Rain Reign

Starred review from August 18, 2014
Rose Howard is a high-functioning autistic fifth-grader, and her preoccupation with homophones, her insistence on rules being followed to the letter of the law, and her difficulties reading social cues and understanding emotions are giving her trouble at school and frustrating her impatient and often angry single father. Rose’s own feelings of anxiety and worry are viscerally felt when her dog, Rain, gets lost after a storm wreaks havoc in her small New York town. As Rose’s sense of order is disrupted by floods, uprooted trees, and destroyed buildings, she methodically follows a plan to bring Rain home, though things don’t go as expected. Newbery Honor author Martin (A Corner of the Universe) is extremely successful in capturing Rose’s perspective and personality; Rose can’t always recognize when she is being treated unkindly (it’s no rare occurrence), but readers will see what she is up against, as well as the efforts of those who reach out to her. Filled with integrity and determination, Rose overcomes significant obstacles in order to do what is right. Ages 9–12. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House.

Starred review from September 1, 2014
A story about honorable living in the autistic-narrator genre that sets the bar high. Rose has a diagnosis of Asperger's, and her world of comforting homonyms, rules and prime numbers is repeatedly challenged by social interactions of which she has no innate understanding. Newbery Honor author Martin crafts a skillful tale that engages readers' sympathy for everyone portrayed in the story, even Rose's garage-mechanic, hard-drinking single father. He has given Rose a stray dog he found after an evening of drinking at the local bar, and Rose names her Rain. Through touching and funny scenes at school-where Rose has an aide but is in a regular classroom-and discomfiting scenes at home, readers come to understand how Rose's close relationship to Rain anchors her. But Rain goes missing during a storm, and when, with the help of her sympathetic uncle, Rose finds her dog weeks later, she is told that Rain was microchipped and actually belongs to someone else. Since following rules is vital to Rose, she must find Rain's original owners and give her dog back. Martin has penned a riveting, seamless narrative in which each word sings and each scene counts. There is no fluff here, just sophisticated, emotionally honest storytelling. (Fiction. 8-12)

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Starred review from August 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-Rose is different from the other children in her class in many ways. She struggles to control the obsessions and outbursts that are symptomatic of her high-functioning autism. She is fascinated by homophones, or homonyms, as most people know them, and prime numbers. Rose uses patterns and habits to gain some control over her days. Her mother left when Rose was two, so she lives with her father, and is also cared for by her Uncle Weldon, who lives nearby, and who often shows Rose the most understanding and compassion. When her father brings home a lost dog, Rose names her Rain, since she was found in the rain, and "rain" is a homonym (with "reign"). During a superstorm, her father lets Rain out, and Rose's beloved companion is lost. Rose and her uncle finally find Rain after a long and difficult search, but they learn that Rain is actually Olivia, the pet of a family who lost everything in the storm. Told through Rose's voice, the story gives readers the perspective of someone who sees life in black-and-white, and who struggles when rules are broken, or routines are changed. The characters around Rose develop incrementally as readers witness their reactions to her obsessions and her struggles. Though Rose's story is often heartbreaking, her matter-of-fact narration provides moments of humor. Readers will empathize with Rose, who finds strength and empowerment through her unique way of looking at the world. A first purchase.-MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2014
Grades 4-6 *Starred Review* Rose, a fifth-grader who has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, is often teased at school about her obsession with homonyms and her steadfast conviction that everyone should follow the rules at all times. Rose lives with her harsh, troubled father, but it's Uncle Weldon who cares for her in the ways that matter most. Still, her father did give her Rain, a stray dog that comforts and protects Rose. After Rain is lost in a storm and recovered, Rose learns that her dog has an identification microchip. Though she fully grasps what that means, Rose is driven by the unwavering belief that she must follow the rules, find Rain's former owners, and give the dog back to them. Simplicity, clarity, and emotional resonance are hallmarks of Rose's first-person narrative, which offers an unflinching view of her world from her perspective. Her outlook may be unconventional, but her approach is matter-of-fact and her observations are insightful. Readers will be moved by the raw portrayal of Rose's difficult home life, her separation from other kids at school, and her loss of the dog that has loved her and provided a buffer from painful experiences. A strong story told in a nuanced, highly accessible way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

Starred review from September 1, 2014
Eleven-year-old Rose's "official diagnosis is high-functioning autism." She lives with her single dad, who does not have the resources, material or emotional, to be a parent. At school she is laughed at by her classmates. Her life works, but just barely. Uncle Weldon has her back; she is soothed by her ongoing collection of homonyms; and, best of all, she has Rain, her dog. This fragile contentment is shattered by Hurricane Susan, during which Rain disappears. A bad dad, a missing dog--this could be a tearjerker. It isn't. Rose is a character we root for every step of the way. She is resilient, honest, and, in her own odd way, very perceptive; a most reliable narrator. The plot here is uncontrived, the resolution completely earned, and the style whole-grain simple until it blossoms into a final sentence of homonymic joy: "I stand up, then squint my eyes shut for (fore/four) a moment, remembering the night (knight) with Uncle Weldon when music soared (sword) through (threw) the air (heir), and the notes and the sky and our (hour) hearts were one (won)." sarah ellis

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2014
Eleven-year-old Rose's "official diagnosis is high-functioning autism." She lives with her single dad, who does not have the resources, material or emotional, to be a parent. At school she is laughed at by her classmates. Her life works, but just barely. Uncle Weldon has her back; she is soothed by her ongoing collection of homonyms; and, best of all, she has Rain, her dog. This fragile contentment is shattered by Hurricane Susan, during which Rain disappears. A bad dad, a missing dog--this could be a tearjerker. It isn't. Rose is a character we root for every step of the way. She is resilient, honest, and, in her own odd way, very perceptive; a most reliable narrator. The plot here is uncontrived, the resolution completely earned, and the style whole-grain simple until it blossoms into a final sentence of homonymic joy: "I stand up, then squint my eyes shut for (fore/four) a moment, remembering the night (knight) with Uncle Weldon when music soared (sword) through (threw) the air (heir), and the notes and the sky and our (hour) hearts were one (won)." sarah ellis

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2015
Autistic eleven-year-old Rose lives with her single dad, who doesn't have the resources, material or emotional, to be a parent. Luckily her uncle Weldon has her back; she's soothed by her ongoing collection of homonyms; and she has Rain, her dog--until Hurricane Susan, during which Rain disappears. This could be a tear-jerker. It isn't. Rose is a resilient, honest, and perceptive narrator.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)