I am Sam. Soup Kitchen Kids, #3

Welcome back to the world of the Soup Kitchen Kids - a place where compassion, friendship, and community come together in the heart of a small Northern Ontario city. In I Am Sam, Pippa, Tawny, and Markus spend their days around the local soup kitchen, a safe haven for families, neighbours, and people who need a helping hand. Life in their downtown neighbourhood is full of colourful personalities, laughter, challenges, and unforgettable adventures.
But everything changes when the kids notice a mysterious stranger sitting with Miss Mary, an elderly woman everyone in the neighbourhood protects and cares about. The stranger calls themself Sam. At first, the children are confused. Sam dresses differently, speaks differently, and seems connected to Miss Mary in ways nobody understands. As the kids begin asking questions and uncovering the truth, they are introduced to deeper lessons about identity, acceptance, compassion, and what it truly means to see someone for who they are inside. Told through the honest and curious voice of young Pippa, I Am Sam tackles important real-world topics with warmth, humour, and sensitivity.
The story gently explores poverty, foster care, mental health, community support, and gender identity in a way that encourages empathy and open conversation for young readers. Filled with memorable characters, emotional moments, and the strong sense of hope that defines the Soup Kitchen Kids series, I Am Sam is a touching middle-grade novel about learning to understand one another and discovering that every person deserves kindness, dignity, and a place to belong.