Maria Testa grew up in Rhode Island. She graduated from Brown University and Yale Law School. Her most recent award winning books include Becoming Joe DiMaggio , Some Kind of Pride , and Something About America . She lives in Portland, Maine with her family.
1. You have written books from the perspective of children dealing with heavy and painful issues: Almost Forever --a father going off to war, Nine Candles --a mother in prison, Thumbs Up Rico -- a boy with Down Syndrome; Something About America -- an immigrant girl from Kosovo; and Someplace to Go -- a boy whose family is homeless. How did your personal experiences influence your writing?
It's true that most of my story ideas do come from personal experiences in some way. Almost Forever is the most directly autobiographical -- my father was drafted into the Vietnam War when I was quite young, younger, in fact, than the main character in the book (I aged myself for that one!). Becoming Joe DiMaggio is based on my father's childhood. Thumbs Up, Rico! and Something About America were both inspired by people I know. And I often refer to Someplace to Go and Nine Candles as my "law books," because both stories were directly influenced by my experiences as a law student/legal intern working with kids and families whose lives were disrupted by incarceration and homelessness.
2. How did you decide to write about homelessness?
My editor and I were having a conversation about the difficulty -- and the necessity -- of creating books about tough social issues for kids. She remarked that there seemed to be a real lack of books on homelessness for elementary school age kids (this was 1994; Someplace to Go was published in 1996). I decided to try my best to give a voice to a regular kid who happened to be homeless -- and Davey's story was born.
3. Do you know families like Davey's?
I have known families that were on the verge of becoming homeless and doing everything in their power to prevent it, and I have known families who had recently been homeless and were trying to embark on a new life. I'm sure that I have known families like Davey's, but I have not known them as "homeless families," but as people in need of services or involved in programs.
4. In Someplace to Go, Davey is alone from after-school until the shelter doors open at 8 p.m. In your experience do most shelters open several hours after school is dismissed?
There are all kinds of shelters, and the times they open and close vary greatly. Davey's dilemma was inspired by a speaker I heard who was addressing the needs of homeless "tweens." After-school hours can be the most difficult for upper elementary/middle school age homeless kids who seem to fall between the cracks when it comes to services and programs. In other words, these kids are often seen as too old for daycare/aftercare programs but too young for jobs and many extracurricular/social activities. Many shelters do open several hours after school is dismissed and many others are simply not safe or appropriate places for kids to hang out without their families.
5. In the story, Davey hides his homelessness from other children. Generally, are homeless children able to keep their homelessness from their classmates?
Every child is different, and school settings vary greatly, but from what I have observed, a student who is really determined to hide her homelessness is often successful. Keep in mind that many kids and their families go through times when they are homeless and times when they are not. There's a lot of gray time and space -- many people have experiences during which they may spend a few nights in a shelter, a few nights in their car, a few nights in a friend's living room . ... In many communities, the line between homeless and not-homeless is often blurry.
6. What do you want your readers to understand about the effects of homelessness on children and families?
First, that the effects are very real. It's really hard for a kid like Davey to be the whole person he can be. A "homeless day" is a difficult day, an effortful day during which basic human needs like food, warmth, shelter, safety, and companionship become struggles. A day becomes something to endure, and too many days like this can only be strength and spirit-sapping.
7. What can kids do to help children like Davey?
Take your cues from the Daveys in your life. First of all, be a friend. What interests do you have in common? Do you like the same sports, movies, games, books? Do the same things make you laugh? Homeless kids are kids just like you -- you will have many things in common, and you will find many ways to connect. Most of the time, a homeless child will have adults in her life who are trying to help, but if your friend asks for your help or if you are concerned for her safety, be sure to tell an adult you trust.
8. What can families do to help homeless families?
Again -- connect, connect, connect. If you want to help in a very direct way, there are all kinds of opportunities to volunteer time and resources to food pantries, shelters, home-building projects and the like. Families are families. Share your common ground.
FamilyCares thanks Maria Testa for her time, her compassion and her commitment to children and families going through difficult situations. Her books help us understand, from a child's perspective, what it is like to have a mom in prison, to be an immigrant in America or to be homeless in America. We encourage your family to connect with kids and families in homeless shelters. You could be helping someone like Davey!
