Mid-Air — Content Guide for Parents
Found in this book
- ViolenceSupporting
- Scary contentSupporting
- Race & cultureCentral
- Gender rolesCentralChallenges traditional roles
Not found
- Religion
- Climate
- Sexual content
- Gender & orientation
Couldn't confirm
- Profanity
- Profanity: The sources do not say whether the book contains swear words.
Content themes
Factual summary of themes present in this book. No opinion — just the facts.
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Summaries and source quotes for every theme.
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Religion
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
A tender-souled boy reeling from the death of his best friend struggles to fit into a world that wants him to grow up tough and unfeeling in this stunning illustrated middle grade novel in verse “full of vulnerability and hope” (Booklist, starred review) from the Newbery Honor–winning author of Genesis Begins Again.
It’s the last few months of eighth grade, and Isaiah feels lost. He thought his summer was going to be him and his boys Drew and Darius, hanging out, doing wheelies, watching martial arts movies, and breaking tons of Guinness World Records before high school. But now, more and more, Drew seems to be fading from their friendship, and though he won’t admit it, Isaiah knows exactly why. Because Darius is…gone.
A hit and run killed Darius in the midst of a record-breaking long wheelie when Isaiah should have been keeping watch, ready to warn: “CAR!” Now, Drew can barely look at Isaiah. But Isaiah, already quaking with ache and guilt, can’t lose two friends. So, he comes up with a plan to keep Drew and him together—they can spend the summer breaking records, for Darius.
But Drew’s not the same Drew since Darius was killed, and Isaiah being Isaiah isn’t enough for Drew anymore. Not his taste in clothes, his love for rock music, or his aversion to jumping off rooftops. And one day something unspeakable happens to Isaiah that makes him think Drew’s right. If only he could be less sensitive, more tough, less weird, more cool, less him, things would be easier. But how much can Isaiah keep inside until he shatters wide open?
Frequently asked questions
Is Mid-Air appropriate for a 7-year-old?
Isaiah's friend Darius is killed in a hit and run while a stranger harasses the boys, and Isaiah later suffers an unspeakable event that a reader's content note lists as a physical attack. A friend's sudden death in a hit and run, a harassing stranger and a later attack on Isaiah are frightening and sad events at the heart of the story.
Does Mid-Air have violence?
Found (Supporting): Isaiah's friend Darius is killed in a hit and run while a stranger harasses the boys, and Isaiah later suffers an unspeakable event that a reader's content note lists as a physical attack.
Does Mid-Air have scary content?
Found (Supporting): A friend's sudden death in a hit and run, a harassing stranger and a later attack on Isaiah are frightening and sad events at the heart of the story.
Does Mid-Air have religion?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Mid-Air have race & culture?
Found (Central): The Black main characters face racial discrimination and race-based violence, and the story examines how they and their families respond.
Does Mid-Air have profanity?
Couldn't confirm: The sources do not say whether the book contains swear words.
Does Mid-Air have climate?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Mid-Air have sexual content?
Not found in the sources we checked.
Does Mid-Air have gender roles?
Found (Central, Challenges traditional roles): Isaiah feels pressure to be tough and unemotional like other boys, and the story follows him questioning what being a boy or man is supposed to mean.
Does Mid-Air have gender & orientation?
Not found in the sources we checked.
