Free Lunch by Rex Ogle
Bibliography
Ogle, R. (2021). Free Lunch. W. W. Norton, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1324016946.
Summary
Rex and his family have been faced with a huge obstacle…poverty and Rex experiences it firsthand. Rex is seen as the main caregiver for his brother and is in charge of cooking for his family. When Rex starts his first day of sixth grade, he suddenly realizes he needs money for lunch, but is told that he is part of the Free Lunch Program and doesn’t need any this year. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district where fitting in is the most important thing to the other kids, Rex soon finds himself being an outcast.
Critical Analysis
This text pointed out the public shaming many children have to endure to receive their free lunch. Many families receive government assistance and some programs seem to be designed to humiliate them. Rex Ogle’s storyline is inspiring on many different levels such as the anxieties of being in middle school, taking responsibility for younger siblings, having adult chores, abuse, and living in poverty. He does not hold back from painting a realistic picture of his childhood. Even though the book is an easy read and engaging from beginning to end, there is some inappropriate language throughout the book that may not be appropriate for young readers. Readers will gain new perspectives and understandings of what many children face on a daily basis living in financially challenging circumstances.
Strengths/Weaknesses
-illuminates the livid experience of poverty in America
-memoir
-narrated by Rex himself
-honest and realistic
-shows how poverty affects families
-some racist slurs
-exposes the reader to physical and verbal abuse
Connections
Theme: hardships, hope, poverty, determination, overcoming adversity
Award: Winner of the 2020 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award
Discussion Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DI6kdIdzG0WwLnzbdebgLSddMnbXq-L5/view?usp=sharing
Other Books Written by Rex Ogle:
Punching Bag
The Supernatural Society
Personal Review
Rex Olge’s story is heartbreaking on many levels and touches on many topics that are hard to discuss, but important to be aware of. This is a book that I could not put down and was able to finish in one day. Hearing his story, allowed me to put my own life in perspective and gain a new understanding of what many children have to go through even though my experiences were very different.
Reader Reviews
Mark R. Sikes-November 12, 2019
I was completely moved, inspired, and humbled by this story. There are moments where I cried, others where I smiled, but mostly my heart just grew and grew. For those with first-hand experience with poverty and abuse, Rex's story might make you feel a little less alone in the world. But I think people of all backgrounds will find this relatable and engaging. These issues are reflected thru the lens of common childhood experiences- insecurity, fear, confusion, loss, and hope. Yes indeed—HOPE. As hard as the world gets, little Rex maintains the strength to find his way in this heart-breaking world. A lesson on surviving life's obstacles, no matter how difficult they may be.
Nogie-September 9, 2020
Free Lunch is a wonderful novella for teens. The storyline is inspiring on so many levels -- not just what it's like to be on free/reduced lunch and the many anxieties of being in middle school; but also brooches subjects such as taking responsibility for younger siblings, enduring abuse in the home, and living in poverty. It's an easy read, but the higher levels of inferencing will keep the advanced reader entertained.
Suzie Moss-September 18, 2019
Both my 11-year-old son and I read the book and enjoyed it. There are some hard truths in the book, but the author handles them with grace and relatability. The book is engaging from beginning to end and related to my son's important life lessons, from hunger to family struggles to financial instability. Parents will enjoy the book, however, I think it’s an important read for youth, both those who have similar experiences, to know they aren’t alone, and those who have not, so they can gain new perspective and understanding. Highly recommended!
Review Excerpt
Kirkus Reviews starred (July 1, 2019)
Recounting his childhood experiences in sixth grade, Ogle’s memoir chronicles the punishing consequences of poverty and violence on himself and his family. The start of middle school brings about unwanted changes in young Rex’s life. His old friendships devolve as his school friends join the football team and slowly edge him out. His new English teacher discriminates against him due to his dark skin (Rex is biracial, with a white absentee dad and a Mexican mom) and secondhand clothes, both too large and too small. Seemingly worse, his mom enrolls him in the school’s free-lunch program, much to his embarrassment. “Now everyone knows I’m nothing but trailer trash.” His painful home life proffers little sanctuary thanks to his mom, who swings from occasional caregiver to violent tyrant at the slightest provocation, and his white stepdad, an abusive racist whose aggression outrivals that of Rex’s mom. Balancing the persistent flashes of brutality, Ogle magnificently includes sprouts of hope, whether it’s the beginnings of a friendship with a “weird” schoolmate, joyful moments with his younger brother, or lessons of perseverance from Abuela. These slivers of relative levity counteract the toxic relationship between young Rex, a boy prone to heated outbursts and suppressed feelings, and his mother, a fully three-dimensional character who’s viciously thrashing against the burden of poverty. It’s a fine balance carried by the author’s outstanding, gracious writing and a clear eye for the penetrating truth. A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism. (author’s note, author Q&A, discussion guide, writing guide, resources) (Memoir. 9-12)
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
Bibliography
Hoose, P. (2010). Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. Square Fish. ISBN 978-0312661052.
Summary
Claudette Colvin is a teenager who is tired of the injustices of the Jim Crow segregation and just like Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white woman in Montgomery, Alabama. She soon found herself being outcasted by her classmates and leaders in the community. After a year, she challenged segregation as a plaintiff in Browder v. Gayle. In this informational text, we learn about an important unknown civil rights figure and her role in the Montgomery bus boycott that changed the course of American history.
Critical Analysis
Phillip Hoose does an excellent job in writing about a true hero, Claudette Colvin, during the Jim Crow segregation and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The book is based on fourteen interviews with Colvin, four interviews with her lawyer, and other interviews with other key characters. The book is organized by ten chapters that are in chronological order from Colvin’s childhood to the violent aftermath in 1957. Growing up, I have not heard about Claudette Colvin and am grateful that this was one of the books on the list to read. Hoose wrote about Colvin’s part in the bus boycott and the struggle she faced afterward. Hoose provides both background information about the Civil Rights Movements as well as shares Claudette Colvin’s story which led to a change in American history for African Americans. This is a story from the past that applies today, especially during the Black Live Matters demonstrations across the world to eliminate racial discrimination. At the end of the book, Hoose includes a note explaining how he first came across the name of Claudette Colvin and how the book about her was eventually created. This story will inspire you to read more about the American Civil Rights era and how it has affected our history for many.
Strengths/Weaknesses
-part memoir, part historical account
-includes bibliographical references and index
-nineteen separate sidebars which offer information about specific topics and events
-every statement that is based on a written source is documented with a reference in the notes
-in each chapter, a paragraph in which Claudette Colvin is speaking in the first person alternates with one or several paragraphs in which Phillip Hoose is writing in the third person
-text alternates between Claudette’s own words and the author’s explanations of background figures and events
-includes some primary documents: arrest records and newspaper articles
Connections
Theme: bullying, overcoming adversity, racial discrimination, prejudice
Awards: National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature, Newbery Honor Book, YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist, Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
Other Books Written by Phillip Hoose:
We Were There, Too!: Young People in U.S. History
It’s Our World, Too! Young People Who Are Making a Difference
The Race to Save the Lord God Bird
Personal Review
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Claudette Colvin’s story and found myself learning something new. I am not big on history, but I never knew who she was until now. Phillip Hoose did a great job of getting the full story out to let us know who was the real pioneer of the civil rights movement. The author includes several black and white pictures depicting the south of the 1950s and current photos of Claudette Colvin. Anyone who enjoys reading nonfiction, I highly recommend this book about a courageous female who helps us understand past events so they are not repeated.
Reader Reviews
Brittany-December 28, 2013
This book tells the true story of a civil rights hero who was never given her credit. It's extremely engaging. The book provides both background information about the general context of the Civil Rights Movement, while also delving into Claudette Colvin's story. It's very difficult to find texts related to this topic at a middle school level, and this one is perfect!
Hornplayer-January 26, 2020
What we've been taught in history class is wrong. This book gives an up-close and honest view of what went on behind the scenes of the Montgomery, AL bus boycott of 1955. First, Rosa Parks was not the first person to refuse to give up her seat to a white passenger; hint, she wasn't the second either. This book gives an account of how Claudette Colvin, a teenager, refused to give up her seat and how Rosa Parks, not Claudette, became the face of the NAACP during the bus boycott. The book offers historical accounts of what happened, along with Claudette Colvin's own words and impressions. This book is a must-have for any history lover's collection. It is brief and to the point; it took me two days to read it.
Library Lady-June 19, 2021
Everyone has probably heard of Rosa Park’s brave stance against segregation. However, Claudette Colvin, who first refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, has been sadly overlooked. This is her powerful story of courage and determination. She paved the way, at great personal cost, for those of us who came after her. Thank you, Ms. Colvin. May God forever bless and keep you.
Review Excerpt
Booklist starred (February 1, 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 11))
Grades 7-12. Nine months before Rosa Parks’ history-making protest on a city bus, Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old Montgomery, Alabama, high-school student, was arrested and jailed for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. Hoose draws from numerous personal interviews with Colvin in this exceptional title that is a part historical account, part memoir. Hoose’s lucid explanations of background figures and events alternate with lengthy passages in Colvin’s own words, and the mix of voices creates a comprehensive view of the Montgomery bus boycott and the landmark court case, Browder v. Gayle, that grew from it. At the center of the headline-grabbing turmoil is teenager Colvin, who became pregnant during the boycott; and her frank, candid words about both her personal and political experiences will galvanize young readers. On each attractively designed spread, text boxes and archival images, including photos and reproduced documents, extend the gripping story. As in Hoose’s We Were There, Too! Young People in U.S. History (2001), this inspiring title shows the incredible difference that a single young person can make, even as it demonstrates the multitude of interconnected lives that create and sustain a political movement. Thorough chapter notes and suggestions for further reading close this title, which will find an avid readership beyond the classroom.
Kirkus Reviews (January 15, 2009)
Claudette Colvin's story will be new to most readers. A teenager in the 1950s, Colvin was the first African-American to refuse to give up her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Ala. Although she later participated with four other women in the court case that effectively ended segregated bus service, it is Rosa Parks's action that became the celebrated event of the bus boycott. Hoose's frank examination of Colvin's life includes sizable passages in her own words, allowing readers to learn about the events of the time from a unique and personal perspective. The sequence of events unfolds clearly, with its large cast of characters distinctly delineated. Period photographs and reprints of newspaper articles effectively evoke the tenor of the times. Both Colvin and the author speculate that it was Colvin's unplanned (and unwed) pregnancy that prevented her from being embraced as the face of the Civil Rights movement. Her commitment to combating injustice, however, was unaffected, and she remains an inspiring figure whom contemporary readers will be pleased to discover. (notes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 12 & up)
Jane Against the World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights by Karen Blumenthal
Bibliography
Blumenthal, K. (2022). Jane Against the World: Roe V. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights. Square Fish. ISBN 978-1250820600.
Summary
Karen Blumenthal examines the root causes of the current debate around abortion and its repercussions that have ripped through generations of American women. This book takes a look at the history of abortion rights in the United States from the 19th century to the case of Roe v. Wade.
Critical Analysis
Blumenthal takes us through the court process, the appeals, and the current debate around abortion and the implications for women to have control over their own bodies. She takes us back to where a woman's right to choose was denied and how many sought illegal abortions from anyone who was offering them. Due to this many women were injured or died during the process. Karen Blumenthal incorporates well-chosen case studies and ‘Pregnant Pauses’ which share charts reporting the historic trend of deaths related to abortion or the changing positions of major religious groups. She also discusses the consequences including social pressures and media that many faced with trying to obtain abortions.
Strengths/Weaknesses
-controversies on the Right to Life and Pro-Choice
-well researched
-provides historical context
-takes us through the court process and appeals
-includes a glossary and timeline of the historic fight for women’s freedom
-paints a clear picture of the past, present, and future
-includes pictures and statistics
-written in clear language
Connections
Other Books Written by Karen Blumenthal:
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different: A Biography
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition
Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend
Personal Review
I chose this book due to someone I know having to decide to medically terminate, keep the pregnancy, or give up for adoption. I was eager to learn more about the world before Roe v. Wade and how many women sought abortions illegally and risked their own lives. This book helped me understand the history of the ongoing controversies between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. This is a great read to facilitate difficult discussions and awareness on a topic that is not touched on in schools.
Reader Reviews
TMK-April 16, 2020
If you are looking for a book to understand the history of the ongoing controversies between the Right to Life and Pro-Choice Movements, this is an excellent source. The book is well researched and includes interesting details and vignettes of the various participants by providing the historical context which led to the District Courts and Supreme Court’s rulings and deliberations surrounding and including Roe v Wade. it is also both timely and a page-turner!
Challenges to overturn “Roe” will be presented this fall before a Supreme Court, which many see as poised to overturn or further restrict the precedent of choice provided in this landmark decision. It is a good time for all of us to reflect upon and discuss the consequences if the Court further restricts or refuses to follow its prior decisions.
Authors Show Linda-April 14, 2020
I well remember when Roe v. Wade became the law of the land. Prior to that, we have no idea how many women died or were forever changed by back-alley illegal abortions. Roe v Wade gave women the right to make decisions governing their own bodies – decisions that were previously controlled by religious and/or cultural traditions. In Jane Against the World, Blumenthal provides young adult readers with the history and background leading up to this historic Supreme Court decision; she takes us through the court process, and the appeals and progresses to where we are today. It’s almost as if we’re going back in time where the old white men and religious zealots want to deny a woman’s right to choose. This is an emotional fight and fight we will. At the end of Jane Against the World, Karen includes a glossary and a timeline of this historic fight for a woman’s freedom. I urge every young woman to read this book to gain a clear and true picture of the past, the present, and what may happen in the future if we don’t continue the fight.
Anna DeForest-July 19, 2020
Karen Blumenthal has crafted a brilliant and topical history of the fight for reproductive rights in this country and the landmark case Roe v. Wade. In balanced and straightforward language, Blumenthal explores the current debate around abortion and its implications for women’s control over their bodies. Although this book was intended for high schoolers, I think adults would appreciate it as well. The pictures are fascinating, as are just the right amount of startling statistics and the clever “pregnant pause” sections.
Review Excerpt
Booklist starred (February 15, 2020 (Vol. 116, No. 12))
Grades 8-12. Though it doesn’t seem like a radical thought, a woman’s right to decide what happens to her own body, her pregnancy, and her reproductive organs has been a centuries-long debate in the U.S. In her latest work of nonfiction for young adults, Sibert-nominated Blumenthal (Six Days in October, 2002) plunges headfirst into the murky waters surrounding not just the complex history of the Roe v. Wade landmark case, but of the century in American history that led to the ruling. In measured but powerful chapters, she lays out the facts, diving into the restrictions—and shady medical practices—surrounding not only abortion but birth control, sterilization, and sexual education. In highlighting key figures, Blumenthal is clear to distinguish important work from darker histories—she doesn’t leave out Margaret Sanger’s association with the eugenics movement—offering a full picture of a complicated issue. She lingers, too, on the uneasy future of Roe v. Wade, a decision that was once thought to be the final word on the subject. But what makes this book a cut above is her enduring recognition that reproductive rights restrictions have always been a way for people in power to further racist, classist agendas. Thoroughly sourced and accompanied by black-and-white photos and “Pregnant Pause” sidebars, this essential guide, which gives voices to vulnerable populations, demands to be heard.
Kirkus Reviews starred (March 1, 2020)
An account of the tumultuous struggle for abortion rights in the United States. Blumenthal kicks off her narrative with a thriller-worthy scene: the 1972 raid by Chicago police on the eponymous “Jane,” an underground abortion referral service. The book then pulls back to offer an engaging history of developments in reproductive rights that contributed to the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Along the way there are brief biographies of key figures—some as famous (or infamous) as Anthony Comstock and Margaret Sanger, some virtually unknown but no less fascinating—placed within a nuanced context and punctuated by “Pregnant Pause[s]”: occasionally humorous, sometimes infuriating, often poignant sketches detailing the history of biological knowledge, birth control techniques, legal issues, popular opinion, and religious proclamations. A deep dive into the circumstances, personalities, deliberations, and compromises involved in Roe v. Wade (along with the frequently overlooked companion cases) takes up a dozen chapters, followed by a brief consideration of the consequences, backlash, and steady succession of laws and court cases chipping away at the decision. An epilogue brings the discussion up to the appointment of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Blumenthal’s bibliography demonstrates the depth of her research, including online, archival, and primary sources. This riveting book, enhanced by historical photographs, also addresses racial bias, the eugenics movement, and other critical related subjects. Gripping reading; is necessary for every library serving teens. (glossary, timeline, significant Supreme Court cases, bibliography, notes) (Nonfiction. 12-18)
