Punching Bag by Ogle, Rex

Punching Bag is the compelling true story of a high school career defined by poverty and punctuated by outbreaks of domestic abuse. Rex Ogle, who brilliantly mapped his experience of hunger in Free Lunch, here describes his struggle to survive; reflects on his complex, often paradoxical relationship with his passionate, fierce mother; and charts the trajectory of his stepdad's anger. Hovering over Rex's story is the talismanic presence of his unborn baby sister.

Through it all, Rex threads moments of grace and humor that act as beacons of light in the darkness. Compulsively readable, beautifully crafted, and authentically told, Punching Bag is a remarkable memoir about one teenager's cycle of violence, blame, and attempts to forgive his parents--and himself.

Author: Rex Ogle
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Published: 10/05/2021
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.19h x 5.51w x 1.02d
ISBN: 9781324016236
Age Range: 12-18

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.5
Point Value: 6
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 519604 / Punching Bag


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2021
Booklist 09/15/2021 pg. 42
Publishers Weekly 10/11/2021
School Library Journal 11/01/2021 pg. 94