Module 6 Review - Free Lunch

 

Bibliographic Information

Ogle, Rex. 2019. FREE LUNCH. New York: Norton Young Readers. ISBN: 978-1324003601

Plot Summary

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 outbursts of violence punctuate life at home. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing near the school. Rex lingers at the end of the 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.

Critical Analysis

A story that broke my heart in the best way. In his memoir, Free Lunch, Rex Ogle copes with the difficult complexities of teenagehood, poverty, and dealing with the hand life has given you. This is an unfortunate reality that many children and teens in our country deal with daily, and to those with soft hearts, this will be a harder read. As a mother, the character of Rex’s mom was infuriating to me. No mother should ever treat her child the way this mom does, even though I am sure she had a difficult background as well. She does not strive to give her child a better life, as mothers should. Rex describes his feelings of embarrassment and isolation because of his family’s financial issues; feelings that no child should feel. The running theme of living in poverty affects every part of Rex’s life, from the secondhand clothes he wears to not having food to eat leading to him having to ask for a ‘free lunch’ and the shame that he feels comes with it. 

This book also narrates the complex nature of abusive relationships. Rex wants to earn his mother’s approval and love, even though he is verbally and physically abused. Multiple times throughout the novel I found myself wanting to give little Rex a big hug and let him know that everything will be okay, even though he is living a life that I couldn’t ever imagine. Free Lunch gives a unique perspective of living a hard life, while still remaining true to the person you are. It is a story of hope and resilience. He tries to stay positive and hopes for a better future. The book gives readers a chance to understand what it's like to grow up in poverty and invites them to think about how schools and society can be more understanding and supportive of students facing similar struggles. Free Lunch is a powerful story of survival, showing how hard life can be for kids in poverty but also highlighting their strength and courage.

Awards Won & Review Excerpt(s)

*Winner of the 2020 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award.

*"Outstanding, gracious writing and a clear eye for the penetrating truth. A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism." ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

*"With candor and vivid detail, Ogle’s debut captures the experience of chronic poverty in the United States...Ogle’s emotional honesty pays off in the form of complex characterization and a bold, compassionate thesis." ― Publishers Weekly (starred review)

*"Heart-wrenching, timely, and beautifully written, this is a powerful and urgent work." ― School Library Journal (starred review)

Connections

*Listen to the Meet-the-Author Recording with Rex Ogle where he introduces and shares some of the backstory for creating Free Lunch. https://school.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?a=1&a=1&id=18706

*More Moving True Stories from Rex Ogle:

-PUNCHING BAG. ISBN 978-1324052210. The compelling true story of a high school career defined by outbursts of domestic violence at home. Moments of grace and humor act as beacons of light in Rex’s dark struggle against the cycle of violence.

-ROAD HOME. ISBN 978-1324019923. The summer before he graduates high school, Rex is kicked out of his home for being gay, and he ends up on the streets. His reflection on his hunger—for food, for love, and a home—completes his trilogy of moving memoirs.

-ABUELA, DON’T FORGET ME. ISBN 978-1324019954. Throughout a childhood marked by violence, Abuela’s red-brick house offered Rex the possibility of home. Rex honors Abuela’s legacy in this poetry collection as a pillar of comfort, safety, and love.