Rex Ogle’s ABSENT Gives Three Middle Graders Distinct Voices

Rex Ogle’s ABSENT makes three boys’ missed school days the starting point for a story about what adults and classmates may not see. Manny, Calvin and Liam each have a different reason for being away, and each tells his part in a form that reflects how he understands the world. Their lives intersect in after-school detention, where the boys begin to share what has been keeping them apart.

The structure is the book’s most distinctive choice. Manny’s sections use lyrics, Calvin’s are told through cartoon drawing, and Liam’s thoughts appear in familiar text. The reviewer says the shifts take some adjustment, then give the story an emotional pull. Readers may find one mode especially affecting; the reviewer’s favorite is Liam’s journal-like account.

Three lives behind the absences

Manny writes lyrics and loves skateboarding. He lives with his grandparents; his father is in jail, and his mother disappeared years ago. At school, he doesn’t feel that teachers are offering much encouragement. His music gives him a way to put words to a life that might otherwise be difficult to explain.

Calvin’s cartooning is his passion, but home places heavy demands on his time. His father expects him to care for his two younger brothers, and Calvin often arrives late to school—or misses it altogether. The source review presents his responsibilities as a daily pressure that competes with getting to class.

Liam hopes to become a doctor, so school matters to him. But persistent bullying makes him hide in an unused janitor’s closet and miss lessons. His text-based sections let readers follow the emotions behind that response. The reviewer singles out those entries for their emotional immediacy.

These are not boys who would ordinarily choose to spend time together. Detention gives them a shared place to talk, and hearing one another’s stories opens the way to friendship. The connection grows from disclosure rather than from a sudden change in their circumstances; each boy has to make room for what the others are carrying.

A story suited to discussion

The reviewer sees ABSENT as a useful starting point for conversations about school attendance and the pressures that can make it difficult. Its three perspectives offer young readers more than one route into the subject: a reader drawn to lyrics may connect with Manny, while someone who prefers pictures or direct reflection may find Calvin’s cartoons or Liam’s journal-style passages more inviting.

The book may also prompt discussion among adults who work with children. The review’s central reminder is that a student’s life at home and experience at school can look very different. A child who is often missing class may be dealing with responsibilities, isolation or fear that other people don’t immediately recognize. The story makes space for those circumstances through the boys’ own accounts.

One aspect of the plot drew a reservation from the reviewer: a librarian becomes a supportive adult for Liam, but initially doesn’t report the bullying. The reviewer notes that this response differs from what happens in many schools, while finding that the story’s outcome is positive. That detail offers a conversation point for readers about the ways a trusted adult can help when a child feels unsafe or alone.

The reviewer recommends the book for readers in sixth grade and up, citing occasional inappropriate language. ABSENT is 304 pages, with a publication date of Sept. 1, 2026. Its subject and rotating formats make it a possible choice for upper middle grade readers, book groups and adults looking for a story that can open a discussion without reducing its characters to a single problem.

About Rex Ogle

Rex Ogle is an award-winning author of more than a hundred books, comics, graphic novels and memoirs. His work includes Free Lunch, which won the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction; Abuela Don’t Forget Me, a finalist for the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction; and Road Home, a Micheal Printz Honor and Stonewall Honor book. His middle grade graphic novels include Four Eyes and Pizza Face.

Writing as Rey Terciero, Ogle reimagines classics as modern, diverse graphic novels. These include Meg, Jo, Beth, & Amy, Northranger, which was nominated for both Harvey and GLAAD Media Awards, and Dan in Green Gables, nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.

Born and raised in Texas, Ogle lives in Los Angeles, where he writes every day. Away from writing, he reads X-Men, games with friends and spends time with his dog, Toby. More information is available at his author website.

For readers considering ABSENT, the three storytelling forms offer a way into a shared question: what might be happening in a student’s life when getting to class becomes hard? Ogle’s format lets each boy answer in his own voice, giving readers room to listen before drawing conclusions.