The Rapid Reader

I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 is a middle grade historical fiction novel by Lauren Tarshis. The twelfth book in the I Survived series, Joplin Tornado tells the story of Dex, an eleven-year-old resident of Joplin, Missouri. Our with a storm chaser, Dex is caught in the middle of the F5 twister when it hits his hometown. Sex: None. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: The tornado scenes are pretty suspenseful. Final Note: The I Survived series is an engaging way to introduce kids to disasters and wars in history. This book in particular tells the story of a disaster that happened fairly recently, so it makes it even more real for the reader. I have nothing but good things to say about these books!

Gooney Bird Greene is a junior fiction series by Newbery Award winning author Lois Lowry. (Number the Stars and The Giver.) Gooney Bird Greene is full of ideas. She loves being a unique individual. This series is all about her adventures in second grade. Sex: None. Language: None. Mild potty humor like you would typically hear from second graders. Drug/Alcohol Use: A classmate remarks that his dad smokes. A wine glass is set out for a display but when a parent complains, it's removed. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: None. Final Note: This series is truly wonderful. It's like an early Junie B. Jones, but with more challenging vocabulary. Gooney Bird is quite smart and her teacher fosters her uniqueness. If you can get your daughters to pick these up, I don't think they'll put them down. ***There are a few other titles in this series, but these are the three I've read most recently.

Purchase this book on Amazon here!   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 m...