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Absent
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26From award-winning author Rex Ogle, a mixed-format middle grade novel about three boys who skip school, told in verse, prose, and comics.
With a dad in jail and a lack of teachers interested in helping him learn, Manny doesn’t see the point in anything besides skateboarding and writing lyrics. Calvin has so many responsibilities to his father and little brothers that when his bike is stolen, he can’t make it to school on time. And while Liam is studious and wants to become a doctor, he is tormented by bullies and hides out in an unused janitor’s closet instead of going to class. When the boys are thrown together in detention, they realize that they might still have a lot to learn—not just from their teachers, but from each other.
Absent tells the boys’ stories in three distinct Manny’s in verse, Calvin’s as a comic, and Liam’s as a prose journal. Printz Award Honoree and YALSA Nonfiction Award winner Rex Ogle explores school absenteeism in a compelling, entertaining, and utterly distinct novel.
With a dad in jail and a lack of teachers interested in helping him learn, Manny doesn’t see the point in anything besides skateboarding and writing lyrics. Calvin has so many responsibilities to his father and little brothers that when his bike is stolen, he can’t make it to school on time. And while Liam is studious and wants to become a doctor, he is tormented by bullies and hides out in an unused janitor’s closet instead of going to class. When the boys are thrown together in detention, they realize that they might still have a lot to learn—not just from their teachers, but from each other.
Absent tells the boys’ stories in three distinct Manny’s in verse, Calvin’s as a comic, and Liam’s as a prose journal. Printz Award Honoree and YALSA Nonfiction Award winner Rex Ogle explores school absenteeism in a compelling, entertaining, and utterly distinct novel.
- GenresMiddle Grade
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 1, 2026
About the author
Rex Ogle
69 books622 followersHoly moly! I am so humbled and honored for y'all to read my books. Big hugs to all of ya.
Also, check out graphic novels under my pen name REY TERCIERO.
Bio:
REX OGLE is an award-winning author and the writer of nearly a hundred children’s books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs—most notably Free Lunch, which won the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction.
Born and raised (mostly) in Texas, he moved to New York City after college to intern at Marvel Comics before moving over to DC Comics, Scholastic, and Little Brown Young Readers. As an editor, he championed over a dozen NY Times Bestsellers and worked on (and often wrote) major brands such as X-Men, Justice League, Star Wars, LEGO, Power Rangers, Transformers, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Neil Patrick Harris’s Magic Misfits.
Rex has written under a lot of pen names, including Trey King, Honest Lee, and Rey Terciero (a nickname given by his Abuela, being Español for “third king”, which is apt since Rex is Latin for “king”, and he is the third “Rex” in his family).
Now, Rex lives in Los Angeles where he writes in his spare time—that is, when he’s not outdoors hiking with his dog Toby, playing MarioKart with friends, or reading.
Also, check out graphic novels under my pen name REY TERCIERO.
Bio:
REX OGLE is an award-winning author and the writer of nearly a hundred children’s books, comics, graphic novels, and memoirs—most notably Free Lunch, which won the ALA/YALSA award for Excellence in Non-Fiction.
Born and raised (mostly) in Texas, he moved to New York City after college to intern at Marvel Comics before moving over to DC Comics, Scholastic, and Little Brown Young Readers. As an editor, he championed over a dozen NY Times Bestsellers and worked on (and often wrote) major brands such as X-Men, Justice League, Star Wars, LEGO, Power Rangers, Transformers, Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Neil Patrick Harris’s Magic Misfits.
Rex has written under a lot of pen names, including Trey King, Honest Lee, and Rey Terciero (a nickname given by his Abuela, being Español for “third king”, which is apt since Rex is Latin for “king”, and he is the third “Rex” in his family).
Now, Rex lives in Los Angeles where he writes in his spare time—that is, when he’s not outdoors hiking with his dog Toby, playing MarioKart with friends, or reading.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Manny, Calvin, and Liam are going to be unforgettable for anyone who reads it. As an adult reader, I won't soon forget them but for a teen reader, they are likely their friends or even themselves that they'll see when they read. The beauty of the book? The creativity that Ogle uses to share the story-- three voices with three ways to tell their story: Manny's through verse because he's a poet/lyricist, Calvin's through comics because he's a creator, and Liam's through narrative because he's a studious kid caught up in a serious bullying situation. Either way-- all three of these boys are missing a lot of school. And they end up meeting one another in detention- the more stereotypical kind of detention but slowly come to understand each other.
I will be writing a full blog post about the impact that this book will have. I'm already envisioning ordering tons of copies. I want to read it with teachers. And it solidifies that Ogle needs to visit our school. It's visibility for an invisible issue though I would argue that more attention is being paid especially post-COVID to chronic absenteeism.
Ogle knows what readers want and he's giving it to them in an honest way. One that doesn't shortcut or short change the ways that lead kids to miss school from transportation issues to anxiety to not seeing any reason that he should.
I've known for a while that Ogle is a GOAT. No question about it and when he takes a topic like this and creates Absent, it again celebrates his awareness, his understanding, and how he wants to make it accessible. Hats of to Ogle and Baptiste for this REAL story.
I will be writing a full blog post about the impact that this book will have. I'm already envisioning ordering tons of copies. I want to read it with teachers. And it solidifies that Ogle needs to visit our school. It's visibility for an invisible issue though I would argue that more attention is being paid especially post-COVID to chronic absenteeism.
Ogle knows what readers want and he's giving it to them in an honest way. One that doesn't shortcut or short change the ways that lead kids to miss school from transportation issues to anxiety to not seeing any reason that he should.
I've known for a while that Ogle is a GOAT. No question about it and when he takes a topic like this and creates Absent, it again celebrates his awareness, his understanding, and how he wants to make it accessible. Hats of to Ogle and Baptiste for this REAL story.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Three boys skipping school. Three stories no one bothered to hear.
😶🌫️
Three middle school boys, Manny, Calvin, and Liam, each have different reasons for avoiding school, from family struggles and bullying to feeling unsupported in the classroom. When detention brings them together, they begin to realize they’re not alone in what they’re carrying. Told through verse, prose, and comics, this upper middle grade mixed media title explores school absenteeism, friendship, and the challenges kids face beyond the classroom walls.
🪑
This reminded me so much of Jason Reynolds’ work. It’s impactful, emotional, and deeply human. I teared up multiple times. I appreciated how the book allows boys to be vulnerable, sensitive, scared, and hurting without judgment. Each story puts a real face to the absenteeism statistics we hear about in education and humanizes the reasons kids disengage from school. And the librarian who steps in to save a student from assault? Absolute superhero. This is the kind of middle grade novel that opens hearts as much as minds. Grab it for your middle & high schoolers who love illustrated novels & graphic novels when it releases September 1!
CW: bullying, poverty, homelessness, anxiety, panic attacks (on page), incarceration, parental abandonment
😶🌫️
Three middle school boys, Manny, Calvin, and Liam, each have different reasons for avoiding school, from family struggles and bullying to feeling unsupported in the classroom. When detention brings them together, they begin to realize they’re not alone in what they’re carrying. Told through verse, prose, and comics, this upper middle grade mixed media title explores school absenteeism, friendship, and the challenges kids face beyond the classroom walls.
🪑
This reminded me so much of Jason Reynolds’ work. It’s impactful, emotional, and deeply human. I teared up multiple times. I appreciated how the book allows boys to be vulnerable, sensitive, scared, and hurting without judgment. Each story puts a real face to the absenteeism statistics we hear about in education and humanizes the reasons kids disengage from school. And the librarian who steps in to save a student from assault? Absolute superhero. This is the kind of middle grade novel that opens hearts as much as minds. Grab it for your middle & high schoolers who love illustrated novels & graphic novels when it releases September 1!
CW: bullying, poverty, homelessness, anxiety, panic attacks (on page), incarceration, parental abandonment
June 1, 2026
Thank you Edelweiss for the digital arc!
three boys.three boys. three impossible situations. one detention. 📚😤
manny: dad in jail. teachers who gave up on him. skating and lyrics are the only things that make sense. 🛹🎵
calvin: holding his whole family together. bike stolen. can't get to school on time. doing everything RIGHT and still losing. 😶
liam: wants to be a doctor. brilliant. hiding in a janitor's closet to escape bullies. 💔
the system failed all three of them differently.
detention threw them together anyway. 🤝
turns out the most important lessons
aren't coming from any classroom. 💛
found brotherhood in the most unexpected place. 📚🔥
Another homerun by one of my favorites. Told via prose, Novel in Verse and comics, this story grabbed me right from the start and didn't let me go. All kids are going to love this story, a story of three boys, all in detention for one reason or another, believing that no one "sees" them. I saw each of them. Their vulnerability was written all over the pages through words and pictures. Absenteeism is a large part of students' struggle throughout MS and HS, something that is addressed in this story. And Rex, THANK YOU for showing their librarian in a positive light. With everything we as librarians are going through in Texas, this librarian was a ROCK STAR. There are so many of us like her and it was heartwarming to see that represented in the story. I cannot wait to order 10 copies of this for my HS library! Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC.
three boys.three boys. three impossible situations. one detention. 📚😤
manny: dad in jail. teachers who gave up on him. skating and lyrics are the only things that make sense. 🛹🎵
calvin: holding his whole family together. bike stolen. can't get to school on time. doing everything RIGHT and still losing. 😶
liam: wants to be a doctor. brilliant. hiding in a janitor's closet to escape bullies. 💔
the system failed all three of them differently.
detention threw them together anyway. 🤝
turns out the most important lessons
aren't coming from any classroom. 💛
found brotherhood in the most unexpected place. 📚🔥
Another homerun by one of my favorites. Told via prose, Novel in Verse and comics, this story grabbed me right from the start and didn't let me go. All kids are going to love this story, a story of three boys, all in detention for one reason or another, believing that no one "sees" them. I saw each of them. Their vulnerability was written all over the pages through words and pictures. Absenteeism is a large part of students' struggle throughout MS and HS, something that is addressed in this story. And Rex, THANK YOU for showing their librarian in a positive light. With everything we as librarians are going through in Texas, this librarian was a ROCK STAR. There are so many of us like her and it was heartwarming to see that represented in the story. I cannot wait to order 10 copies of this for my HS library! Thank you Edelweiss for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you to Edelweiss and Norton Young Readers for allowing me to read a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
3 boys, each missing school for very different reasons.
• Manny feels that the teachers do not understand or care about him, so he prefers to spend his time skateboarding or writing lyrics.
• Calvin’s father, who is a single parent, depends on him to take his younger brothers to school each morning. However, after Calvin’s bike is stolen, getting to school on time becomes a challenge.
• Liam wants to be in class, but to avoid his bully, he hides in a closet at the back of the library.
3 different formats:
• Manny’s story is told in verse.
• Calvin’s story is told through comics.
• Liam’s story is shared in journal entries.
They face 3 weeks of after-school detention, which serves as their punishment for skipping classes and also marks the beginning of their understanding that they are not alone in their struggles.
It’s important to mention Ms. Funkhouser, the librarian. We all benefit from having a librarian like her in our lives!
I plan to purchase several copies of this book for my high school library.
CW: bullying, poverty, anxiety, panic attacks, parental abandonment, incarcerated parent.
3 boys, each missing school for very different reasons.
• Manny feels that the teachers do not understand or care about him, so he prefers to spend his time skateboarding or writing lyrics.
• Calvin’s father, who is a single parent, depends on him to take his younger brothers to school each morning. However, after Calvin’s bike is stolen, getting to school on time becomes a challenge.
• Liam wants to be in class, but to avoid his bully, he hides in a closet at the back of the library.
3 different formats:
• Manny’s story is told in verse.
• Calvin’s story is told through comics.
• Liam’s story is shared in journal entries.
They face 3 weeks of after-school detention, which serves as their punishment for skipping classes and also marks the beginning of their understanding that they are not alone in their struggles.
It’s important to mention Ms. Funkhouser, the librarian. We all benefit from having a librarian like her in our lives!
I plan to purchase several copies of this book for my high school library.
CW: bullying, poverty, anxiety, panic attacks, parental abandonment, incarcerated parent.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rex Ogle, with each publication, proves that he is one of the most important writers for both young adult and adult readers working today.
Within the first 30 pages of Absent, I knew that it was a book that I would be recommending not only to students, but also to my educator colleagues. The stories of Manny, Calvin, and Liam are all too familiar- students with circumstances making it difficult for them to attend school, for one reason or another, and being held responsible by the system in place without regard to their individual needs. And not because the educators are cold or uncaring (thank you, Rex, for a librarian who is awesome and not stodgy!) but more because they cannot do a lot about something they don’t know anything about. And of course, there is more nuance than that- but you will have to trust me when I say that it is important that you read it and find out what keeps each boy showing up at all and how detention might turn out to be the best worst thing to happen to them.
Within the first 30 pages of Absent, I knew that it was a book that I would be recommending not only to students, but also to my educator colleagues. The stories of Manny, Calvin, and Liam are all too familiar- students with circumstances making it difficult for them to attend school, for one reason or another, and being held responsible by the system in place without regard to their individual needs. And not because the educators are cold or uncaring (thank you, Rex, for a librarian who is awesome and not stodgy!) but more because they cannot do a lot about something they don’t know anything about. And of course, there is more nuance than that- but you will have to trust me when I say that it is important that you read it and find out what keeps each boy showing up at all and how detention might turn out to be the best worst thing to happen to them.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is a book that we've needed for middle schoolers for years. It shines a light on why kids are absent, and it isn't always just to skip class. I can think of so many students that will love this book and it will hit with such a variety of readers. My Wimpy-Kid/Crossover/New Kid readers now have a book that they will all like.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews