Rex's dad is out of the picture. His mom is now with a new boyfriend and Rex has a much younger half-brother. Rex's mom and step-dad are prone to violence. They are also both out of work at the time. Rex sees his mom pay with food stamps for the first time. She also complains to restaurants in order to get free vouchers. At school. Rex is signed up for the school lunch program for the first time. He is embarrassed to give the lunch lady his name to get free lunch.
In spite of the poverty, his mother is prideful. She does not like to accept help from her mother. One time her mother visited with a lot of snacks and food for the family. Instead of accepting it, she threw it all away. (This seems like a problem with many assistance mechanisms. People want to be able to be independent, even if in their own way. Working to get fast food vouchers feels may feel ok, while receiving handouts from grandma does not. It is interesting how different feelings are.)
Rex does not have school supplies like others. His parents do not let him play football like his friends. His parents need to pawn the TV and other things to help ends meet. He must sleep in the car one night and then move to the other side of town for government housing. The experience of poverty is not pleasant.
He falls away from some of his elementary school friends. They are playing football. They also start to hang with people that are bad influences. Some of the Christian group try to befriend him. However, one of them comes on too strong with the religion and he doesn't go on. He tries to befriend a guy that also has free lunch, but he doesn't want to. He does become friends with a loner that likes comic books. This friend lives with his dad and step mom, but is much better off.
At the end of the book, his parents both have jobs. They get a Nintendo for Christmas. He gets to go visit his friend's house. It seemed like a happily ever after. But, you do get the feeling it is only temporary.
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