This book was amazing! It should be part of every grade six curriculum. I can't wait for it to come out, so I can get my eleven year old a copy. Rex is a strong character, and I was able to relate with him throughout the entire novel. This is definitely my #1 read of the year.

You will NOT be able to put this book down! In this incredibly well-written memoir, author Rex Ogle shares his difficult upbringing in a way that middle grade students will be able to relate to without being overly graphic or harsh. Students who struggle with their inner emotions dealing with abuse and poverty will be validated that they are not alone dealing with these emotions. Ogle’s narrative shares a period of time what he wants most are new shoes and a lunch from home. As he shares this time in his life, you wonder how it will ever get better; you keep reading to see if it does.

Rex Ogle's book takes a while to catch, but once it does it doesn't let you go. At first I felt like Rex focused too much of his narration on food, then I realized that's the point. When you're struggling to have food, food is all you can think about. Right about at that point, the narrative breaks out wider than being about just not having food, if that makes sense. A feature that I find especially interesting about Ogle's book is the lack of redemption for many characters. His mother and step-father, and I guess father as well, don't truly get redemptive moments for what they have done to Rex. I believe that this adds a certain level of sincerity and genuine connection for readers. As a teacher, I also believe that this book would be fantastic for teaching the memoir to middle grade students. It is an excellent read for exploring complex characters and diverse situations.

Heart-breaking and at times hard to read, Free Lunch is a semi-fictionalized memoir of author Rex Ogle's experiences during the first half of sixth grade. Poverty, racism, violence, and mental health issues combine to create an unstable home life for Rex while he simultaneously faces prejudice and humiliation on a daily basis at school. Endnote content suggests a follow up dealing more specifically with his childhood experience of domestic violence at the hands of both his mother and step-father is forthcoming.

A middle school novel that follows Rex Ogle's entry into middle school. This memoir is difficult to read at times because it is so real. The sixth grader feels like he’s the only one with experiencing hopeless or embarrassing situations on a daily basis. However, among the heart-breaking, gut-wrenching moments, there are glimmers of hope. Rex’s resiliency comes to the forefront and is an inspiration for a variety of readers, including students, teachers, and parents.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of Free Lunch by Rex Ogle. This was a difficult book to read. We don't always realize the struggles students are going through in their daily lives. Thank you Rex for sharing your story.