Themes: fitting in, differences, bullying, friendship Moving before the summer of 8th grade sucks. But meeting the guy of your dreams makes it way better. Serena feels accepted in her new school, especially when she starts dating Kai. He seems to be the coolest guy ever. Then Ollie shows up. He s weird. Awkward. Is what he says true? White Lightning Books addresses a wide variety of themes and interests in a narrow range of reading levels, no higher than a 2.5. Middle school is a time of self-discovery, high energy, and hormonal change. It can also be a time of self-assertion and defiance. Students who struggle to read will often not recover from low reading achievement in elementary school if their particular interests are not addressed. Encouragement and finding the theme to hook them is key. There is a broad range of interest and abilities in this age group, even with struggling readers. These are not YA or elementary books a fact younger teens will appreciate.