Overview
Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex's mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he's on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex has to shout. Free Lunch is the story of Rex's efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade-who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he's trouble-all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. His mom and her boyfriend are out of work, and life at home is punctuated by outbursts of violence. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period every day until the buses have left, so no one will see where he lives. Unsparing and realistic, Free Lunch is a story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace. Rex's voice is compelling and authentic, and Free Lunch is a true, timely, and essential work that illuminates the lived experience of poverty in America.
Full Product Details
Author: Rex Ogle
Publisher: WW Norton & Co
Imprint: WW Norton & Co
Dimensions:
Width: 14.00cm
, Height: 1.50cm
, Length: 21.10cm
Weight: 0.186kg
ISBN: 9781324016946
ISBN 10: 1324016949
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 15 October 2021
Recommended Age: From 10 to 14 years
Audience:
Children/juvenile
,
Children / Juvenile
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
What an amazing book. I don't think I have been that affected by a book since I read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas... -- Mary-Brigid Turner, Hodges Figgis Children's Department A memoir of Ogle's own childhood, this is a searing look at the lived experience of poverty in America, written with grace, humour and honesty. In 6th grade, Rex's mum signs him up for the free meal programme, much to his embarrassment. But his intelligen -- 50 best books of 2019 for children from babies to teens - The Irish Independent This book highlights the reality of being poor in the US. -- Natasha Harding - The Sun
"""What an amazing book. I don't think I have been that affected by a book since I read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas…"" -- Mary-Brigid Turner, Hodges Figgis Children's Department ""A memoir of Ogle's own childhood, this is a searing look at the lived experience of poverty in America, written with grace, humour and honesty. In 6th grade, Rex's mum signs him up for the free meal programme, much to his embarrassment. But his intelligence and love of learning help him survive his chaotic home life. Highly recommended. Age 13+"" -- 50 best books of 2019 for children from babies to teens - The Irish Independent ""This book highlights the reality of being poor in the US."" -- Natasha Harding - The Sun"
What an amazing book. I don't think I have been that affected by a book since I read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas... -- Mary-Brigid Turner, Hodges Figgis Children's Department A memoir of Ogle's own childhood, this is a searing look at the lived experience of poverty in America, written with grace, humour and honesty. In 6th grade, Rex's mum signs him up for the free meal programme, much to his embarrassment. But his intelligence and love of learning help him survive his chaotic home life. Highly recommended. Age 13+ -- 50 best books of 2019 for children from babies to teens - The Irish Independent This book highlights the reality of being poor in the US. -- Natasha Harding - The Sun
Author Information
Rex Ogle is the author of Free Lunch, which won the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award; Abuela Don’t Forget Me, a finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award; Punching Bag; and the novel >When We Ride. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
