“Rex really impressed our students with his honesty and candor.” — Susan KS Grigsby, Ed.S. Head Librarian, Nishimachi International School, Japan

Rex Ogle is the award-winning author of over a hundred books, comics, memoirs, and graphic novels.  Born and raised in Texas, he knew at age 6 he wanted to be a writer. Now he’s excited to share his stories, journey, and experiences with youth.

Best known for his prose memoir Free Lunch trilogy (which garnered 9 starred reviews and multiple accolades including Best Book of 2019 by Amazon, Kirkus, and Chicago Public Library, and the winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Non-Fiction).  He also penned the memoir-in-verse Abuela Don’t Forget Me (a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Non-Fiction).  Rex also wrote Scholastic’s Four Eyes and Pizza Face, and the upcoming YA novel-in-verse When We Ride.

Under pseudonym Rey Terceiro, Rex enjoys re-imagining classic stories as modern day graphic novels.  These books include bestselling Meg, Jo, Beth, & Amy, Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms (which Paramount has slated to become an animated movie), Doña Quixote 1 & 2, Northranger, which was nominated for Harvey and GLAAD Media Awards, and the upcoming Dan in Green Gables.

Rex is happy to be living his dream of writing full-time, and has close to twenty books under contract and coming out in the next few years.  He doesn’t plan to stop creating stories anytime soon.

After dozens of virtual and in-person events, Rex has discovered that youth relish in his stories about working at Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrel, and the Cheesecake Factory before moving to New York City to become an editor for 15 years at Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Scholastic, and Little Brown Young Readers. During that tenure, he championed over a dozen New York Times Bestsellers on major brands such as Star Wars, LEGO, Batman, Superman, Teen Titans, Justice League, Power Rangers, Minions, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Transformers, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed, and (Rex’s favorite) X-Men.

Rex is able and willing to discuss everything from tv to movies, music to videogames, and comics to books, all with honesty and candor. He writes memoirs, prose, free verse, graphic novels, and comic books, and is happy to offer pointers and tips to students and teachers alike.

Rex's Featured Titles

When We Ride: A Novel

Norton Young Readers |
Teen & Young Adult

Rex Ogle explores bonds of loyalty and friendship and how they’re tested by drugs and violence in this propulsive novel-in-verse.

Diego Benevides works hard. His single mother encourages him to stay focused on school, on getting into college, on getting out of their crumbling neighborhood. That’s why she gave him her car.

Diego’s best friend, Lawson, needs a ride―because Lawson is dealing. As long as Diego’s not carrying, not selling, it’s cool. It’s just weed.

But when Lawson starts carrying powder and pills and worse, their friendship is tested and their lives are threatened. As the lines between dealer and driver blur, everything Diego has worked for is jeopardized, and he faces a deadly reckoning with the choices he and his best friend have made.

Award-winning memoirist and poet Rex Ogle’s searing first novel-in-verse is an unforgettable story of the power and price of loyalty.

Doña Quixote: Flight of the Witch (Doña Quixote, 2)

Henry Holt and Co. |
Graphic Novel

In this duology finale of the action-packed and hilarious contemporary graphic novel retelling of Don Quixote, modern-day knight and young Texan Lucia must save her town from a coven of shapeshifting witches, all while balancing friends, family, and middle school.

Lucia has become what she’s always hoped to be―a local hero. But between chores and homework, arguments with her parents and best friend, Sandro, and helping her neighbors with her special abilities, she’s busier than ever before.

When the townspeople’s treasured possessions go missing and owls start flocking around Laredo, Lucia’s gut knows that something is wrong . . . if only she had the time to get to the bottom of it. But monsters wait on no one, and there’s an evil coven of witches lurking in the shadows, preparing to wreak havoc―whether Lucia’s ready or not. Perfect for fans of Mighty JackZita the Spacegirl, and Amulet.

“Folklore, fun, and adventure at its best.” ―Max Brallier, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth on Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight

Pizza Face: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes)

Graphix |
Graphic Novel

A funny, feel-good middle-grade graphic memoir about breaking out, battling puberty, and braving complicated friendships.

It’s time to face facts!

On the first day of seventh grade, Rex encounters a bump in the road — a big angry pimple right in the center of his forehead. And this is only the beginning of his problems. What follows is a frustrating battle with stubborn acne, body odor, and other embarrassments of puberty. Still struggling with a home life edging on the poverty line, Rex can’t afford to buy the acne medication or deodorant he needs, and bullies are noticing Rex’s awkward transformation. On top of it all, things have gotten weird with his friends, making Rex feel like he can’t do or say anything right. So far, seventh grade stinks!

Road Home

Norton Young Readers |
Young Adult

This final, essential chapter in Rex Ogle’s memoir trilogy recounts being forced from his home and living on the streets after his father discovered he was gay.

“An emotionally resonant denouement; Ogle gives readers his hardest and most hopeful book yet.”―School Library Journal, starred review

When Rex was outed the summer after he graduated high school, his father gave him a choice: he could stay at home, find a girlfriend, and attend church twice a week, or he could be gay―and leave. Rex left, driving toward the only other gay man he knew and a toxic relationship that would ultimately leave him homeless and desperate on the streets of New Orleans.

Here, Rex tells the story of his coming out and his father’s rejection of his identity, navigating abuse and survival on the streets. Road Home is a devastating and incandescent reflection on Rex’s hunger―for food, for love, and for a place to call home―completing the trilogy of memoirs that began with the award-winning Free Lunch.

Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight (Doña Quixote, 1)

Henry Holt and Co. |
Graphic Novel

Middle Schooler by Day. Monster Hunter by (K)night. In this action-packed and hilarious contemporary graphic novel retelling of Don Quixote, a young girl in Texas is obsessed with becoming a modern-day knight and thwarting supernatural evil―for fans of Mighty JackZita the Spacegirl, and Amulet.

“Folklore, fun, and adventure at its best.” ―Max Brallier, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth

Lucia Castillo dreams of being a hero like her grandfather. But to the people in their Texas town, he was just a strange old man who dressed up as a knight and claimed to save the world from monsters only he could see.

Now years later, when Lucia and her best friend―and trusty squire―Sandro discover the town mayor is secretly a shapeshifting beast of Mexican lore, her parents think she’s imagining things like her “Abuelo Loco.” Only Lucia, wearing her grandfather’s magical helmet, can see the hidden threat. Can she and Sandro prove others wrong and stop the mayor from unleashing evil on their town―and beyond?

Northranger

HarperAlley |
Graphic Novel

In this swoony and spooky teen summer romance graphic novel set on a Texas ranch, sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz finds himself falling for the ranch owner’s mysterious and handsome son, only to discover that he may be harboring a dangerous secret.

Cade has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary—but to Cade, a closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas—real life can be way scarier.

When Cade is sent to spend the summer working as a ranch hand to help earn extra money for his family, he is horrified. Cade hates everything about the ranch, from the early mornings to the mountains of horse poop he has to clean up. The only silver lining is the company of the two teens who live there—in particular, the ruggedly handsome and enigmatic Henry.

But as unexpected sparks begin to fly between Cade and Henry, things get…complicated. Henry is reluctant to share the details of his mother’s death, and Cade begins to wonder what else he might be hiding. Inspired by the gothic romance of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Bloom comes a modern love story so romantic it’s scary.

Four Eyes: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes #1)

Graphix |
Children’s/Middle Grade/Graphic Novel

A humorous and heartwarming middle-grade graphic memoir about fitting in, facing bullies, and finding the right pair of glasses.

Sixth grade isn’t as great as Rex thought it would be. He’s the only kid who hasn’t had a growth spurt, and the bullies won’t let him forget it. His closest friend is unreliable, at best. And there’s a cute girl in his class, who may or may not like hiim back. With so much going on, everything is a blur — including Rex’s vision! So when he discovers that he needs glasses, and his family can only afford the ugliestpair in the store, any hope Rex had of fitting in goes completely out of focus.

In this true coming-of-age story, Rex has his sights set on surviving sixth grade, but now he’s got to find a way to do it with glasses, no friends, and a family that just doesn’t get it!

Abuela, Don’t Forget Me

Norton Young Readers |
Middle Grade

Rex Ogle’s companion to Free Lunch and Punching Bag weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into life-affirming poems that honor his grandmother’s legacy.

 

In his award-winning memoir Free Lunch, Rex Ogle’s abuela features as a source of love and support. In this companion-in-verse, Rex captures and celebrates the powerful presence a woman he could always count on—to give him warm hugs and ear kisses, to teach him precious words in Spanish, to bring him to the library where he could take out as many books as he wanted, and to offer safety when darkness closed in. Throughout a coming of age marked by violence and dysfunction, Abuela’s red-brick house in Abilene, Texas, offered Rex the possibility of home, and Abuela herself the possibility for a better life.

 

Abuela, Don’t Forget Me is a lyrical portrait of the transformative and towering woman who believed in Rex even when he didn’t yet know how to believe in himself.

Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms

HarperAlley |
Graphic Novel

“A fun, unexpected, action-packed reimagining of a classic story.” —Molly Knox Ostertag, author of The Witch Boy

Frozen meets The Wizard of Oz in this swashbuckling adventure perfect for fans of Amulet and The Okay Witch, from the acclaimed author of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy.

Odette and Dillie are supposed to be enemies. Their kingdoms have been feuding since before they were born.

But when the two princesses meet each other at the lake that separates their castles, it’s clear they were destined to be best friends. Odette—who lives with a curse that magically transforms her into a swan when the sun rises—is happy to find someone who treats her like everyone else. And Dillie has finally met someone who understands her dream of having an adventure instead of sitting on a throne.

When they discover that Odette’s curse is the reason for tension between their families, they decide to follow an ancient legend that could lead them to someone who can set everything right. As they travel through enchanted lands, meet new allies, and fight terrible foes, Odette and Dillie are put to the ultimate test.

But when the time comes, will they choose their deepest wishes or the fragile fate of their world?

The Supernatural Society

Inkyard Press |
Middle Grade
“Monsters have never been so much fun.” -Stuart Gibbs, New York Times bestselling author of the Spy School series

“Frightening and fun ” -Neil Patrick Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Magic Misfits

Readers will be scared silly in this spooky and hilarious middle grade series starter about a town chock-full of monsters and the kids who must unravel centuries of secrets to save it.

Will Hunter thought his life couldn’t get any worse:

  • His parents just got divorced,
  • His best (and only) friend now is his dog, Fitz,
  • And his mom moved them from New York City to the middle-of-nowhere town called East Emerson.

But Will was wrong–things are about to get way worse. Because East Emerson is filled with a whole lot of monsters, and he’s the only person who can see them.

When all the town pets (including Fitz) go missing, Will suspects there’s something sinister going on. So he joins forces with outcast Ivy and super-smart Linus to uncover the ancient secrets of East Emerson. Besides, nothing bad could happen when three sixth graders team up against monsters, magic, myths, and mad science . . . right?

Read all the books in The Supernatural Society series
The Supernatural Society
Curse of the Werewolves

Punching Bag

Norton Young Readers |
Young Adult

New York Public Library Best Book of 2021

 

The companion to Rex Ogle’s award-winning Free Lunch is a searing account of adolescence in a household torn by domestic violence.

 

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.

Free Lunch

Norton Young Readers |
Middle Grade

Winner of the 2020 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award.

Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex’s mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he’s on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex has to shout.

Free Lunch is the story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade—who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he’s trouble—all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. His mom and her boyfriend are out of work, and life at home is punctuated by outbursts of violence. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period every day until the buses have left, so no one will see where he lives.

 

Unsparing and realistic, Free Lunch is a story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace. Rex’s voice is compelling and authentic, and Free Lunch is a true, timely, and essential work that illuminates the lived experience of poverty in America.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Little Women

Little, Brown Ink |
Graphic Novel

Little Women with a twist: four sisters from a blended family experience the challenges and triumphs of life in NYC in this beautiful full-color graphic novel perfect for fans of Roller Girl and Smile.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are having a really tough year: with their father serving in the military overseas, they must work overtime to make ends meet…and each girl is struggling in her own way. Whether it’s school woes, health issues, boy troubles, or simply feeling lost, the March sisters all need the same thing: support from each other. Only by coming together–and sharing lots of laughs and tears–will these four young women find the courage to discover who they truly are as individuals…and as a family.

Meg is the eldest March, and she has a taste for the finer things in life. She dreams of marrying rich, enjoying fabulous clothes and parties, and leaving her five-floor walk-up apartment behind.

Jo pushes her siblings to be true to themselves, yet feels like no one will accept her for who she truly is. Her passion for writing gives her an outlet to feel worthy in the eyes of her friends and family.

Beth is the shy sister with a voice begging to be heard. But with a guitar in hand, she finds a courage that inspires her siblings to seize the day and not take life for granted.

Amy may be the baby of the family, but she has the biggest personality. Though she loves to fight with her sisters, her tough exterior protects a vulnerable heart that worries about her family’s future.

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Free Lunch & Punching Bag, & Difficult Themes

Unsparing and realistic, Free Lunch is a story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace. Rex’s voice is compelling and authentic, and Free Lunch is a true, timely, and essential work that illuminates the lived experience of poverty in America. Punching Bag is written in a similar vein though with a focus on domestic violence. While these are difficult topics, they are also essential to building compassion among the next generation. Rex knows how to navigate these heavy topics and happy to share his advice.

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Graphic Novel Fun

Meg, Jo, Beth, & Amy is Little Women with a twist: the four sisters of a blended family experience the challenges and triumphs of life in NYC in this beautiful full-color graphic novel perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and Sisters. Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms takes a stuffy ballet and gives it a facelift by re-imagining it as a fantastical action-adventure. What Rey Terciero (aka Rex Ogle) does is make the old new again, by re-imagining classic stories.

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Writing Fiction 101

Rex loves to write, and has had a love of writing (and reading!) since a very early age. But he understands that many are reluctant readers and even more reluctant writers. But creating stories is something most students don’t realize they love. With over 20 years of publishing industry experience, Rex knows the in’s and out’s of writing, both for yourself and as a job. He’s happy to share his writing tips–everything from getting started to finding inspiration, crafting outlines, overcoming writer’s block, building colorful characters, finding themes, and utilizing sensory information to convey your story to your readers.

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Creating Comics

Comics are the future! When Rex was a kid, no one wanted kids reading comics. Now everyone knows how great graphic novels are–especially for reluctant readers! Rex loves comics and has been reading titles like Batman and X-Men for close to 30 years… That’s why he worked at both Marvel and DC Comics, and why he continues to write for them when he’s not focused on his own work. Rex knows the in’s and out’s of sequential storytelling and is happy to share the process–everything outlines and scripting, to pencils, inks, colors, and lettering–as well as offer tips on writing, creating comics, and even getting published!

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Writing Memoirs, Poetry, and Personal Essays

Unsparing and realistic, Free Lunch is a story of hardship threaded with hope and moments of grace. Rex’s voice is compelling and authentic, and Free Lunch is a true, timely, and essential work that illuminates the lived experience of poverty in America. Punching Bag is written in a similar vein though with a focus on domestic violence. While these are difficult topics, they are also essential to building compassion among the next generation. Rex is happy to discuss these heavy themes, or offer tips on writing.

Rex’s Editorial Projects

Rex’s Anthologies

Rex’s Extras

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry
Kirkus Best Books of 2019
Amazon’s Top 100 Books of 2019
Chicago Public Library, Best of 2019
Junior Library Guild, Gold Standard Selection
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award Nominee 2020-2021
2020 Texas Library Association’s Little Maverick list
YALSA/ALA Award for Excellence in Non-Fiction
2018 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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