About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is navigating a difficult relationship with a parent or struggling with feelings of instability at home. Abuela, Don't Forget Me is a deeply moving memoir-in-verse that explores the life-saving bond between a grandson and his grandmother. While the author's home life is often defined by poverty and emotional volatility, his Abuela's house serves as a sanctuary of unconditional love, cultural pride, and safety. This collection of poems honors the legacy of a woman who provided the emotional scaffolding necessary for a child to survive trauma. Parents should know that this book deals honestly with heavy themes, including domestic dysfunction and the pain of seeing a loved one age and lose their memory. It is a powerful choice for families looking to discuss resilience, the importance of mentorship, and how one person's belief in us can change the trajectory of our lives. It is best suited for mature middle schoolers and high school students who can appreciate the nuanced, often bittersweet reflections on family legacy.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
DISTRESS: The book contains visceral descriptions of domestic dysfunction and the aftermath of physical violence within the family home. There are scenes of extreme poverty and food insecurity that may be distressing to younger or more sensitive readers. The depiction of the grandmother's mental decline and memory loss is emotionally heavy and may be difficult for children currently dealing with a relative's dementia. CONVERSATION: Be prepared to discuss the reality of food insecurity and how it impacts a child's focus and self-worth. Parents should also be ready to explain the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's, as the book depicts the grandmother forgetting Rex's name and becoming confused about her surroundings.
Ideal Reader
A teenager who feels like an outsider in their own family or who has found a lifeline in a grandparent or mentor.
Parent Prep
Preview the poems 'The Belt' and 'Forgetful' to gauge the intensity of the domestic trauma and the depiction of dementia. A child expressing that they feel unsafe at home or asking why some families experience violence or instability while others don't.
Age Experience
Younger teens will focus on the 'action' of the childhood scenes and the injustice Rex faces, while older teens will better grasp the poetic craft and the complex grief of losing a loved one to memory loss.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many memoirs about trauma, this one focuses entirely on the 'light' (the grandmother) rather than just the 'dark,' using verse to capture the fragmented nature of memory and the passage of time.
Read plot summary
This memoir-in-verse serves as a companion to Ogle's previous works, focusing specifically on his relationship with his maternal grandmother. The poems navigate Rex's childhood in Texas, contrasting the violence and hunger of his mother's house with the warmth and security of his Abuela's. As Rex grows, the narrative shifts to Abuela's aging process and her developing dementia, exploring the role reversal of caretaking.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Rex describes Abuela's house as a 'sanctuary.' What are the specific things, both physical and emotional, that made her home feel safe compared to his own?
2
How does the author use Spanish words and phrases throughout the poems to show his connection to his heritage and his Abuela?
3
In the poem where Abuela begins to forget Rex's name, how does Rex's reaction show how much his identity was tied to her recognition of him?
4
Rex says Abuela believed in him when he didn't believe in himself. How did her belief manifest in small, everyday actions?
5
Why do you think the author chose to write this story in verse (poetry) rather than as a standard prose novel?
