Rex Ogle’s ABSENT Uses Three Voices to Explore Middle-Grade School Absences

Rex Ogle’s ABSENT makes school absence more than a question of getting through the classroom door. Its three middle-grade protagonists have sharply different reasons for missing class, and Ogle gives each boy a distinct way to tell his story. The result, in this reviewer’s view, is an emotionally affecting book that invites readers to look past attendance and consider what may be happening in a child’s life.

Three boys, three ways of telling a story

Manny writes in lyrics and loves both songwriting and skateboarding. He lives with his grandparents; his father is in jail, his mother disappeared years ago, and encouragement from his teachers is in short supply. His creative voice gives him a way to express a life in which the adults around him haven’t always offered the support he needs.

Calvin’s preferred form is cartooning. At home, his father has placed substantial responsibilities on him, including looking after his two younger brothers. Those demands make it difficult for Calvin to arrive at school on time—and sometimes difficult to arrive at all. His absences emerge from the practical weight of caring for his family, rather than from a lack of interest in learning.

Liam, by contrast, wants to become a doctor and has clear ambitions that should draw him toward school. But a persistent bully makes the building feel unsafe. Liam sometimes hides in an unused janitor’s closet and misses class. His chapters use a familiar text-based format to share the feelings he may not be ready to say aloud.

The shifts among lyrics, cartoons and Liam’s written reflections are central to the book’s design, not just a change in presentation. Each form helps readers get close to a different boy’s inner life. The reviewer notes that it takes a little time to adjust to the changing storytelling styles; once those shifts settle into place, they make for a moving reading experience. Readers may find themselves drawn to one format more than the others—the reviewer’s own preference was Liam’s emotional journal entries.

Detention opens a door to friendship

The boys wouldn’t ordinarily seek one another out. After-school detention brings them together, giving them the chance to talk about what’s happening beyond the school day. As they share their circumstances, they begin to form a friendship. The setup lets the novel connect three separate experiences without suggesting that the boys’ problems are interchangeable.

That distinction matters. Manny, Calvin and Liam miss school for different reasons, and the book’s structure asks readers to listen to each account on its own terms. A missed day can reflect strain at home, a lack of encouragement, or fear of a peer. For readers, that range of circumstances offers a starting point for thinking and talking about absence without reducing it to a simple matter of choice.

The reviewer finds that the middle school’s handling of the boys’ situation doesn’t match what many students encounter in real schools. Still, the emotional truth of the characters won them over. One adult who makes a difference for Liam is a librarian. The reviewer observes that she initially doesn’t report the bullying—a response that differs from what happens in many schools today—but the story ultimately gives her role a positive outcome. That thread may prompt useful discussion about the adults children trust and the support they need when they’re struggling.

A book for discussion, with a note for families

The reviewer recommends ABSENT for readers in sixth grade and up, citing occasional inappropriate language. For families and educators, the subject matter also makes it a natural choice for conversation. The book can help readers consider how home and school life may differ for the same child, and why support across both settings matters.

The reviewer praises Ogle for taking on absenteeism in a middle-grade story and sees the book as an especially thorough exploration of the subject for this age group. That’s a strong endorsement from this reviewer, not a promise that every school experience is represented. What the book offers is three particular lives, rendered through storytelling forms suited to their narrators, and an opening for readers to ask what a classmate’s absence might conceal.

ABSENT is 304 pages and has a publication date of Sept. 1, 2026. The book is available through Amazon.

About Rex Ogle

Rex Ogle is an award-winning author of more than a hundred books, comics, graphic novels and memoirs. His books include Free Lunch, winner of 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 and diverse graphic novels. Those works include Meg, Jo, Beth, & Amy, Northranger, 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 chases his dog, Toby, hoping for a hug. More about the author is available on his website.