Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

 

Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

Ogle, R. (2020). Free lunch. Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9781324003601

🚨Content warning: physical, emotional, and mental abuse, food shaming, vulgar language, domestic violence🚨

         Free Lunch is a memoir by Rex Ogle that narrates the story of when Rex was in 6th grade on the free lunch program.  We get insight into his life as a low-income student in a high-income area, where his family life isn't what you expect.  We see the struggles that Rex had to face at a young age in this heartbreaking but necessary read.

          Your heart will ache for Rex and all the struggles he faced at a young age, especially when you consider the fact that this book is based on his life.  The sad reality is that all across America, there are families going through this exact struggle, and that is something that is not talked about enough.  In the book, Rex talks about moving from place to place and his home not having any furniture, and Rex even describes having to sleep in a sleeping bag because his family can't afford to buy a mattress for him.  In addition, Rex lives in a physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive household where his mother and stepfather see him as nothing but a burden and a babysitter for his little brother. We see Rex struggle to keep his friends when he isn't allowed to join the football team, watch as he has to remind the lunch lady every time that he is on the Free Lunch program, which is a source of embarrassment for him, and see Rex having to deal with a racist teacher.  

Reading this novel was especially difficult because I work in an area where many students come from low-income families and may live in similar conditions.  Thankfully though, there is no shame where I work about the free lunch program because every student in the district receives free lunch, so every child has a chance to get a breakfast and lunch meal, with no regard to how much money their family may make.  My district even goes as far as offering free breakfast and lunch during the summer when many families count on their children going to school to get their meals there.  

Rex Ogle was clearly able to portray the struggles that were portrayed in the book, and it is a necessary read that everyone, teachers and librarians especially,  should pick up at least once.  Reading Free Lunch will provide insight as to what some students and families may be going through, and reading it can help destigmatize the negativity around the free lunch program.  As educators, we do not always know what a child is going through, and Free Lunch provides some insight into what is the reality for many children across the United States.  Ultimately, if a child needs to eat, they need to eat, whether it be through programs like the free lunch program or other methods.  The book does end on a happier note with Rex maturing, him confronting his racist teacher,  becoming better friends with his best friend, and Rex's parents being able to get a job, thus allowing them to have a stable income. The one thing I disliked about Free Lunch is how the abuse was so apparent, but nothing was done about it.  The author fails to mention if it ever stopped or got better.  The book was a quick and easy read that kept you wanting to read more.

Eating lunch and breakfast at school should be a right and not something you are ashamed of, regardless of how you got the food.  If you or someone you know is struggling with food insecurity, I encourage you to look at the National School Lunch Sheet here.  In addition, you can find more help for your specific state here, which can help you get more information about the programs and how to apply for the area you live in.

Kirkus Reviews calls Free Lunch "A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism."  Tasha Saecker is the Assistant Director for the Appleton Public Library and calls Free Lunch "profoundly honest and full of heart." Fans of Rex Ogle's writing should read Punching Bag by Rex Ogle, Auggie and Me: Three Wonder Stories by RJ Palacio, and The Crossover by Kwame Alexander.

Awards and recognition:

Winner of the 2020 YALSA Excellence in Young Adule Nonfiction Award

Sources

         FNS contacts. Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.-a). https://www.fns.usda.gov/fns-contacts?page=14

         National School Lunch Program (NSLP) fact sheet. Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/nslp-fact-sheet

        Ogle, R. (2020). Free lunch. Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9781324003601

          Ogle, R. (2019, September 10). Free lunch. Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rex-ogle/free-lunch-ogle/

        Saecker, T. (2019, August 28). Review: Free lunch by Rex Ogle. Waking Brain Cells. https://wakingbraincells.com/2019/09/18/review-free-lunch-by-rex-ogle/