Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

Rex is unfortunate in the "parents" department.  His mom and step dad are unable to hold down jobs, and the family is always on the edge of hunger.  His parents have little patience when he asks for basic necessities like school supplies, and any persistence on his part leads to a beating.  That is how Rex ends up with a black eye on the first day of junior high.  The embarrassment grows when he has to convince the lunch lady that he is on the "free lunch" list.

This is a biography instead of a realistic fiction.  It is pretty raw, and I had to force myself to get through it.  It was super painful when his mother blamed him, and he blamed himself, when his step father beat her.  It was even more painful to read about how the teachers, who should have admired him for doing well in school despite his challenges, instead mistrust him.  It is a
tough read, and riddled with gritty language and circumstances, but it could be a real blessing to a kid going through similar circumstance, or for a teacher to read to better understand disadvantaged students. (2019, 2018 p.)