Book Review: Free Lunch

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ogle, R. (2021). Free lunch. W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN: 1324016949

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

This novel is a memoir detailing Ogle’s sixth grade year trying to fit in a school filled with rich kids. Some of the challenges he faces include financial struggles, domestic violence, not being able to join the football team, and being humiliated because his mom signed him up for the free lunch program. It wasn’t until he finally visited his friend Ethan’s house that he realized that money wasn’t the answer to all problems. At that moment, he realized that being enrolled in a free lunch program wasn’t meant to hurt him but rather to help him.

3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This memoir was amazing! I couldn’t put it down. Written as a memoir, Ogle details his family’s financial struggles and how it impacted his sixth-grade year. Rex describes in detail his trips to the grocery store and how his mom only went shopping on Tuesdays to take advantage of “double coupon” day.  Additionally, he also recalled not having enough money to buy all of the things on his mother’s grocery list and buying brown ground beef because it was only $1.00.  Rex also detailed how humiliated he felt about being enrolled in the free lunch program at school and not wanting his friends to find out. This story is so heart warming and reminds other about real struggles that many face today. In addition to this, this novel also touches on the domestic violence Rex experienced every time his mother was infuriated and would beat him and how he witnesses his mother getting beaten by her boyfriend Sam. This book is so authentic and real. It Rex did such an amazing job of describing his experiences and his feelings during this time in his life. Through his experience, readers can also preview the effects of poverty in America. Reading this book made me so sad because a child shouldn’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from. This novel is a must read! 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Winner of the 2020 YALSA Excellence in YA Nonfiction Award

Starred review in Kirkus Review: “A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism.”

Starred review in School Library Journal: "Heart-wrenching, timely, and beautifully written.”

Starred review in Publishers Weekly: "Bold, compassionate.”

Starred review in Booklist: “Rich in lived experience.”

5. CONNECTIONS

* Engage learners in a discussion the character traits that describe Rex, Rex’s mother, and Sam. Have them create a graphic organizer detailing the different traits that describe these characters along with evidence from their text to support each trait.

* Group students into small groups. Have them things about lingering questions they may still have after reading the book. Ask students to write down the questions and pretend they were going to participate in a Q&A session with the author. Ask them to record a mock Q&A session using Flip and they questions they wrote down. Students will share their finished product with the class.

*Other books by Rex Ogle:

Ogle, R. (2022). Abuela, don’t forget me. Norton Young Readers, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Company.  ISBN:  1324019956

Ogle, R. (2023). Punching bag. Norton Young Readers, an Imprint of W.W. Norton & Company.  ISBN: 132405221X

This review was written for SHSU's MLA course. 

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