Stay
“Timely, important, and truly beautiful.”
—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award-winning author
Piper’s life is turned upside down when her family loses their home and have to move into a family shelter in a new city. She misses what she had before, and hates being labeled “homeless” at her new school. Baby lives in a park with his person, Jewel. Baby loves his life on the streets with Jewel because they are never apart. That is, until Jewel gets sick. Told from alternating points of view, Stay explores the meaning of home and celebrates the power of friendship and hope.
May 2020 | Katherine Tegen Books | 978-0062839237
Inspiration
One cold, windy spring day, my husband and I were running errands in the city. At an intersection, I saw an older woman with long, silver hair in a thin, flowered dress, holding a cardboard sign. She looked so very desperate for help! But next to her, a small brown dog sat gazing serenely at the mountains in the distance. The difference between the way the woman and dog experienced their situation fascinated and haunted me.
Praise
Finalist for the South Carolina Children’s Book Award
Finalist for the Iowa Children’s Choice Award
Finalist for Louisiana Young Readers Choice Award
Finalist for the New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award
Finalist for the Texas Bluebonnet Award
Finalist for the Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Finalist for the Texas Horned Toad Tales Award
Nominee for the Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award
Junior Library Guild Selection
Southern Independent Booksellers Association “Okra Pick”
“A small dog, the elderly woman who owns him, and a homeless girl come together to create a tale of serendipity. Entrancing and uplifting.”
—Kirkus, starred review
“This is an excellent title for raising awareness and empathy.”
—School Library Journal
“In a spot-on and unsentimental portrayal of homelessness, author Bobbie Pyron spins an engaging, moving tale about Piper’s family and an older homeless woman who suffers from bipolar disorder.”
—BookPage, starred review