Girl on a Plane by Miriam Moss

Girl on a Plane is a YA historical fiction novel by Miriam Moss. Although this book is a work of fiction, the author was actually on a hijacked plane when she was 15 years old. Moss drew from her experiences to write this story.

Sex: One of the girls on the plane is distraught and there are whispers that one of the Palestinian hijackers "touched her."

Language: Mild.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Several people on the plane drink heavily throughout the experience. The book is set in the 70's, so there's also a lot of underage smoking.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: A plane is hijacked and landed in the Jordanian desert. Explosives are attached to the airplane. While most of the hijackers are actually friendly, there is one particular woman who gets on the plane and tells everyone they are going to die. There are several frightening and disturbing scenes where it seems like no one is going to make it out alive. It's a very suspenseful book.

Final Note: I think the author did a great job sharing her story. The author's note shares what aspects of the book were fact and which were fiction. Moss didn't write this book until 20-30 years after the events she experienced. This book is appropriately YA. The language isn't terrible and nothing is too graphic. But the book is extremely suspenseful and nerve-wracking.

Comments

The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish

The Ethan I Was Before is a middle grade fiction novel by Ali Standish. Ethan and Kacey were the best of friends. But when a terrible accident rips them apart, Ethan and his family pick up and move from Boston to a small town in Georgia. Now Ethan must figure out what life looks like moving forward. He meets Coralee and is enthralled by her marvelous stories. Can the two of them share secrets and give each other the friendship they both long for? Sex: None. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There are several suspenseful scenes. Death is a big part of the story line as well. Final Note: I loved this book! This is Ali Standish's first novel and she hit it out of the park. It was hauntingly beautiful. My heart ached for Ethan. I think readers grades 6-8 would really like this one.

What is The Rapid Reader?

Hello fellow parents and friends! My name is Danielle. I had the idea for this blog a couple of years ago when I was working in my son's school library. It was a known fact that I was an avid reader of middle school and young adult literature and several parents would ask me about books before checking them out for their kids. (Or buying them at the book fair!) Because I read so much, I've never worried too much about what my kids might be reading. My oldest is only eight years old and anything he's read, I've read already! But what about parents who don't necessarily enjoy reading or have the time? I wanted to offer a resource that gave these parents the chance to make educated decisions about books their kids are reading. That's how this blog was born! Before we go any further, I want to point out that I am strongly opposed to book banning. I believe in freedom of speech and expression of art through literature. But I also feel strongly that kids should ...

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

My Lady Jane is a YA fiction novel by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. Written in three different perspectives by three different authors, this romantic comedy tells readers what really (maybe) happened in history with Lady Jane Grey. This book was on Publishers Weekly's list of top YA books for 2016. (And it was well-deserved!) Sex: During the Edward and Gifford chapters, the boys often comment on the figures of women. People are under the impression that Gifford is a "ladies man." Two of the characters are in an arranged marriage and the book does mention in the last chapter that they "totally consummated." There are sexual innuendos but nothing graphic. Language: Extremely mild, especially for a YA book. Drug/Alcohol Use: A few mentions of drinking. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There is a war and plenty of people are threatened with losing their heads, but since this book is a comedy, it's nothing graphic or seriou...

The Rapid Reader

Search This Blog