The author presents the problem of homelessness through the eyes of 2 young people, June who is Asian and passionate about her viola, and Tyrell. Tyrell has been at the shelter for 3 years and June has just arrived with her younger sister and mother who has been lost in grief for a year after her husband died. The grief has resulted in her mother not working so they lost their apartment. Written for pretweens because much is predictable with problems that resolve more quickly and would realistically.

I was expecting that this book would be like others I had read about homelessness. While it does describe the plight of the homeless, it is a story of friendship and perseverance.
June and Tyrell, two children who live in the shelter, are the main characters. The story tells about how they ended up there and how their friendship grew. June plays the viola. It is her escape from the conditions around her and from a mother who was often unresponsive. With the help of Tyrell, she finds a place where she can practice. She meets a eccentric woman, a well-known violinist,. She learns how to improve her skills to achieve her goal. Her playing inspires Tyrell to learn as well.
The most important topic of the book, though, is how the government changes policies thinking that they are helping the homeless. June fights for her family and others. That fight leads to better treatment of those at the shelter.
I find this novel very relevant today as people search for ways to end homelessness. It shows that more thought coupled needs to be taken and the homeless themselves should be involved in a solution.
I would highly recommend this book because of many levels of topics it has. It could help teach character development and conflict in the classroom. It could also lead to more earnest discussion about a critical situation that exists in society.

June, her sister, and Mom are displaced and sent to a homeless shelter. I do not have much experience or understanding in this area but loved how this book didn’t spend a lot of time “world building.”

June’s narrative is balanced by Tyrell who has lived in Huey House for three years. Tyrell has a different perspective of things, but I felt he was genuine in his disinterest and distrust of people coming in and out of Huey House.

Considering this is written for a kid’s perspective their observations of the adults are compelling. Tyrell’s Mom is overly enthusiastic, Lulu’s Mom excited in a different way whereas June’s Mom is deemed apathetic and a constant mystery as she is constantly in bed.

I plan on purchasing this for my classroom once it’s released.

Thank you NetGalley and Clarion Books for an advanced copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser. Until now, I had not read the Vanderbeeker books, but I am thinking I will fix that ASAP. A Duet for Home was wonderfully written, with characters that draw you in and make you feel for them. Told from two perspectives, June and Tyrell, the reader really gets to experience life at a family homeless shelter through their eyes. Tyrell has lived in the homeless shelter for over three years and at the start of the book, it is June's first day. Despite a rough beginning, the two develop a strong friendship, and learn that home isn't always about a house, a yard with a fence, and a dog.

This is a book that deals with some tough topics but also fills us with Hope. We see our two characters and how their paths cross in the shelter where they live in the Bronx. There is hope through friendships and through justice. A beautiful, beautiful book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

This book has my heart and truly embodies why I read: to be changed. Reading invites us to experience a world unlike our own so we can gain vicarious experience, see a new way of looking at things and most importantly, develop empathy for what we might have previously overlooked. This book does all of that. Readers learn from June, Jameel and the other families and staff at Huey House, a homeless shelter in the Bronx. As they learn to navigate their new realities and find hope wherever they can, the reader does, too. We see the families. We see their stories. We see their hopes. We see their challenges. And we also see the staff. We see their dedication. We see their kindness. We see their frustration. Because we also see the system. The system that doesn't always have the best intentions. But June and Jameel show us that every action counts and those seemingly small acts of courage can lead to enormous wins. You’ll find inspiration inside these pages.

Fans of Glaser's Vanderbeekers series are in for a treat. Here Glaser tackles some serious topics (homelessness, of course, but also parental incarceration, depression, neglect, etc.), but in such a hopeful, uplifting way that is perfect for middle-grade readers.

*Thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

A Duet for Home is a story told from two different perspectives- June, a young girl whose father passed away and her mom and sisters recently moved into a homeless shelter, and Tyrell, a young boy who has lived in the shelter with his mom for three years. Their paths cross and they soon find out they have a shared passion for music and justice.

This is a book that explores housing insecurity through two kids who find themselves in a homeless shelter. Tyrell has been at the shelter for some time, whereas June finds herself there after the impact of a family tragedy. The story focuses on how they each navigate this environment and reality. Their situations become more complicated when the city decides to change their approach to their shelter and the city's homeless population. What the story then spotlights is how these policies cause more harm than good. The book does a really outstanding job of using the realities of the characters to explain the realities of these issues beyond the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this April 2022 release.

Homelessness, especially family homelessness, is such a complex issue and Karina Yan Glaser does a wonderful job of making it approachable for middle grade readers in A Duet for Home. The book, with its diverse cast of main characters, lets young readers understand that there are many reason why families may find themselves without a home and encourages us all to avoid judging folks in this situation without being preachy. June and her family arrive at Huey House in the Bronx, a long-term supportive homeless shelter for families, following the loss of her father and her mother's inability to process her grief. There, they meet a cast of characters who are, by turns, entertaining, supportive, creative and resourceful. Readers witness the positive and negative aspects of a place like Huey House: the noise, the curtailment of individual freedom, the support of a wonderful counselor, etc. A new housing policy is taking effect in New York City which will disperse families like the residents of Huey to far-flung apartments all over New York, whether they are ready to live without support or not. The young residents band together to take a stand. The ending is satisfying without resolving every last issue, which is totally appropriate given the complexity of an issue like this.

Absolutely adored this book. I was not expecting to cry, but I had tears by the end. I always love a good found family story, but this one was so much more. Such a joy to read and I cannot wait to handsell this in my store.

After her dad is killed in an accident and her mother loses herself in depression, June and her mom, and little sister Maybelle, must move into Huey House, a homeless shelter. June has been the protector of her family since her father’s death, but playing her violin (forbidden in Huey House) is her one solace. When music leads her to new friends Tyrell and Jeremiah, and she discovers a possible music teacher next door, Huey House becomes the refuge June and her family have needed - and one they might lose forever.
Alternating between June’s and Tyrell’s viewpoints, this is a compelling, inspiring, hope-and-heart-filled story about the power of friendship, music, family, and finding one’s voice.
Readers who loved FRONT DESK by @kellyyanghk, JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS by @melissasarno, or THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS by @annbradenbooks will love this new book by the author of the beloved Vanderbeekers series!
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

A beautifully written middle grade book told in alternating perspectives. June and her mother and sister just moved into a shelter after being evicted from their Chinatown apartment. Tyrell has been living at the shelter for 3 years. At first the two seem like unlikely friends, but over time they join forces to speak up for what's right and protect their home. The characters feel authentic and the story moves quickly. Middle grade fans of realistic fiction will love this!

This is a book that will be a window into another world for the students I teach and will help them see the world around them with new eyes. Karina Yan Glaser has brought homelessness into the light and humanized so many issues. It was wonderful to get to know her characters and learn from her experiences in the field. I will definitely be buying this book for my classroom.

June, her sister, and mother are forced to move into a homeless shelter when they can no longer pay rent. June's mom has been catatonic since her dad left them, so many responsibilities belong to June. The rules of the homeless shelter prevents June from bringing her viola inside, however, with the help of Tyrell and other teens in the shelter, they discover a secret room to play and a virtuoso teacher next door. Brings to light the struggles of homelessness and the desire for normalcy with these children. #NetGalley #ADuetForHome #KarinaVanGlaser

I just loved this book! The characters are so real and you were rooting for them all the whole time. This book provided a good look into a homeless shelter. I was angry along with June and Tyrell for what the politicians were trying to do without really knowing the people or their needs. I appreciated the note at the end to give more information about the situation. I love this author and look forward to her next book.

I truly could not put this book down until I'd finished. An outstanding and heartfelt look through the eyes of children in a homeless shelter. Excellent!

Incredible story of family, poverty, grief, homelessness, friendship, and standing up for what’s right beautifully woven together with music. This is a middle grade must read!

As a huge fan of Karina Yan Glaser and her Vanderbeekers series, I jumped at the chance to review this book. I was not disappointed, and I cannot wait to read this with my children.

Somehow, despite the brevity of this novel, we still manage to get to know and love each character in a real way, bringing to life a community that is often invisible to those who don't know them: homeless families and children. Glaser draws on her firsthand experience volunteering with children at homeless shelters in New York City.

We meet June and her family as they enter the shelter for the first time, and Tyrell and Jeremiah, who had lived there for three years. We learn about the friendships forged at family shelters, the policies that affect them, the special struggles each family goes through, the ways they try to get on their feet, and the bittersweet joy of families able to leave and move forward, leaving friends behind.

Just like the Vanderbeekers, the kids work together to solve problems in a satisfying and even humorous way, although the ending is not necessarily a tidy happily ever after. But my favorite aspect of this story is the way small and great acts of forgiveness heal.

Don't miss this beautiful story.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this middle grade novel.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the story, and the characters, and think that this book will make an important addition to classroom and library shelves. Seeing things from the perspective of children who have found their way into a homeless shelter is something that so many kids could benefit from. Tyrell's love of classical music and his seeing a black woman as a classical violinist is another shining point in this story. The one detraction for me was the ending. I wanted more, and felt that the ending cut it all a little short.