Today is Alyssa's first day at Lee Ponder Intermediate School. Along with learning new names, faces, and classrooms, she has to maintain her secret. One that she doesn't want anyone to know, not even her new best friend, Onika.When Alyssa's teacher gives the class an assignment to write a letter to a student living in Alabama whose school and home were destroyed by a tornado, she bears her soul. However, when the note is lost and believes the school's bully, Marcus has found it and fears soon the entire school will know what she has tried to keep secret for so long. In the end, a fantastic sequence of events unfold.ABOUT THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE MY OWN HOMEReaders have enjoyed this book as young as second grade, and the comments from parents, educators, children, counselors, and more may be summed up in this one sentence, "e;Although Alyssa and her mom are homeless, they are not hopeless."e; The book may be used in conjunction with classroom Standard of Learning subjects such as Language Arts, Health, Social Studies, Government, and Public Speaking. There's No Place Like My Own Home has been found helpful for Social-Emotional Learning to include (but is not limited to) kindness, gratitude, sufficient conflict resolution, positive self-image. The reader will also learn how to reduce aggressive behavior, demonstrate self-control, manage emotions, set positive goals, engage in positive relations, and learn to solve problems effectively. Lastly, the book has an anti-bullying message.