Abuela, Don’t Forget Me
Abuela, Don't Forget Me By Rex Ogle
I. Background on the Author
Rex Ogle was largely born and raised in Texas, where he spent the majority of his early childhood. After college, Ogle moved to New York City in order to pursue a career in editing, starting his career as an intern for Marvel Comics and eventually moving on to DC Comics. After working on several major brands, such as X-Men and Justice League, he then worked at Scholastic and Little Brown Young Readers, championing over a dozen New York Times Bestsellers such as Power Rangers, Star Wars, LEGO, Transformers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Neil Patrick Harris’s Magic Misfits.
Ogle has written stories under several pen names, such as Trey King and Honest Lee. His favorite pen name is Rey Terceiro, which is a nickname he received from his Abuela and translates in spanish to Third King. Under Rey Terceiro, he has written stories such as Meg, Jo, Beth, & Amy, and Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms. Under his actual name, he has authored dozens of comics, prose memories, and several books, such as Free Lunch, which has received multiple starred reviews and was listed as Best Book of 2019 by Amazon, Kirkus, and Chicago Public Library. He also wrote Abuela: Don’t Forget Me.
Now, Ogle is a full time author spending the rest of his days in Los Angeles with his dog Toby. If you ever catch Ogle out in the wild, he loves to discuss everything from tv shows to movies to music and video games, and especially comics and books. Aside from novels, prose memoirs and comics, he also has written several graphic novels, such as Swan Lake.
II. Book Review
Rex Ogle’s newest memoir, Abuela Don’t Forget Me is a raw, heartbreaking, and beautifully-written YA memoir-in-verse that is dedicated to the woman who saved his life– Rex’s grandmother, or Abuela. In this YA memoir, Rex reflects on his childhood experiences growing up in Abilene, Texas, drifting between the safety of his Abuela’s house and the often violent home of his abusive mother and stepfather. Written in verse, this memoir is both lyrical and emotionally compelling, with vivid images of warmth and darkness that represent the intense environments Rex was constantly moving through. From childhood through young-adulthood, Abuela was Rex’s saviour, always willing to take him under her wing and shelter him from his mother’s abuse. Abuela’s unshakable love for Rex can be felt through the words on the pages– it is seen in the way Abuela would kiss his ear until it popped, in the way she always had fresh lemonade and chicken spaghetti ready for him to eat, in the way she encouraged his hobbies, in the way she taught him words from her native language, and in the way she always told him, “te amo siempre,” meaning “I’ll love you forever.”
Woven through this coming-of-age memoir are complex topics such as racial and ethnic identity, childhood abuse, poverty, family, trauma, LGBTQ identity, and, ultimately, love. At its core, this novel is about the everlasting love that Abuela gave Rex– the love that provided him with shelter from the storm. It is this love that allowed Rex to persevere through years of emotional and physical abuse from his mother. With its simple yet vivid prose that young adults will be able to relate to, this memoir-in-verse deserves a top place amongst other childhood memoirs for young adults that depict childhood abuse. Abuela Don’t Forget Me presents a heartbreaking story of how childhood abuse can negatively impact one’s self-esteem and self-worth and how the love of just one individual can save someone’s life. This memoir reminds young readers that not all families are perfect, and it gives strength to readers who are dealing with abuse and provides them with the hope that things will get better. Rex Ogle gives a voice to survivors of childhood abuse that were unable to tell their own stories.
A well-written childhood memoir is one that includes compelling and descriptive language that draws the reader into the experiences of the author and places them in the author’s shoes. Rex’s memoir about his tumultuous childhood includes simple language that is accessible to a wide range of high school students yet is also engaging. The inclusion of Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout the poems adds to the authenticity of Rex’s voice. Another important criterion for childhood memoirs for young adults is the right combination of action and dialogue. While the story is told from Rex’s point of view, there is enough dialogue to reveal the other characters’ thoughts which allows the reader to get a better sense of their personality and relationship with Rex. Childhood memoirs about abuse can be emotionally difficult to read, but Rex Ogle does a great job of providing an honest account of his experiences in a way that is digestible for young readers.
“Rex Ogle and His Grandmother.” Mackin Community, 2020, https://www.mackincommunity.com/2020/09/16/rex-ogle-talks-about-his-past-and-how-he-found-a-way-forward/.
III. Lesson Plan: Weekly Journaling
{ROBIN CHOI, BELLA COFRESSI}
PREP FOR LESSON PLAN: {Bella Cofressi}
Students will be introduced to the book selected in class and will partake in a class discussion about whether or not they have ever heard of the book, what they think the book will be about based on the title, and a small bit of background on the author as well. Once they are familiarized with the material, we will begin the book in class. After this, a chapter or two from the book will be assigned as homework every night. Every Friday, we will begin with the lesson plan provided in order to monitor their understanding of the book.
THE LESSON PLAN: {Robin Choi}
Common Core Standards Involved: {Robin Choi}
CCSS (Speaking Listening)
(1) Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics texts and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS (Writing)
(3) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS (Reading)
(1) Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the test.
(2) Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
(3) Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
Lesson Plan Step by Step {Robin Choi}
Preparation Portion **mentioned previously by Bella Cofressi**
Assign a portion of the book and tell students the objective: to select a certain part of the assigned portion to reflect upon and share with their small groups by the end of the week. They are expected to not only summarize the section to give context, but also to provide reasoning as to why they believe their chosen selection is significant, and how they can personally relate/how the passage spoke to them.
Students will then discuss within their small groups at the end of the week. They are allowed to take notes of what their peers said in order to complete the last part of the lesson plan.
After their in class small group discussion, students will be expected to write a follow-up reflection that reviews everything they heard/took notes on, while connecting their thoughts with the ones that they heard from others.
Once the book is completed, students will be expected to turn in a collective archive of all of these reflections and notes in order for the teacher to overview their students’ perspectives and opinions on the novel.
Relevance of Each Common Core Standard to the Steps of the Lesson Plan {Robin Choi}
Preparation Portion:
The discussion involving whether or not they have heard about the book and their predictions and inferences based on the title, along with priori knowledge on the background of the author involves CCSS Speaking/Listening (1), as the teacher will be able to listen in on their students’ first impressions, and take note of how these initial thoughts develop over time as they dive into the novel. As for the students, they are given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the text before diving in, taking from the discussion their peers’ insight will encourage them to express their opinions and actively participate in the classroom.
The Lesson Plan Itself:
Assigned Reading & Selecting a Passage:
The act of assigning a certain amount of reading to students for homework in order for them to select their own passage is exercising CCSS Reading (1) and (2), as they will hone proper citation skills, and give them time to understand why their selection is significant.
Writing a Reflection with Two Parts:
Reflecting upon their individual selections from the assigned reading involves CCSS Reading (3) and CCSS Writing (3), as students will be required to analyze their chosen selection, and write out a organized and concise explanation regarding their selection’s significant overall to not just the novel, but also applying and expressing how the selection affects them personally.
Weekly Discussion:
The discussion at the end of the week utilizes CCSS Speaking/Listening (1), as students would be able to share their ideas and branch off from their peers to create more productive academic thinking specific to the context of the novel, while opening perspectives while listening to others’ reflections.
Reflecting on Reflecting:
By reflecting on others’ shared reflections, students will be fulfilling CCSS Reading (1), (3), CCSS Writing (3) and CCSS Speaking/Listening (1), as they will cite the quotes that others’ shared as proof of listening to their ideas, and connecting their personal narratives to that of others.
Supplemental Lesson Plan Worksheet {Bella Cofressi}
Name:
Date:
Peer Note-Taking Worksheet
List 3 points made by someone in class different from your own:
Explain why you chose those 3 points to write down and their importance:
Do these points add anything to your own notes? What did you learn or notice after listening to your peers? Write a short paragraph:
Students will be introduced to the book selected in class and will partake in a class discussion about whether or not they have ever heard of the book, what they think the book will be about based on the title, and a small bit of background on the author as well. Once they are familiarized with the material, we will begin the book in class. After this, a chapter or two from the book will be assigned as homework every night. Every Friday, we will begin with the lesson plan provided in order to monitor their understanding of the book.
Common Core Standards Involved: {Robin Choi}
CCSS (Speaking Listening)
(1) Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics texts and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS (Writing)
(3) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS (Reading)
(1) Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the test.
(2) Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
(3) Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
Lesson Plan Step by Step {Robin Choi}
Preparation Portion **mentioned previously by Bella Cofressi**
Assign a portion of the book and tell students the objective: to select a certain part of the assigned portion to reflect upon and share with their small groups by the end of the week. They are expected to not only summarize the section to give context, but also to provide reasoning as to why they believe their chosen selection is significant, and how they can personally relate/how the passage spoke to them.
Students will then discuss within their small groups at the end of the week. They are allowed to take notes of what their peers said in order to complete the last part of the lesson plan.
After their in class small group discussion, students will be expected to write a follow-up reflection that reviews everything they heard/took notes on, while connecting their thoughts with the ones that they heard from others.
Once the book is completed, students will be expected to turn in a collective archive of all of these reflections and notes in order for the teacher to overview their students’ perspectives and opinions on the novel.
Relevance of Each Common Core Standard to the Steps of the Lesson Plan {Robin Choi}
Preparation Portion:
The discussion involving whether or not they have heard about the book and their predictions and inferences based on the title, along with priori knowledge on the background of the author involves CCSS Speaking/Listening (1), as the teacher will be able to listen in on their students’ first impressions, and take note of how these initial thoughts develop over time as they dive into the novel. As for the students, they are given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the text before diving in, taking from the discussion their peers’ insight will encourage them to express their opinions and actively participate in the classroom.
The Lesson Plan Itself:
Assigned Reading & Selecting a Passage:
The act of assigning a certain amount of reading to students for homework in order for them to select their own passage is exercising CCSS Reading (1) and (2), as they will hone proper citation skills, and give them time to understand why their selection is significant.
Writing a Reflection with Two Parts:
Reflecting upon their individual selections from the assigned reading involves CCSS Reading (3) and CCSS Writing (3), as students will be required to analyze their chosen selection, and write out a organized and concise explanation regarding their selection’s significant overall to not just the novel, but also applying and expressing how the selection affects them personally.
Weekly Discussion:
The discussion at the end of the week utilizes CCSS Speaking/Listening (1), as students would be able to share their ideas and branch off from their peers to create more productive academic thinking specific to the context of the novel, while opening perspectives while listening to others’ reflections.
Reflecting on Reflecting:
By reflecting on others’ shared reflections, students will be fulfilling CCSS Reading (1), (3), CCSS Writing (3) and CCSS Speaking/Listening (1), as they will cite the quotes that others’ shared as proof of listening to their ideas, and connecting their personal narratives to that of others.
Supplemental Lesson Plan Worksheet {Bella Cofressi}
Name:
Date:
Peer Note-Taking Worksheet
List 3 points made by someone in class different from your own:
Explain why you chose those 3 points to write down and their importance:
Do these points add anything to your own notes? What did you learn or notice after listening to your peers? Write a short paragraph:
IV. Instructional Resources
https://authorsoutloud.com/rex-ogle/
This website provides a full background on the author, Rex Ogle. It includes background information on him, other books he has written and other information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JepW2om4hEE
This interview is between Rex Ogle and Jamie Sumner where they talk about a variety of topics. Things that are mentioned in this video is anxiety, poverty, music literature, Dolly Parton and more.
https://www.hrc.org/resources/latinx-lgbtq-youth-report
This link provides several statistics that surround the topic of Latinx LGBTQ+ youth as of 2018. It includes quotes from youth, statistics, and information surrounding this topic.
https://lgbtqfamilyacceptance.org
This link provides resources for LGBTQ+ youth across the country. It includes crisis lines, culture, evidence, and faith based resources.
This video provides information on talking to your kid about gender identity. It provides several definitions and techniques of having these conversations with children.
https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/list/share/200121216/625363467
This link provided more book recommendations that are tailored for teens that are queer or relating to the LGBTQIA+ community. This is included for anyone looking for more after reading this memoir. It includes memoirs, nonfiction, and fiction titles.
This link provides information on the benefits of journaling for teens and what it can do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWbERIVc7BM
This video shows a finalist at the Teen Poetry Slam Finals in 2019.
