Still Life with Tornado by A.S. King

Still Life with Tornado is a YA fiction novel by A.S. King. This is another book with lots of awards and recognition this year! It's a 2016 New York Times Notable Children's Book, a News & Observer Best Book of 2016, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2016, a Booklist Best Book of 2016, and a Shelf Awareness Best Book of 2016. Sarah is a 16 year old who can no longer "do art." She's confused by this because art has always been her passion. But something has happened, and memories have begun to surface, and Sarah must face the truth.

Sex: Sarah's dad threatens to accuse her brother of sexual abuse if he comes around. Sarah witnesses a female teacher kissing a female student.

Language: Very strong.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Sarah's parents spend a lot of time drinking on their Mexican vacation.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Sarah is skipping school because of some serious bullying she endured, by students and a teacher. Sarah's father is verbally abusive to her mother. It comes out slowly that Sarah's father has also been physically abusive to both her mother and her brother.

Final Note: Guys, this book was intense! It's a new look at domestic abuse and how it affects entire families, long after the abuse is over. The biggest concern is the strong language. But, the story itself was very good!

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The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

Purchase this book on Amazon here! The Wizards of Once is the latest middle grade novel by Cressida Cowell, the author of the How to Train Your Dragon series. Wizards and warriors have always been taught to hate each other. The wizards stay in the forbidden Badwoods and the warriors live in their iron castle. But when Xar, a wizard, and Wish, the warrior queen's daughter, meet each other in the woods, they find that they must work together to fight the one thing everyone is afraid of: witches. Sex: None. Language: None. Xar uses his own cursing. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There are a few suspenseful scenes and battles, but nothing too over the top. Final Note: This book was cute, but it wasn't my favorite. It would be a good stepping stone for younger readers who are showing an interest in things like Harry Potter , but who aren't quite old or mature enough for that particular series.

The Elite and The One by Kiera Cass (The Selection Series)

The Elite and The One are YA fiction novels by Kiera Cass. Books two and three in the Selection Series, The Elite and The One continue the story of America and her fight for Prince Maxon's heart. Sex: There are no explicit scenes, but there are a few moments of intimacy between characters in both books. Language: Mild. Drug/Alcohol Use: Mild. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Several deaths over the course of the two books. The rebels often attack and those scenes are suspenseful. Final Note: I'm still really enjoying this series! I have a couple of books left to finish, but so far I've been pleased. These books are definitely for older teenagers, but it shows the romantic aspects without being too terribly steamy or detailed. The story line is very intriguing as well.

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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