Description
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.
About the Author
Rex Ogle is the author of Free Lunch, recipient of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. His original graphic novel series, Four Eyes, is based on the highs and lows of his middle-school years growing up in Texas. Under the pen name Rey Terciero, he authored Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as well as Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms. Before becoming a full-time writer, Rex worked as an editor in New York for many years and championed a number of licensed titles, including the New York Times bestsellers Star Wars: Jedi Academy, Secret Hero Society: Study Hall of Justice, and Neil Patrick Harris's The Magic Misfits. Rex now writes full time from his home in California. When he's not busy writing, Rex can be found hiking with his dog, playing Mario Kart with his friends, or reading a new favorite book. Learn more about Rex at rexogle.com.
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