Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class by "...focuses on 'America's black upper class': a conservative, well-to-do group that dates back to the first black millionaires in the 1870s ...." --Library Journal
Class Matters by "The collection has the power of a great documentary film: it captures the lives and ideas of its subjects in lively, articulate prose that, while grounded in statistics and research, remains engaging and readable throughout. The result is ... a thoughtful consideration of class dynamics." --Publishers Weekly.
The Missing Class by Fifty-seven million Americans—including 21 percent of the nation's children—live a notch above the poverty line, and yet the challenges they face are largely ignored. Parents often work at a breakneck pace to preserve the progress they have made and are but one divorce or unexpected hospitalization away from sliding into poverty.
American Children in Chronic Poverty by Why is it so difficult for some people to escape poverty? The author answers that question by describing the complex and interacting knot of problems that children face as they grow up in poverty. Lamy determines which programs and policies produce benefits that exceed costs, providing evidence for an efficient fight against poverty. Recommendations are described within three broad themes: bringing equity to our educational system, supporting families as they transition through difficulties, and making work pay.
Women and Poverty in 21st Century America by Despite an overhaul in the 1990s, the American welfare system remains with a business model focused on the bottom line [and] crafted by male-dominated legislative bodies whose members most likely never had to choose between paying the rent or feeding their kids. This book offers a feminist perspective on the 21st century attitude toward poverty, illustrated by the words of women forced to live every day with social policies they had no voice in developing.
Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities by "If you didn't grow up in poverty, you may be unaware of the 'hidden rules' that govern many aspects of life for the poor. People in poverty are often in survival mode, and support systems taken for granted in middle class and wealth are largely nonexistent." [back cover of book] This book considers the challenges and strengths of people in poverty that must be understood to provide opportunities for them to succeed.
When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor by For the first time in the 20th century, the majority of adults in the inner cities are not working. In an important and long-awaited study, one of the country's leading sociologists, the acclaimed author of The Truly Disadvantaged, analyzes the disappearance of work and its effects on the inner city of Chicago.
Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America by "The homeless are exemplified by those who are housed in the Martinique Hotel in New York. Through direct, simply stated interviews with several families in the Martinique over a period of time, Kozol strips away the stereotypic litany of what is wrong with welfare recipients. The heart of this book rests on two points: the lack of affordable housing for the poor and children who will become adults with little education and scars from spending a childhood under these conditions." --School Library Journal
A Framework for Understanding Poverty by A Framework for Understanding Poverty teaches the hidden rules of economic class and spreads the message that, despite the obstacles poverty can create in all types of interactions, there are specific strategies for overcoming them. Through case studies, personal stories and observations that produce some aha! moments, Payne clearly strikes a chord in her readers, and provides a hopeful message.
The New Faces of American Poverty by The Great Recession (2007 to 2009) brought the United States...to historical levels of poverty. This is one of the first books to focus on the impact of the Great Recession on poverty in America, examining governmental and cultural responses to the economic downturn; the demographics of poverty by gender, age, occupation, education, geographical area, and ethnic identity.
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Born with a Wooden Spoon: Welcome to Poverty U.S.A., 2006 "One in eight Americans—approximately 37 million people—live below the poverty line. This program discusses the effects and implications of poverty, examining factors such as illiteracy, insufficient job skills, substance abuse, crime, and the phenomenon of multigenerational poverty, underscoring the disturbing pattern of poverty begetting poverty." (59 minutes)
Down . . . But Not Out! A Look at Situational Poverty, 2007 "For many Americans, the threat of sudden poverty has less to do with the nation’s overall economy than it does with personal circumstances. This program discusses the hard facts of situational poverty with a focus on the four most common triggers: job loss, health issues, the loss of a spouse through divorce or death, and natural disasters. A part of the series Poverty in America." (55 minutes)
Nouveau Poor: Immigrant Poverty, 2011 "This program reveals the conditions in which an American newcomer, legal or not, struggles to earn a living, save money, and meet basic needs. A part of the series Poverty in America." (41 minutes)
Obvious Poverty: America's Homeless, 2011 "Stereotypes tell us it’s easy to spot the homeless—after all, life on the street tends to leave a mark on people. But is a “homeless profile” really meaningful? Interviews with homeless people bring a real-world understanding to the issues, shedding light on the job search frustrations, bureaucratic challenges, and lack of personal safety that go hand-in-hand with a shelterless existence. A part of the series Poverty in America." (32 minutes)
People Like Us: Social Class in America. DVD, 124 min. by 
The Two Nations of Black America. DVD, 60 min. by "Originally presented as an episode of the television series Frontline in 1998. Today, America's black middle class is the largest in its history, yet roughly one-third of black America continues to live in poverty. This film measures the economic and social success of the civil rights movement and the gap between middle class and poor African-Americans...."
What Poor Child Is This? Poverty and America's Children, 2011 "If poverty is a serpent, child poverty is its venom. This program examines child poverty in the U.S.: its causes, its agents, and its human impact. Lack of school readiness (preparation for kindergarten) and poor academic achievement are also examined as factors in the perpetuation of the poverty cycle. A part of the series Poverty in America." (86 minutes)
The 2018 Kids Count Data Book