Families who loved If I Had a Hammer: Building Homes and Hope with Habitat for Humanity by David Rubel often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child starts noticing economic inequality or asking how individuals can tackle large problems like homelessness. It provides a grounded, hopeful look at how collective action and hard work transform lives, focusing on the families who partner with Habitat for Humanity. Through real-life stories and photographs, the book explores themes of empathy, community, and the dignity of a safe home. Designed for middle-schoolers, this narrative nonfiction avoids being overly clinical or overly sentimental. It offers a clear-eyed view of financial hardship while focusing on the resilience of families and the power of teamwork. It is an excellent tool for parents who want to foster a sense of social responsibility and civic engagement in their children by showing that change is built one brick at a time.
