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Almost home

Joan Bauer - Author

Family bereavement and a father's repeated departure lead to Sugar and her mother losing their home. In Chicago, Sugar faces the difficulties of homelessness alongside her mother; a rescue dog, foster family and teacher offer support.

More about this book

When twelve-year-old Sugar's grandfather dies and her gambling father takes off yet again, Sugar and her mother lose their home in Missouri. They head to Chicago for a fresh start, only to discover that fresh starts aren't so easy to come by for the homeless. Nevertheless, Sugar's mother has taught her to be grateful no matter what, so Sugar does her best. With the help of a rescue dog, Shush; a foster family; a supportive teacher; a love of poetry; and her own grace and good humor, Sugar comes to understand that while she can't control the hand life deals her, she can control how she responds.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Personal agency· AffirmedResilience· Affirmed

Consider

Grief and lossFamily disruptionBereavement

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

personal agencyresilience

Fiction

Themes in Context

Responding to circumstances

Sugar faces circumstances she cannot control and comes to focus on how she can respond.

How the book presents it: The story presents this understanding as part of Sugar's development, alongside help from people around her and her own humour and love of poetry.

Talk about: How does Sugar balance accepting help with deciding how to respond for herself?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The story centres on adapting to circumstances beyond one's control, while poetry, humour and help from others feature in Sugar's response. It may prompt conversation about what support can mean during upheaval.

What Deserves Attention

The story includes a death in the family, a parent who gambles and leaves, and the loss of the family's home. These circumstances may feel weighty for readers with related experiences.

A Conversation Worth Having

What kinds of help seem important to Sugar and her mother as they try to make a fresh start, and whether those needs change along the way?

Reading Approach

Consider reading together or checking in as the family circumstances emerge. A gentle pause can let the reader share reactions to the loss and instability, or simply continue when ready.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Responding to circumstances: The story's ending and how fully Sugar's circumstances change are not established.

Almost Home - Joan Bauer - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Responding to circumstances

Almost home by Joan Bauer | Open Library