Kids of Appetite by David Arnold

Kids of Appetite is a YA fiction novel by David Arnold. The list of accolades for this book is long, so bear with me! It was a New York Times bestseller, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016, an Amazon Book of the Year for YA, a Junior Library Guild selection, a Kids' Indie Next List "Top Ten" pick, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2017, and a Southern Living Best Book of 2016. Told in alternating perspectives and time periods, Kids of Appetite is the story of Vic, a boy who suffers from Moebius syndome, and his friends who become family.

Sex: Vic had mild fantasies about Mad (Madeline). They kiss a couple of times. Several comments are made about a waitress who "wants" Baz.

Language: Mild to strong.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Mad's uncle is drunk a lot.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Vic's father died from cancer. Vic speaks of self-harming in the past. Mad's uncle is abusive. Mad's uncle is killed and the circumstances are pretty gruesome. The Kabongo brothers are survivors of the Congo War and they share some of the things they experienced. Vic deals with bullying on a regular basis.

Final Note: First of all, the writing in this book was phenomenal. David Arnold is an excellent writer. This book was extremely unique. I learned new things about Moebius syndrome and I loved how there were multiple story lines. I also enjoyed all of the Outsiders references. This book may encourage readers to pick up a classic!

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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

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 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.

The Rapid Reader

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