Stay! Keeper's Story by Lois Lowry

Stay! Keeper's Story is a middle grade fiction novel by Newbery Award winning author Lois Lowry. Keeper has had many names. As he looks back over his life, he shares his story with the reader. From birth to present time, Keeper has experienced loss, fame, and friendship.

Sex: None. Keeper mentions seeing his mom "flirt" with a male dog.

Language: Pal refers to his mother as "a fine bitch." It's not used as a curse word, but may be something parents want to know about ahead of time.

Drug/Alcohol Use: Jack drinks beer.

Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: A couple of dog fights. Keeper hears that his sister may be "put to sleep," but he doesn't understand what that means. One of Keeper's companions dies.

Final Note: This book was published in the late 90's, but I love Lois Lowry and wanted to read some of her lesser known books. This was a quick read and very enjoyable! It reminded me of a kid's version of The Art of Racing in the Rain. The vocabulary would be challenging for a younger elementary child, so I think it would be perfect for advanced readers.

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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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