129. Absent Rex Ogle

High school seniors, Maya and Beau couldn't be any different. Maya is trying to deal with the challenge of being Deaf at a hearing school while working towards college admission. Beau, overachiever, cute, bound for Yale University, and student body president is interested in her. He's even learning ASL. Maya is NOT impressed. . . or is she? Transcript here

Two middle school students, Calliope and Jinsong . Callie just started at her 10th school. Kids make fun of her tics all due to Tourette Syndrome. Jin really likes her, but he can't risk being friends with a girl his friends call "weird" and "the goon." Each tells their own story, Callie in verse and Jin in prose. Transcript here

Three very different junior high boys who are absent from school ALL THE TIME end up serving detention together. Read to find out just why they are absent. It may surprise you. Written cleverly in mixed media. Transcript here

A middle-grade novel written in verse. Sister rivarly. Grief. Natural disaster. Mental health. SURVIVAL! Told from two points of view: Leena in 6th grade and Rama in 8th.. Transcript here

This heavily illustrated novel (mostly) in verse follows 7th grader Will, who is navigating some tough issues around disordered eating and body dysmorphia. Even though Will is in middle school, his thoughts and feelings will resonate with readers far beyond middle school. 

16 year old Quill is devastated about the break-up of his parent's marriage due to his dad's alcoholism. Money is tight, really tight. Quill needs a way to feed his new hungry pet, a bearded dragon. and to help his mom pay the bills. In comes Quill's cock rorach breeding business (based a true event in the author's life!).

Fallon is one strong 13 year-old girl dealing with a heavy past, family secrets, and events that will impact her for a lifetime. Yet, there are some comical moments, along with healing, and an ending that will 100% impact you! Transcript here

If you've ever felt like you didn't fit in, or like you were losing yourself trying to be someone else, this book is for you. Yasha is dealing with a new home, new so-called friends, and his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. The only thing that seems to be going well is his continued love of baseball, but even this is getting messy.Transcript here

In this novel written in verse, Gao and her family make a harrowing escape from her beloved country, Laos, after the Vietnam War. Ending up in a Thai refugee camp, a reminder that refugees are not just headlines. They’re kids who miss their pets, families who tell jokes even when they’re scared, and people who want and deserve to be safe.Transcript here

Hey Gen Alpha. You're the first kids who’ve always had social media and are super tech‑savvy. That’s a major strength, and lots of screen time can make it harder to focus and hang out with friends in person. Break up with your phone? Probably not. You can make decisions to "use technology as a tool and not let technology use you." Transcript here