The Rapid Reader

Purchase this book on Amazon here!   The Road to Ever After is a middle grade fiction novel by Moira Young. Davy David loves drawing pictures of angels. He's an orphan and too poor for pencil and paper, so he uses a broom to sweep his pictures into the dust. When the local minister, Reverend Fall, decides that he's had enough of Davy's art, he makes it his own personal mission to run Davy out of town. Luckily for Davy, he meets the elderly Miss Elizabeth Flint. She hires him to drive her to her childhood home, so that she can die on her own terms on Christmas Day. But there are more adventures on the open road than they expect. Sex: None. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: Miss Flint drinks a few times and lets Davy try a sip of something as well. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Miss Flint intends to kill herself. The local boys meanly destroy Davy's home. Death is a main topic. Final Note: This was an eerie, but interesting, book. It...

Purchase this book on Amazon here! Orphan Island is a middle grade fantasy novel by Laurel Snyder. Nine children live on a perfect island. Everything is wonderful and nothing ever changes, except one day a year. On this day, a boat arrives, carrying a new young child. The children on the island take the new boy or girl in, and the oldest child on the island leaves in the boat, never to be seen again. Where does the boat go? Where does it come from? No one knows and no one seems to wonder, except Jinny. When it's Jinny's turn to leave, she decides she doesn't want to go. But will the island stay perfect if she doesn't follow the rules?  Sex: There is no sex, but a character starts her period and this is something parents need to be aware of in case they haven't had that discussion with their child. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: There are a few frightening scenes and a few instances where kids a...

Purchase this book on Amazon here!   Fortune Falls is a junior fantasy novel by Jenny Goebel. It isn't confirmed yet, but Sadie is pretty sure she's an Unlucky. Anytime she's around, things seem to go wrong. Her thirteenth birthday and the Spring Luck Test are both quickly approaching and Sadie is a nervous wreck. If she fails the Luck Test, she'll be sent to a boarding school for unlucky children. Is there any chance that someone as unlucky as she may find some luck before the test? Sex: None. The characters are twelve and thirteen and while there's a few mentions of crushes, there's nothing serious. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Sadie lost her father the year before and blames herself. All of the unlucky characters are in a constant state of worry and anxiety. Sadie's little brother goes missing for a little while. There's a suspenseful scene involving a train. Final Note: A really cute ...

  Purchase this book on Amazon here! American Street is a YA fiction novel by Ibi Zoboi. Fabiola Toussaint and her mother are returning to America from Haiti to live with her aunt and cousins. But when Fabiola's mother is detained and unable to enter the country, Fabiola must journey to Detroit alone. Now it's her job to fight not only for her mother, but for her family, and for herself. Sex: A high level of sexual content. Not so much in actual sex scenes, as just in discussions between characters. Language: High. Drug/Alcohol Use: There are several drug dealers in this book. One of the main story lines surrounds a drug deal gone wrong. There is also a lot of underage drinking. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: Fabiola's cousin has an abusive boyfriend. There are several violent scenes involving firearms. There are also a few fistfights. Finally, there are two deaths during the book and a couple of deaths that happened before the story. Final Note: Thi...

Purchase this book on Amazon here!   A Clatter of Jars is a junior fantasy novel by Lisa Graff. This book is the sequel to A Tangle of Knots. Told in multiple perspectives, this book tells the story of Talented kids at Camp Atropos. Every kid has their own special Talent - some can speak to frogs, some can levitate items, and one can even collect memories. But when everyone's Talent is switched, the campers begin to suspect that Camp Atropos isn't exactly what it seems. Sex: None. Language: None. Drug/Alcohol Use: None. Violence/Gore/Frightening Scenes/Death: None. Final Note: A really cute fantasy novel for kids! It's been several years since I read A Tangle of Knots, but this series is lots of fun. It's perfect for budding readers who have an interest in fantasy books!