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Illuminating Hope and Grace in the Face of Hardship

with Rex Ogle (5th-8th Grade)

2025-07-23 16:00:00 2025-07-23 16:45:00 America/New_York Illuminating Hope and Grace in the Face of Hardship You’re invited to join us online with award-winning author Rex Ogle as he talks to viewers about his struggles to navigate sixth grade as written about in his book Free Lunch. Virtual - Virtual

Wednesday, July 23
4:00pm - 4:45pm

Add to Calendar 2025-07-23 16:00:00 2025-07-23 16:45:00 America/New_York Illuminating Hope and Grace in the Face of Hardship You’re invited to join us online with award-winning author Rex Ogle as he talks to viewers about his struggles to navigate sixth grade as written about in his book Free Lunch. Virtual - Virtual

Virtual

Virtual

You’re invited to join us online with award-winning author Rex Ogle as he talks to viewers about his struggles to navigate sixth grade as written about in his book Free Lunch.

Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex’s mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he’s on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex has to shout.

Free Lunch is the story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade—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’s trouble—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 up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period every day until the buses have left, so no one will see where he lives.

Unsparing and realistic, Free Lunch is a story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace. Rex’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!

About the Author: Rex Ogle is the author of Free Lunch, winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award; Punching Bag, a New York Public Library Best Book; Abuela Don’t Forget Me, finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award; and Road Home, which received a Printz Honor and a Stonewall Book Award Honor. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of Duncan Library and the Friends of Beatley Central Library.

Upcoming and previously broadcast author talks can be viewed here.

AGE GROUP: | Teens | Children | All Ages |

EVENT TYPE: | Summer Quest | Special Event | Family | Children | Author Talks |

TAGS: | |

Virtual


Hours
Mon, Jun 23 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Jun 24 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Jun 25 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Jun 26 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Jun 27 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, Jun 28 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Jun 29 9:00AM to 5:00PM

About the branch

Upcoming Events

Sat, Jun 28, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Sun, Jun 29, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Mon, Jun 30, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Mon, Jun 30, 12:00pm - 12:30pm
Virtual
Brush up on your digital and media literacy skills to protect yourself with the Be MediaWise Misinformation Resilience Toolkit. Register

Tue, Jul 01, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Wed, Jul 02, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Thu, Jul 03, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Thu, Jul 03, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Zoom
If you love reading short stories, join us for a discussion of the following stories: "How to roll" by Courtney Jones Mitchell and "Kelemo's Woman" by Molara Wood.Register

Fri, Jul 04, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Sat, Jul 05, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Sun, Jul 06, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Mon, Jul 07, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Mon, Jul 07, 12:00pm - 12:30pm
Virtual
Brush up on your digital and media literacy skills to protect yourself with the Be MediaWise Misinformation Resilience Toolkit. Register

Mon, Jul 07, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Zoom
Please join us for a discussion of Sherman Alexie's 2007 young adult novel.

Tue, Jul 08, 2:00pm - 2:30pm
Virtual
Acompaña al autor e ilustrador Raúl the Third mientras nos habla de su libro ¡Vamos! ¡A leer! Conoce a Lobito y sus amigos mientras exploran el Festival del Libro Love de su biblioteca. Register

Tue, Jul 08, 4:00pm - 4:30pm
Virtual
Join author and illustrator Raúl The Third as he discusses his book ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Read!. Meet Little Lobo and friends as they explore their library's Libro Love Book Festival! Register

Tue, Jul 08, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Attention all handcrafters! Join us to share what you are working on, see what others are creating, and just chat while we craft together!Register