The Rapid Reader

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Scar Island is a middle grade fiction novel by Dan Gemeinhart. Jonathan has been sentenced to ten weeks at the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Troubled Boys. On an island in the middle of the sea, Slabhenge is far from civilization. When an accident leaves the prisoners without adult supervision, the "troubled boys" must figure out how to survive on their own. Will they make it out alive? Sex: None. Language: Mild. Drug/Alcohol Use: One of the adults is seen drinking near the beginning of the book. The boys talk about getting into his "booze" later, but it doesn't happen. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: This is a very suspenseful book. There are a few violent scenes between the boys and several frightening scenes. There are also some deaths.  Final Note: Once again, Gemeinhart has written an awesome middle grade novel that both boys and girls will enjoy! Reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, thi...

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Grit is a YA contemporary thriller by Gillian French. Darcy spends her summer raking berries with her sister Mags and their cousin Nell. She works hard at her job as a distraction, and she needs a lot of distracting. A local girl has been missing for a year and Darcy and Nell are hiding a secret of their own. On top of all that, Shea, the boy she went too far with on the Fourth of July, won't leave her alone. Will Darcy make it through the summer with no new secrets, or will the ones she already keeps come spilling out? Sex: Sex is big theme in this book, but there aren't any explicit details. Language: Moderate. Drug/Alcohol Use: Underage drinking and drug use. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: It's suspected that a girl is dead. There are several instances of physical abuse and fist fights.  Final Note: I don't read a lot of thrillers, but this one was pretty good. It was a little predictable, but no...

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team is a nonfiction book by Steve Sheinkin. Most people have never even heard of the Carlisle Indian School. But in the early 1900s, the Carlisle Indian football team was the team to beat. When Pop Warner, the coach, and Jim Thorpe, arguably the world's greatest athlete, came together, history was made. This book tells the story of one of America's least-known, but most impressive, football teams of all time.  Sex: None. Language: Pop Warner often cursed at his players, but the words are "bleeped" out in the book. Drug/Alcohol Use: Several instances of underage drinking. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Several football related deaths are mentioned. Also, when football first became a sport, it was incredibly more violent and was almost banned entirely. This book describes what those days were like in detail. There are also several fistfight...

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Gem and Dixie is a YA contemporary fiction novel by Sara Zarr. Gem and Dixie have always been the best of friends. That's what sisters are for, right? But the older they get, the further Dixie seems to drift away from Gem. Troubled by the fact that her father has left them and their mother doesn't make their welfare a priority, Gem struggles with day to day life and finds a confidant in the school counselor. Dixie, on the other hand, seems to be unaffected by it all. When their father shows up again out of nowhere, the two sisters are thrust back together. Will this fix their relationship? Or will they find themselves further apart? Sex: No sex scenes. Gem remarks that her dad messed around on her mom frequently.  Language: Moderate. Drug/Alcohol Use: Underage drinking and smoking. Gem and Dixie's parents are drug abusers.  Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There is some verbal abuse. Final Note: My heart ...

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Deacon Locke Went to Prom is a YA contemporary fiction novel by Brian Katcher. It's Deacon's senior year and everyone is gearing up for the prom. But Deacon feels much too awkward to ask anyone. While confiding his woes to his best friend Jean, his grandmother, Deacon comes up with a brilliant plan: he'll ask her to prom! Jean missed out on her own prom when Deacon's grandfather was shipped out to Vietnam. Unbeknownst to Deacon, his date selection will lead to quite a bit of attention. And when he meets Soraya, he wonders if he made the right choice.  Sex: None. There's some kissing, but no sex scenes. Language: Moderate.  Drug/Alcohol Use: A few instances of underage drinking. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: A few fistfights. Final Note: This was a cute book. I especially liked it because it was set in Fayetteville, Arkansas, so there were some familiar things mentioned. I think the concept was ...

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Olga and the Smelly Thing From Nowhere is a middle grade graphic novel by Elise Gravel. Olga loves animals. She fully intends to be a zoologist when she grows up. One night, she discovers a creature near her house and determines that it's a new species. This is just the beginning of Olga and Meh's friendship. Sex: None. One character comments that they determined Meh to be female by "looking at her behind." Language: None. Just several instances of potty humor. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: None. Final Note: This book was definitely interesting. My two children saw me reading it and asked me to read it to them and they absolutely loved it. They thought it was hilarious! We read it in one 45 minute sitting. I think plenty of other kids will love Olga and Meh just as much as mine did!

Purchase this book on Amazon here! The Black Pearl is a middle grade fiction novel by Scott O'Dell. It won a Newbery Honor in 1967. Ramon has always followed in his father's footsteps. Now he's sixteen years old and learning all about the pearl business. His dream is to find the biggest pearl of all. But when his dreams seem to come true, disaster strikes.  Sex: None. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There are several deaths. Ramon is threatened with violence by another character. There are also a couple of suspenseful scenes with sea creatures.  Final Note: I've been working my way through the Newbery winners and honor books for several years now. I've come to find that age doesn't matter. A lot of these Newbery books, no matter how old, are still absolutely wonderful. This book was a quick read but still full of adventure. If young and middle grade readers can look past the old cover, I...

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Three Pennies is a middle grade fiction novel by Melanie Crowder. Marin has been in foster care since she was four. But even now, at the age of eleven, she still can't believe her mother left her and isn't coming back. Determined to find answers, Marin researches ways to find the woman who gave her up years ago. But then, Marin is placed in a foster home that seems as though it could become a permanent home. Will she be okay with life working out differently than she originally planned? Sex: None. Lucy, Marin's new foster mother, does mention that she was romantically involved with another woman.  Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There is child abandonment in this novel and that may be a trigger for some kids. There's a frightening scene with a natural disaster. A death that occurred before the events of this novel is discussed. Final Note: I absolutely adored t...