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\nYou&rsquo\;re invi ted to join us online with award-winning author Rex Ogle as he talks to vi ewers about his struggles to navigate sixth grade as written about in his book \;Free Lunch. \;
\nInstead of giving him lunch money\, Rex&rsquo\;s mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district\, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind hi m as he tries to explain to the cashier that he&rsquo\;s on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing\, so Rex has to shout.
\nFree Lunch \;is the story of Rex&rsquo\;s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade&mdash\;who to sit with\, not being able to join the football team\, Halloween in a handmade costume\, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he&rsquo\;s trouble&mdas h\;all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. His mom and her boyfriend are out of work\, and life at home is punctuated by outbursts of violence. Halfway through the semester\, his family is evicted and ends u p in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at t he end of last period every day until the buses have left\, so no one will see where he lives.
\nUnsparing and realistic\, \;Free Lunch&nb sp\;is a story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace. Rex&rs quo\;s voice is compelling and authentic\, and \;Free Lunch \;is a true\, timely\, and essential work that illuminates the lived experience of poverty in America. Register now to join the conversation!
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