graphic fiction (1st in series) based on author's own childhood as a Texas sixth grader having to wear glasses (and being teased in middle school).
though the time frame is definitely in the past (little brother is into power rangers circa 1990s) there is plenty here that is still relevant and highly relatable for kids today, especially in this appealing graphic format. I've read other books from Rex Ogle (under a different pen name) and once again would be happy to read more -- I love that he includes his abuela's heritage and other details like his step-dad's stutter, as well as how hard his mother works waitressing at the local Chinese restaurant. Very sweet and nerdy 👍👍 ( )

Rex Ogle shares a story of Rex starting middle school and needing glasses. He loses touch with his former best friend when he sits with the popular kids at lunch. He struggles to find his way, deal with the bullying that comes along with his glasses and not having much. He's got a great, supportive family. And he learns some good life lessons from his abuela. ( )

Representation: Biracial main character, side Latina and Black characters
Trigger warnings: divorce (in the past), bullying
Score: Six points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

I was hoping that after reading Real Friends by Shannon Hale which is similar to this I would enjoy this one as well and I did but it wasn't as good as the last book I read since I found a lot of flaws with this which I'll get to later. It starts off with the main character Rex starting off 6th grade with his friends and everything looked normal at first until his vision blurs and he is forced to get a pair of glasses but he could only get the cheap ones much to his disappointment and I was confused when his mother rushed through the process only for him to say that he looks like the Mole Man. After getting them he goes to school again only for lots of people there to bully him for wearing glasses however I couldn't relate to him since now people don't get bullied for that anymore but maybe back then it could've happened but anyways he makes a big fuss and lashes out at everyone, even his parents which I didn't like. Even more disheartening is that no one seems to care about his problem so all he did was take it into his hands and Rex continues his rant; later on his glasses were broken and his family couldn't afford new ones so he had to use tape to fix it and the bullies kept teasing him. Towards the last half of the book his grandmother comes and says that his problems are small and she had a way harder life back then so he should be grateful for all the privileges he had and to not care about what others think, there was another part about her mother saying that she tries to do everything by herself which didn't work out very well by the way. He doesn't have any friends anymore but he would be better off having no friends than to have fake friends and I think the bullies still didn't leave him alone because he never did anything much about it. If you like memoirs try Real Friends by Shannon Hale for something similar to this. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-6

Plot Summary: Rex is surprised that he only knows a few kids from elementary school at his middle school. His best friend, Drew, is being really, really mean to him at lunch to impress the popular kids. Then things get worse -- Rex knows he needs glasses, which is going to make his social life so much worse. He can't afford the glasses he really wants, and when his mom suggests he calls his dad to get the money, he gets really disappointed in his dad's response. Will Rex ever find a way to fit in?

Setting:

Characters:
Rex - starting middle school
Drew - Rex's best friend, turns mean

Recurring Themes: bullying, divorce, friendship, popularity

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: I don't think there is the same stigma about glasses with kids today and I'm disappointed that this book is telling kids to feel self-conscious of their glasses. Otherwise, I liked the way the other themes were integrated in the book.

Genre: realistic fiction, graphic novel

Pacing: fast
Characters: not very memorable
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: ( )

When Rex starts sixth grade, he's dismayed that due to a district reshuffle, a lot of the kids he knew in elementary school aren't there. Fortunately, his best friend Drew is, but soon Drew starts to pull away in order to fit in with the cool kids, whereas Rex has too many strikes against him: he hasn't had a growth spurt yet, he gets free lunch, and now he has to get glasses - with ugly frames. At home, Rex has a loving mom, stepdad, and half-brother, and his abuela sometimes visits (or they visit her); it's Abuela who Rex finally confides in about the bullying, and she in turn tells him about her childhood, putting his into perspective. Rex also makes a friend at school who shares his interests in comics and sci-fi. Rex's dad only appears at the other end of the telephone, and is mostly a jerk, concerned only with his new family.

Rex Ogle = Rey Terciero

Quotes

"Live your life. Stop worrying about how other people see you." (Rex's mom, p. 92)

"That's life, though. Sometimes you have to focus on what you have, rather than what you don't." (97)

"It helps to say things out loud, rather than letting everything fester inside." (170) ( )