RAIN REIGN has been out almost a year and has received lots of awards (Schneider Family, Charlotte Huck, ALA Notable), and I know lots of people have already read it, but I hadn't, at least until last night. I devoured it in one sitting! I loved it!
Rose is a fifth grade girl being raised by a single, sometimes sober father, in a small town in New York. Rose has Asperger's Syndrome and is obsessed with homonyms and also with prime numbers. She attends school in a mainstream fifth grade classroom, but has her own paraprofessional, Mrs. Leibler, who sits right beside her and takes her to the hall when she is having a hard time. Rose's two other favorite companions are her Uncle Weldon and her beloved dog, Rain Reign (note the homonyms).
The problem in this story begins when a hurricane of "epic proportions" strikes Hatford. As the storm diminishes, Rose's father lets Rain out, and she somehow disappears. Rose is heartbroken, and undertakes a careful and methodical search for her dog, with the help of her Uncle Weldon.
A beautiful middle grade novel about differences and bravery and integrity and love. If you haven't already read it, find it, and then block out a couple of hours to read it, because you won't be able to put it down.
Your description makes me want to grab this book right now. I'm re-reading Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, trying to understand one of my student's autistic tendencies.
ReplyDelete