Request #147

 I am searching for the title of a book I read as a child but I don’t have much to go on. I probably checked it out from the school or local library, in the mid-late 80s. There was a juvenile (older child or young teen) main character who I think had a tough home life and wanted to run away from home. They put together a stick and bandana rig or had a knapsack (I’m not sure which), gathered some things from home, and then ran away. Items they took with them included a loaf of bread and some change (dimes stick out in my mind for some reason, and they were calculating how long they could make their money last). I also remember something about canned goods, and for some reason there were a few cans without labels, which were thought of as surprise meals. I don’t remember much else from the book. I might be mixing up books here, but the character may have been on the cross-country team. Suggestions: The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner  or  Homecoming by Cynthia Voight