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Illuminating Hope & Grace in the Face of Hardship w/Rex Ogle

K-12 Summer Series Author (5th-8th Grade)
2025-07-23 15:00:00 2025-07-23 16:00:00 America/Chicago Illuminating Hope & Grace in the Face of Hardship w/Rex Ogle 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. Please register. Virtual -

Wednesday, July 23
3:00pm - 4:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-07-23 15:00:00 2025-07-23 16:00:00 America/Chicago Illuminating Hope & Grace in the Face of Hardship w/Rex Ogle 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. Please register. 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. Please register.

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.

Please Register for link to program.

Live Virtual Author Talks - This new series through Library Speakers Consortium offers live online talks by bestselling authors of books in a variety of genres. Participants receive a link to the program when they register. Please see https://libraryc.org/gailborden to register and also view recorded videos of past speakers.

AGE GROUP: | Virtual Live | Middle School | Elementary School | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Virtual | Adult Programs |

TAGS: | |

Virtual
Phone: 847-742-2411
Hours

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Mon, Jul 14 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Tue, Jul 15 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Wed, Jul 16 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Thu, Jul 17 9:00AM to 9:00PM
Fri, Jul 18 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sat, Jul 19 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Sun, Jul 20 12:00PM to 5:00PM
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About the Branch

Programs presented virtually through FB, Zoom, YouTube, and other online sources.

Upcoming Events

Device Advice
Thu, Jul 17, 9:30am - 11:30am
Rakow Branch - Rakow - Computer Cafe
Get help with common tech issues like Microsoft Office, using a tablet, hotspots, syncing email with your phone, downloading content, and more. Drop in for personalized assistance at your library.
Piano Performance - Steve Yoder
Thu, Jul 17, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Main Library - Lobby - Piano
Piano performance in the lobby by volunteer community members.
Summer Story Mix for Birth-6
Thu, Jul 17, 10:00am - 10:30am
Main Library - Meadows Community Rooms ABC
Join us for an interactive storytime! Best for kids birth-6 with an adult caregiver. All ages are welcome. Drop-in! No registration required.
Cut the Cable Cord
Thu, Jul 17, 10:30am - 11:30am
Main Library - Elgin Room
Tired of paying an overpriced bill? Learn about how you might be able the “cut the cable cord” in favor of popular streaming subscriptions like Netflix, Hulu and more.
Registration is now closed
Patio Playtime
Thu, Jul 17, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Main Library
Designed for toddlers and preschoolers, this open-ended playtime encourages imagination and fun on our KidSpace outdoor patio. Drop in and play—weather permitting!
Summer Art Explorers: Sandy's Circus! - Grades K-6 (In Person)- Registration required.
Thu, Jul 17, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Main Library - Sally Lee Fox & Eagle Rooms
Join Ms. Carrie to explore unique art this summer. We'll learn about an artist or medium, but we'll spend most of our time MAKING ART! This session, let's go to the circus with Alexander Calder!
Registration is now closed
TechKnow Mobile Stop: Smart Wash Lavanderia
Thu, Jul 17, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Mobile Services - Sprinter
425 Dundee Ave. – Elgin 60120
Summer Discover: Doodle & Drop- Grade: 1-5 - Rakow Branch
Thu, Jul 17, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Rakow Branch - Rakow - Shales Living Room
Come drop in and join with others to learn some new techniques, drawing trends and just...draw!
Book Bike: Summer Learning on the Go
Thu, Jul 17, 11:30am - 12:45pm
Mobile Services
Location: St. Francis Park
Summer Art Explorers: Sandy's Circus! - Grades K-6 (In Person)- Registration required.
Thu, Jul 17, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Main Library - Sally Lee Fox & Eagle Rooms
Join Ms. Carrie to explore unique art this summer. We'll learn about an artist or medium, but we'll spend most of our time MAKING ART! This session, let's go to the circus with Alexander Calder.
Registration is now closed
Duct Tape Crafternoon (Grades 7-12) - Rakow Branch
Thu, Jul 17, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Rakow Branch - Rakow - Shales Living Room
Learn how to make duct-tape wallets, roses, keychains, and more! Registration encouraged, but not required. Drop-ins are welcome. Grades 7-12.
Registration is now closed
Discerning the Truth with Marie Lu - K-12 Summer Series Author (9th-12th Grade)
Thu, Jul 17, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Virtual
Explore the intricate world of Legend with Marie Lu as she encourages readers to look beyond the surface and reveal hidden secrets. Please register.
Register
Tu Dinero, Tu Futuro - Your Money, Your Future
Thu, Jul 17, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Main Library - Elgin Room
¿El dinero te confunde? ¿Los términos financieros suenan como otro idioma? No te preocupes, aquí lo vamos a aprender todo.
Registration is now closed
Beat Lab - Digital Media Lab (Grades 7-12)
Thu, Jul 17, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Main Library - Studio 270 Digital Media Lab
Learn how to make your own beats on Garageband and make them sound epic. Grades 7-12. Registration required.
Registration is now closed
Summer Concert on the Lawn - The Illinois Brass Band
Thu, Jul 17, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Main Library - Outdoor Stage
Come enjoy summer music to include pop, jazz, classical, film, Broadway, patriotic, & Americana selections. Bring a picnic dinner & blanket or chairs and enjoy the music. Please Register
Registration is now closed
MS Excel Series
Thu, Jul 17, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
South Elgin Branch
In this series, learn how to use Microsoft Excel to manipulate, format, and organize numbers and other types of data. Sponsored by Comcast Internet Essentials.
Registration is now closed
Grupo de Conversación para la Ciudadanía en inglés - En la biblioteca
Thu, Jul 17, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Main Library - Conference Room
Usando material de USCIS que incluye preguntas de educación cívica, el formulario de solicitud y otros requisitos para la entrevista de ciudadanía. Este grupo de conversación es solo en inglés.
Registration is now closed
Elgin Genealogical Society
Thu, Jul 17, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Main Library - Grove Room
Semi-monthly meeting of the Elgin Genealogical Society. No registration required.
Little Listeners: Miss Carole's Macaroni Soup! - On the Outdoor Stage
Fri, Jul 18, 10:00am - 10:30am
Main Library - Outdoor Stage
Sing, dance, bounce, and bop with Miss Carole's Macaroni Soup concert! This energetic, interactive concert is perfect for kids ages 0–6. Drop-in, no registration required.
Curious Kids Club Drop-In - No Registration Required K-6
Fri, Jul 18, 11:00am - 11:45am
Main Library - Sally Lee Fox & Eagle Rooms
Bring your curiosity and join us for a different theme or activity each time as we explore. This is a Drop-In Program. No Registration Required.
Book Bike: Elgin Farmers Market
Fri, Jul 18, 3:00pm - 5:30pm
Mobile Services
Location: South Riverside Drive
Fresh Air Fridays
Fri, Jul 18, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
In The Community - In the Community
Calling all Nature Rangers! Join us for a hike at a local forest preserve or nature center. Please register.
See all events