Troop 6000

March 15, 2020
A New York Times journalist chronicles the experiences of a Girl Scout troop founded in a shelter in Queens, New York. The main character in the narrative, Giselle, the founder of Troop 6000 and program manager at the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, was once homeless herself. Stewart begins with the hardships and the eviction that forced Giselle and her five children to move into the Sleep Inn shelter in Queens. In an accessible narrative that encompasses a range of social justice concerns, the author chronicles Giselle's initial encounter with the Girl Scouts and the idea to begin a troop when she realized that the girls around her would benefit from its encouraging community. Stewart also provides some light history on the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, and the author's discussions of the backgrounds of friends at the shelter who helped Giselle illuminate themes of empowerment and overcoming personal challenges. From the troop's widespread media coverage, which included an appearance on The View, to managing the social dynamics of the group ("the Scouts...were growing more and more unappreciative"), Giselle comes across as a poised, resilient organizer whose own journey toward finding a better housing solution for her kids lends the story extra tension--especially when juxtaposed against such pleasant traditions as Camp Kaufmann and cookie sales. While the melodramatic lines that close many of the chapters--e.g., "Back to being homeless and dreaming of a day when they weren't"; "In seven months, the family would be homeless"; "What good are keys if you don't have a home?"--don't always ring true, Giselle's life on the page unfolds in a readable fashion calibrated for emotional, uplifting crescendos. Stewart is also wise to let the Scouts tell their own stories, offering a more nuanced perspective to the story. Featuring a sensitive treatment of a still-existing homelessness epidemic, this is an impassioned look at how Troop 6000 inspired others to form in its wake. A tale of how grassroots spirit and gritty determination can bloom into hope. (b/w photos)

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April 24, 2020

Mother of five Giselle Burgess wasn't initially an eager Girl Scout troop parent, but the confidence it gave her daughters, along with a sense of belonging with other parents, made her a convert. When circumstances left her and her children homeless, Burgess's idea to start a troop for girls in their shelter in Queens, NY, had effects she never could have imagined. Though Troop 6000 had a rough start--the shelter's byzantine rules limited options for meeting space and other shelter parents were initially reluctant to help--it soon gained more members and national attention, leading to an expansion of the program into shelters throughout the city and the United States. Fame and TV interviews didn't solve all problems, however, and journalist Stewart gives significant weight to the difficulties of Burgess and the troop's founding members as they attempt to navigate their way through and out of the shelter system. VERDICT Effective as a feel-good account of family and community working against adversity and the benefits of Scouting for girls and their parents, the book is equally valuable for its intimate views of homelessness and its day-to-day effects.--Kathleen McCallister, William & Mary Libs., Williamsburg, VA

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2020
Giselle Burgess was reluctant to get involved with the Girl Scout troop to which her older two girls, Hailey and Katrina, belonged. She had three younger children to care for, plus a full-time job, and was concerned about finding secure housing. When she did volunteer with the troop, she blossomed into a leader, but her housing woes intensified, and soon the six of them were living in a hotel room in Queens. The strict rules of the makeshift shelter demoralized and dehumanized already-stressed residents, so Giselle started a Girl Scout troop there?the first of its kind?and, in a year, a dozen girls in Queens expanded to several hundred girls in shelters in every borough. Troop 6000 follows that year, and, though it is certainly inspirational, Stewart doesn't shy away from the harsh and often invisible realities of homelessness. The girls go from the highs of TV appearances and free gifts to the lows of carrying their belongings in garbage bags. Readers will be moved by the resilience of Giselle, Hailey, Katrina, and all of the girls and women who come alive on the page.Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)