Category: Non fiction

Non fiction

Free Lunch

Zoha Siddiqui

“Free Lunch” by Rex Ogle is a biography about Rex who is a poor kid living in a wealthy district. Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex’s mom has signed him up for free meals at school. The wealthier kids always crowd impatiently behind Rex as he tries to explain to the cashier that he is part of the free meal program. Unfortunately for Rex, the lunch lady is hard of hearing and so Rex has to shout. This story is about Rex’s efforts to find his way through his first semester of sixth grade – who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, dealing with classmates and teachers who look at his secondhand clothes and assume he’s all trouble. In addition, his mom and her boyfriend are out of work and Rex’s life at home is filled with outbursts of violence. 

This book is definitely a favorite of mine! It moved at a fast pace without missing any necessary details. Just like in my last book review “Blended” the author, Sharon M. Draper, took the complexity of racism and packaged it down for younger kids. Ogle has done the same thing in his book. He shared his experiences from living in poverty in America, but simplified it down into a simple, emotional story that young adults can relate to. It was inspirational because it makes you think about the poor kids and the hardships that they have to face in some parts of America. 

In my opinion, one of the things that I would have liked to see done differently, would be the way in which Rex described his mother. It was a little repetitive with the words that he used:

“She shrieked”

“She yelled”

“She screamed”

Overall, this book is by far one of the best books I’ve read. Have you read any other books by Rex Ogle, if so which ones?

Non fiction

We Are Displaced

Zoha Siddiqui

About the Author:

Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, Pakistan on July 12th, 1977. In Pakistan, when a girl was born they would not celebrate her birth or let her pursue an education; however Malala’s father was different. He wanted to give her every opportunity that a boy would have. In 2012, an unfortunate incident happened on the way back from school. Malala was shot on the left side of her head by the Taliban (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban). She went through surgery and recovery in London. She now studies at the University of Oxford. Her book, We Are Displaced, was released on September 4th, 2018.

This book is an autobiography by Malala Yousafzai. Malala’s exquisite story is told through different perspectives, ranging from herself to her friends, to her friends’ sisters who have all lost their community and family.

In my opinion, the story was a little confusing at the start because it changed from person to person and that made it quite perplexing for me, but soon it became clear. All the stories in the book showcase the struggles that the girls and their family members face when they are displaced from their homes.

In her other book, “I am Malala” she has a famous quote “If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it?” The reason that I really liked that quote was because it shows how strong one girl can be. In this book, Malala talks about the girls and their real stories of how they had to escape from their war torn homes and settle in other places.

It provides a vivid description of the refugee conditions that these girls lived in and compares them to their new homes where they were able to settle. I got a very good knowledge of geography based on the maps and the descriptions of the climate and landscape.

While reading the stories, I felt a little upset about how families got separated and the dangerous conditions the girls had to travel through. I feel blessed to think about all the things that we have and that we take for granted.

This is a very important book to pick up and read if you really want to experience how these girls fight for their right to survive.

Have you read any other books about refugees? If so, which ones?