The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
When Jo loses her job, unexpectedly, at the milliner's hat shop, she isn't sure what she will do next for employment. After all, she and Old Gin need her wages to help them keep them going. Luckily, they don't have to worry about where they live, since they have been squatting in the basement of a printing shop for all of Jo's life. The owners of the print shop have no idea that Jo and Old Gin have been there for years, but when she hears the owners might have to move, she worries that means the end of their free living space. Jo gets an idea for how she can help the owners of the shop stay in business - by becoming an advice columnist for their paper!
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
