Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

  Rain Reign. By Ann M. Martin. Feiwel and Friends, an                              imprint  of  Macmillan, 2014. Middle Grade fiction. 




Although she is known for her wildly popular Babysitter Club series of books, Ann M. Martin has also won a Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe. The woman is an insightful writer of stories about children and dogs. This one book, Rain Reign, is a masterpiece of understatement, reality, and insight.




Rose Howard's diagnosis is high functioning autism. Rose lives with her father in a cabin near Hatford, New York. She struggles with life both at school and at home. Things change for the better when a dog comes into Rose's life. When Hurricane Susan turns inland and Rose's town is in its cross-hairs, Rose loses Rain. In the course of events, Rose learns that true love and bravery go hand in hand. Martin chose not to just end with a happy reunion, but throws curves that force Rose and readers to dig deep within themselves and ponder heart-rending decisions. While the ending is resolved and is really the best ending possible for Rain, and for Rose, this upbeat, but melancholy, story will start conversations among many readers about dogs, parents, families, and hurricanes, too.




Curriculum tie-ins are a natural with this title. Getting along with others, following rules, and even cafeteria manners are addressed. Rose loves homonyms and prime numbers so don't be surprised if students start their own lists! But, please don't be put off by the difficulty of reading these words aloud. Maybe just keep a running list on the chalkboard for students to see. This book is meant to be shared and will definitely be loved by a wide variety of readers!                          

The Visitors by Sally Beauman

The Visitors: A Novel by Sally Beauman. Harper, 2014.
                                  Adult fiction.


Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle and archaeologist Howard Carter are well known for their discovery of King Tut's tomb. Sally Beauman has taken real characters and interspersed them among just as riveting fictional ones. The main characters are the fictional eleven-year-old Lucy and her friend Frances, a real girl who was the daughter of an archaeologist. Readers follow Lucy throughout her lifetime and in the end it is Lucy who looks back to tell what happened to all of the imagined and real characters. Beauman weaves the tales of families, discoveries, secrets, and love masterfully into this 529 page book. Beauman is clear about fact and fantasy with charts to explain who's who and includes endpaper maps of the Valley of the Kings. She does not tie up all loose ends though as with Poppy or exactly the relationship between Nicola and Clair or even if anyone besides Lucy ever got to read Miss Mackenzie's memoir.  But, if readers are willing to forgive a few minor points, they will love the story and the atmospheric descriptions.


After a hot ALA in Las Vegas and summer heat in Houston, I somehow took refuge in this book's Egyptian settings and English manners. I could not decide whether to read it quickly to find out what happened or just savor a few pages a day and enjoy the ride. I chose the latter and looked forward to being with Lucy and Frances for a little while each night. What a great way to spend some air-conditioned moments in armchair travel! The book will make readers run to learn more about the 1920's, King Tut, and the Carnarvons. Fans of Downton Abbey will recognize the class system, clothing, and food described.