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Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

10/26/2020

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Free Lunch is not an easy read. It is a unflinching and realistic memoir of poverty, abuse, and classism. Ogle first learned of the free lunch program in sixth grade, which is when he first went on it. With his mother and her boyfriend struggling to find regular work, Ogle often took care of his little brother, while navigating his mom's temperamental mood swings, his growling stomach and the scathing looks he received from teachers and students for his ill fitting clothes. When his mother refuses to let him try out for the football team because of the cost, he suddenly find himself without friends as well. However, despite everything that is stacked against him, Ogle manages to stay true to himself. Heart-rending, but poignant, this short memoir is a peek into the life that many of today's children are living. Add it to your list and read it! Recommended for 6th grade and up.

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Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee and Susan McClelland

9/19/2016

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What an incredible story. Sungju Lee was born in North Korea, dreamed of becoming a general in the army, and then had those dreams snatched away. What starts slowly to fall apart quickly turns into a cascade and before he knows it he is alone on the street barely surviving. He is not alone, there are many boys(and girls) living on the streets. Lee and his newly made family of brothers learn to navigate the local markets so they can steal enough to survive. 

While the story is grim in many ways, hope is a beacon that shines throughout the story. Lee never gave up hope. Everyone should read this story to better understand our place within this world. For those of us in democracy it is a reminder of how lucky we are to be able to make our own choices, and to understand that in this climate of hate that seems to be gripping the western world - that we shouldn't believe anything the haters are saying, that it is all propaganda much like the propaganda the North Korean government uses to brainwash its citizens. Recommended for ages 12 and up. 

Adult: 5/5
​YA: 5/5


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