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I can‘t remember where I got the recommendation for this book. This was a very eye opening perspective of poverty for children. What‘s it‘s like to be a kid who is so poor they can‘t afford food and still trying to fit in with friends and be a good human and not feel shame. It‘s a very quick read.

Great Story… based on the author‘s real life. This story really pulls at your heart strings. Makes me appreciate everything I have. A must read.

I‘m about 3/4 of the way through… the book is written from the perspective of a 6th grader so the writing is really simple but gut wrenching. Obviously there‘s a lot of talk of food insecurity, and I just got done with a pivotal point that just broke me!! I don‘t think I‘ve ever cried this hard after reading a chapter!! Agh 😰 this book is too much for my heart.

Here we go. Hoping this is a quick read.

Sweet story.

When Rex starts middle school, lunch becomes a time of embarrassment & shame: for the first time he‘s in the free lunch program.His life is dictated by poverty, experiencing & witnessing abuse: his mother beats him, her boyfriend beats her.Somehow he manages to stay out of trouble,control his own anger &frustration,make smart choices.Great character development & storytelling! Wonderful book. Loved it

Within 2 pages, I hated this book. The mom was so detestable. I had to pause. Eventually, I came back to it, got disgusted, and stopped reading again. I didn't think I'd pick it back up, but I recalled it had good reviews, and I was intrigued. I didn't know it was a true story! Knowing it was all true somehow redeemed it. It's a tough read. Middle school kids love this stuff. Sometimes, I forget I'm not the intended audience.

Another important book in which we encounter representation for any kids living below the poverty line. Rex is embarrassed because he has to announce each day that he qualifies for free lunch. At times, this is the least of his worries due to the cruelty and neglect he experiences at the hands of his parents. This book is difficult to read as a result. I don‘t think I will be reading this to my class but It should be available on the bookshelf.

Omg the synopsis broke my heart!

2️⃣• Em‘s Favorite 2020 YA reads • This year has been not only a year of struggles, but growth as well. Teaching in a Pandemic, helping students heal during said Pandemic, educating myself with current issues and continuing with MLS Grad courses has made for an exhausting year, but one I wouldn‘t trade for anything.

I appreciated this book and I think it shares an important story. It would be good for students who feel alone in their own difficult situations and good for students who need to see a different perspective from their own. However, I did feel it wrapped up to neatly at the end with Rex being the one to mature, and the parents claiming all the problems were now solved due to having jobs.

#MiddleGrade #Nonfiction #Memoir #TRS2020

This was a quick and worthwhile read. Ogle‘s memoir about his own time in middle school focuses on the poverty and abuse he went through. I‘ve been listening to his latest project, Aiden Tyler, Quaran-Teen. The MC in that is also poor and gets bullied, but the family is much more loving. It has been interesting to experience these two stories together.

This needs to be a required reading. Teachers, parents, librarians, students... EVERYONE. This autobiography is so powerful, and needed. Poverty is in America- 1 in 5 children under 18 experience poverty. Rex‘s story of poverty, homelessness, abuse, and going without food is what so many children go through on a daily basis, and his story shares the daily struggles of so many of America‘s children. PLEASE PLEASE read this book.

The author of Free Lunch, Rex Ogle, has been writing a middle grade novel in real time called Aiden Tyler, Quaran-Teen. It's about kid quarantined at home with his family. Ogle works in ideas readers have submitted-often things they are experiencing themselves. He reads live every Tuesday afternoon and does Q&A sessions. I am fascinated by this guy's writing process right now.

This book is a must read even though it is a middle school level book. Rex Ogle tells his own story growing up in poverty as a middle schooler. He really emphasizes the isolation you feel in poverty and the embarrassment of the stigma. This is a book that everyone should read to create empathy for those experiencing poverty!

#MiddleGradeMarch #OverbookedClub @Peddler410 @thegirlwiththelibrarybag @Cupcake12 @rubyslippersreads @erzascarletbookgasm @LibrarianRyan @Sace @SaturnDoo @dwRavenPuff @amber_ldsmom @ravenlee @Butterfinger @Roary47 @BookishMe @JenniferTapler @AmyK1 @AsYouWish @megnews @Nute @hes7 @TheBookHippie @Johanna414

#MiddleGradeMarch #currentlyReading

Well written book. The short snippets of his childhood were sad. I read it in one sitting.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It took me awhile to get through this #middlegrademarch #readalong, I think because it was just so emotionally charged. I‘m making my 8th grader read this. 4 stars only because I think I‘m just not a huge fan of middle grade writing. I do recommend this for all tweens and teens!

Despite my best attempts to keep my normal schedule, sleep eluded me tonight, so I started reading this....and then finished it. This memoir tackles the overwhelming emotions about being poor: the stigma of being on free lunch in middle school, caring for younger siblings so parents can work, the inability to afford school supplies. Very sobering, and a definite rec for my Children's Lit students.

It hurt to read the struggles of our author when he was younger. As you read on it helps you appreciate the small moments, what you have, and even with struggles who your family is. I really enjoyed this one and so glad Rex Ogle shared his story. I‘m sure it will help others to see another side to our economy or know they are not alone.

#CurrentlyReading Finally getting started on this one! It‘s been a crazy week+ (I‘m a healthcare provider, so, yeah. We also cancelled our Spring Break trip to the mainland next week) without much reading getting done, but I‘m home for the next 10 days and hoping to mark several books, including this one, off my list! #MiddleGradeMarch

Wishing I had more time to read, but finally about halfway through!
#MiddlegradeMarch

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl
#MiddleGradeMarch

Wow! That first chapter just hits you right in the gut. Definitely a hard book to read. #MiddleGradeMarch

It broke my heart. It took me back to a time I try not to remember. As Rex, I blamed my troubles on being poor. As an adult, I know my parents needed help so they wouldn't take their frustration out with a belt. As a teacher, I need to be reminded that children don't come to school intending to be trouble. They are living and surviving one day at a time. I'm so glad that Rex and his family were able to have good times together. #middlegrademarch

This book is so GOOD! The story is heartbreaking. Stories of abuse are really difficult to read, but this one is told very well. Rex‘s genuine sorrow over hurting his classmate‘s feelings over her Halloween costume reminded me, oppositely, of this quote from “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn:” “They learned no compassion from their own anguish, thus their suffering was wasted.” (That was a punctuation disaster! Sorry.) #overbookedclub

My March Book Haul. ☘️🍀

#OverbookedClub #MiddleGradeMarch Book 4
A heart-wrenching tale of poverty and abuse. The true story of Rex Ogle is an important one. I can't wait for our discussion. @Johanna414 @TheBookHippie @Peddler410 @JenniferTapler @Nute @AmyK1 @BookishMe @Butterfinger @Sace @megnews @Cupcake12 @Roary47 @dwRavenPuff @ravenlee @SaturnDoo @amber_ldsmom @LibrarianRyan @rubyslippersreads @erzascarletbookgasm @thegirlwiththelibrarybag

That was a really tough read. Honest. Straightforward. Very well done. I think it would be a help to children growing up in poverty or similar tough situations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#MiddleGradeMarch #OverBookedClub

#MiddleGradeMarch #OverBookedClub

😢

#MiddleGradeMarch #OverBookedClub

😢

#MiddleGradeMarch #OverBookedClub

First book done for March is for #OverBookedClub #MiddleGradeMarch for the readalong.

This went fast but is far from an easy read. So many passages made me feel queasy. I hate that this is true, and unfortunately not uncommon. Discussion should be good.

@megnews @sblbooks

😢 This kid is too young to feel this way. I want to reach through the pages and give him a big hug.

#overbookedclub