Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

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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