The Rapid Reader

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Clayton Byrd Goes Underground is a middle grade fiction novel by Coretta Scott King Award winner Rita Williams-Garcia. After his Cool Papa dies, Clayton's mother forbids him from playing the harmonica his grandfather gave him. But Clayton can't stop. The blues are what connects him most to Cool Papa. Clayton runs away from home and his journey teaches him many things along the way. Sex: None. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Clayton has a few run-ins with a local gang on the subway. Clayton finds his grandfather after he has died. Final Note: I love Rita Williams-Garcia! This book was short, but it was an awesome read! Clayton is a character that many kids will be able to relate to. Clayton and his mother disagree, but I loved how they were eventually able to see things from the other's perspective.

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.

Purchase this book on Amazon here!   When Friendship Followed Me Home is a middle grade fiction novel by Paul Griffin. Ben is walking home from the library one day when a dog follows him home. His mother, who adopted him from foster care two years before, immediately exclaims that he can keep him. With the help of Flip, Ben soon becomes friends with the local librarian's daughter, Halley (like the comet). When Ben faces struggles, Ben and Halley are there to help him through. Sex: Ben's friend Chucky often remarks and asks about Halley's chest and rear. Ben usually tells him to stop. Also, Ben's mother remarks that she found Ben after her partner, Laura, died. There is one kissed shared between characters. Ben and Halley often hold hands, but Ben always says it's "just as friends." Language: Mild. Drug/Alcohol Use: Ben says that he was dropped off as a baby and drugs were found in his blood. But, he's never been addicted to anything. Uncle ...