This research examines the perceptions of children after reading about low socioeconomic circumstances in children's literature. Low socioeconomic status involves more than just income; it encompasses access to resources, education, family well-being, opportunities, and quality of life. Students in today's classrooms are faced with many of these challenges in their home life. Picture books are tools used in classrooms to inform both student peers and teachers of experiences that may differ from their own experiences. How do children perceive those images and storylines? What do children see as being poor? Reading stories that include families in hardship allows children the opportunity to form empathy for others and identify with the characters. Based on social constructivism, student engagement with these stories varied according to their prior experiences. This research used a picture book story about a family who struggles with food insecurity and finds resources to help. It provided the context needed for students to identify with the common situation of hunger. Using basic qualitative research, this study observed student responses in a classroom setting and individual interviews. The goal was to seek deeper insight into the students' understanding and interpretation of low socioeconomic circumstances in books. Narrative coding to find common themes was used to interpret the data. The participants were public school second and third graders who come from more income stable communities in the Sacramento metropolitan area. These data speak to the education community (students, parents, teachers, and school administrators) about the importance of sharing stories that resemble student real life experiences. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]