The Things We Hold

By Vanessa Lewis-Porter

Lilly arrives at school carrying worries that her classmates cannot see. Being teased about repeated outfits hurts, and a field trip permission slip brings disappointment because she knows the fee is beyond her mother's budget. Behind those everyday moments lies a larger uncertainty: her family has no stable home and sometimes spends the night in their car.

Vanessa Lewis-Porter draws on her experience as an educator to show how housing insecurity can shape a child's school day without being obvious to others. Cornelius Van Wright's illustrations accompany a story that treats Lilly with dignity and care. The book invites children and adults to notice hidden burdens and make kindness their first response.