 | |
| Author | Rex Ogle |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Childhood poverty, Poverty in the United States |
| Genre | Middle grade, Memoir |
| Publisher | Norton Young Readers |
Publication date | September 10, 2019 |
| Media type | Print, Audio |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 9781324016946 |
Free Lunch is a middle-grade memoir by Rex Ogle, published September 10, 2019, by Norton Young Readers. The book follows Ogle's middle school experience of being "a poor kid in a wealthy school district." [1]
Free Lunch is a Junior Library Guild selection [2] and was generally well-received, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, [3] Publishers Weekly , [4] and School Library Journal. [5]
Kirkus Reviews called the book "A mighty portrait of poverty amid cruelty and optimism." [6] Publishers Weekly applauded how Ogle "captures the experience of chronic poverty in the United States." [4] They continued, stating that while "Ogle doesn’t shy away from the circumstances ... there is no shortage of humor, human kindness, and kid hijinks." [4]
The Chicago Public Library [7] and Kirkus Reviews [8] named Free Lunch one of the best middle grade children's books of 2019.
| Year | Award/Honor | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award | Winner | [9] |
| 2022 | Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award | Nominee | [10] |
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