Stay

Piper’s life is turned upside down when her family moves into a shelter in a whole new city. She misses her house, her friends, and her privacy—and she hates being labeled the homeless girl at her new school.  

But while Hope House offers her new challenges, it also brings new friendships, like the girls in Firefly Girls Troop 423 and a sweet street dog named Baby. So when Baby’s person goes missing, Piper knows she has to help. But helping means finding the courage to trust herself and her new friends – no matter what anyone says about them—before Baby gets taken away for good.  

Stay is written in alternating perspectives, with each chapter switching between Piper’s and Baby’s point of view. Piper often reflects on life before her family became homeless. She misses her friends, her Firefly group, and her grandmother, who died. As Piper meets more homeless people, she learns to look past their appearance and circumstances and see their value. However, this causes conflict between others who only see the homeless as problems.  

Piper meets Jewel and her dog, Baby. Jewel suffers from a mental illness and has stopped taking her medication. Her mental illness skews her perspective of everything and makes her dependent on Baby. The little dog and homeless woman have become a “pack of two” and are utterly devoted to each other. When Jewel gets pneumonia and is hospitalized, Baby is sent to an animal shelter. The separation leaves both Jewel and Baby lost and confused.  

When Piper hears about Jewel’s hospitalization, Piper and her friends jump in to learn more about Jewel so they can help her. Through this experience, Piper has to overcome her embarrassment of being homeless. Piper and her friends’ willingness to help motivates others in the community to come together and help Jewel as well. Even though Piper loves Baby and wishes he was her dog, Piper does what is best for Jewel and finds a way to reunite them. Through these experiences, Piper learns the power of friendship and community. 

Piper’s experiences reinforce many positive lessons, including not judging people by their appearance or life circumstances. The book allows people to step into a homeless person’s world and see their struggles with finances, mental illness, and drug abuse. Each person became homeless for different reasons, which puts a spotlight on the person and allows the reader to feel empathy for them. When Piper jumps in to help Jewel, she shows others the power of words and storytelling.  

The chapters told from Baby’s point of view are short and written in free verse, which allows Baby’s emotions to take center stage. Baby often uses his sense of smell and touch to explain his emotions. When separated from Jewel, Baby’s confusion and fear are obvious. However, these chapters slow down the plot, and the descriptions of Baby’s emotions may confuse younger readers.  

Readers who have lost a loved one or have experienced homelessness will instantly connect with Piper and Baby. Throughout the story, Piper is reminded to look at the doughnut rather than the hole; this helps Piper see the good in small things—the sun on your skin, time with your family, and the kindness of others. Even though Stay has a powerful message about hope and the meaning of home, some readers may struggle to complete the book because of its slow pace. If you’re looking for another book on homelessness, consider reading How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor, Almost Home by Joan Bauer, and Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate. 

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• When Baby’s owner, Jewel, gets sick, paramedics load her into the ambulance. She gets upset and starts crying for Baby. “Baby hurls himself toward his name. A man kicks the little dog away. Baby yelps in pain and frustration.” 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• Jewel stopped taking her meds. Piper finds a bag with Jewel’s meds: “Lithium. Zyprexa. Klonopin.” These are used to treat mental illness. 
• A homeless woman “goes to the clinic to get her meds.” 
• Noah lives with his brother because his “mom’s in jail for possession.” 
• A homeless woman smokes cigarettes. “The woman tosses her cigarette to the ground and stubs it out with the toe of her boot.” 
• A homeless person is an ex-drug addict. 

Language  

• Crud and holey moly are used once. 
• Dang is used twice.

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• Jewel, a homeless woman with a mental illness, refers to people who help as “angels,” and she sees wings on them. When the people give the homeless blankets, gloves, and hats, she says they are “Warm. Like God’s love.” 
• Jewel wrote in a notebook, “God is everywhere and in everyone.” 
• Jewel says, “God bless you.”