Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand

Some Kind of Happiness is a junior fiction novel by Claire Legrand. It was on Publishers Weekly's list of top middle grade fiction books for 2016. This beautiful story is about an eleven year old girl with "blue" days. It's the first time I've read a junior fiction novel that deals with childhood anxiety and depression.

Sex: None. Finley has a crush on one of the neighbor boys and they sometimes hold hands.

Language: None.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Jack's father is drunk from time to time.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: The kids find gravestones for a family beside an abandoned house. They died in a fire. The Bailey boys next door mention that their father can be scary when he's drinking. Finley's parents are going through a separation and divorce. Finley suffers from depression and anxiety but doesn't have a name for what's wrong until the end of the book. Finley's grandmother also has cancer but it's kept a secret from the family.

Final Note: I adored this book! I actually took my time reading it because it was so good. It touches on real life issues and also has elements of mystery and fantasy. This is the book that may encourage middle school kids to share their feelings of anxiety and depression. Parents may want to note that the cousins often sneak out and go behind their grandparents back to play with the neighbors in the woods.

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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 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 ...

The Rapid Reader

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