The three narrators in the middle grade novel Absent by Rex Ogle (published 2026) have all missed school and received detention, but all three have a different reason for missing class. Manny doesn’t see a point after his favorite teacher leaves, Calvin has to take care of his brothers and so is always late, and Liam skips class to avoid a school bully. Although the three kids have different backgrounds and expectations from school, they find some common ground in detention together. Each teenager narrates the story with a different voice — from Manny’s song lyrics to Calvin’s comics and Liam’s journal.
One common thread is the role of a good teacher. Manny’s new English teacher recognizes that his lyrics are poetry. Calvin’s art teacher gives him extra chances. And Liam finds retreat with the new librarian, who helps him assign words to recognize his anxiety. Each teenager’s story becomes entwined with the others. They all have strengths they didn’t realize that they had before. By the end of their weeks of detention, they have found a resolution to their issues and ways that they can relate to each other.
This is a story about so many things beyond reasons for missing school. It’s also about poetry, anxiety, bullying, and growing up too soon. I hope the people who need to hear the messages in the book are able to find it and read it. It is a window into a different type of life for me, and yet for some it will be a mirror. I hope the kids who need it will likewise find support in a teacher or other adult who can understand and help. Absent is a book to be read by both those who relate to missing school and those that don’t. There is something in there for everyone.
