Soul Moon Soup — Lindsay Lee Johnson

A novel written in verse, Soul Moon Soup tells the story of a young homeless girl, Phoebe Rose. Phoebe and her mother carry their suitcase through the city from soup kitchen to soup kitchen, trying to get by. Her mother warns Phoebe not to expect too much from life, but Phoebe is an artist who likes to draw wishes and dreams. One terrible day, Phoebe loses the suitcase and everything in it. Her mother puts her alone on a bus and sends her to the country to live with her grandmother for the summer. Phoebe misses city life and is hurt that her mother sent her away. Gram is gentle and welcoming, but Phoebe is slow to warm to her and makes plans to run away. Then Phoebe befriends a girl across the lake and begins to draw again. Phoebe slowly comes to terms with her separation from her mother, and just when she begins to enjoy being at Gram's, her mother comes for her with the news that they now have a key to a room in the city  -- a place they can give things another start.