go through day to day and shows that you do not always need materialistic things to be happy, sometimes family is all you need.… (more)

Zettie and her mom have had it rough since coming to America from Jamaica and losing her father. Struggling to find a stable job, home, and food, they must take shelter in their car. Zettie can't escape reality, only getting bullied at school for her mom's "junky car". Despite all of these adversities, Zettie's mother doesn't lose hope, never stops trying, and give unconditional love. At the beginning of the story, Zettie is very resentful of her mother and does not want anyone to know about her living situation. She blames her mother and doesn't think her mother is doing what she could and should to give them a better life. By the end Zettie realizes just how hard her mother works and tries and realizes that they are all that each other need. This story shows that as long as you have the ones you love, that is all that matters. Reading this story reminded me a lot of the novel, "Rich", in the sense that people can be "rich" in ways other than materialistic things. The illustrations are well done and memorable, connecting the reader to the story of Zettie and her mother. This story is very well written and sends a great message to children, opening the conversation regarding poverty and homelessness in America.… (more)