Rain Reign

First off, no dogs die in this book. But it does still have a bittersweet ending. There may have been tears.

I've read a few books about kids with autism, but this is the first kid's book I've read written from the perspective of the child with autism rather than from a friend or family member.

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Martin gets us into Rose's head, and through the course of the novel we come to understand why she thinks and process the way she does. Like Rose's beloved homonyms, this book is about duality, about being able to hold two diverging perspectives in your head at once. Through reading Rose's account we see and understand why she gets upset over things like rule breaking while simultaneously knowing that the rules being broken are incredibly mild, almost insignificant. We can see why her father gets so frustrated with her while also recognizing that his lack of understanding makes him a worse parent. We see all the places he falls short as a father, but also see how hard he is trying to be a good father to Rose and a better man than his own father. This gives the novel a depth I wasn't expecting but was glad to find.

Martin-as-Rose's writing style is composed mainly of short, choppy sentences, the kind I see out of my struggling students. But rather than making the prose feel clunky, this works. Martin blends in enough flow that we get Rose's to-the-point personality without being driven crazy. I also thought the constant peppering of homonyms would bug me, but it didn't.

Would pair well with Wonder, Rules, Out of My Mind.

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Powerful book for intermediate students to gain empathy for others and see the power of kindess and community.

As we all know already, Ann M. Martin is the brilliance behind the Babysitter's Club fandom - one that is now considered a classic and is being read over and over again with each new generation. And now, she has managed to outdo herself a hundred times over with RAIN REIGN... Ms. Martin has managed

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to capture a voice that will forever live inside of my heart.
It also takes a lot of heart, patience and understanding for an author to be able to get inside the mind of a 12-year-old girl who has aspergers and OCD. And then to give her a seemingly simple story to tell, a story that as small as it may seem at first, turns out to be the most powerful and thought-provoking story that I will probably read this year. Only a soulful person can accomplish that. Rose's story will force you to open your mind, and your heart.

Rose has a story to tell. A story about her dog, named Rain.
You better pay close attention.

First, Rose gives us a little bit of a background first. These details are important to the telling of Rain's story... Rose is a 12 year old girl. She's in the 5th grade. She loves her dog Rain. She also loves homonyms, prime numbers and rules. She lives with her dad. Rose's dad has a hard time understanding her. He wants her to stop obsessing over her homonyms list. He doesn't like the monthly meetings at school with her teacher and aide. He gets very upset when she brings home her weekly reports informing him of her outbursts and repetitiveness. Rose tries her best. When things start to go a way that she can't handle, she tries to count using prime numbers only. It helps her calm down, sometimes.
And then one rainy day, Rose's dad brings home a gift for her. A dog that has 7 white toes. The two become inseparable.
Until the hurricane comes and her dad lets Rain out right after it. Rain goes missing. Why didn't her dad wake her up when he let Rain out? Why did he let Rain out right after a storm?
Rose can only do what she does best - keep busy by thinking of a plan to find a Rain.
No one can ever imagine what Rose's hard work will lead to.

There are so many positive and wonderful things that happen in this book. All of Rose's relationships and encounters are so well thought out. Not only with her father and Rain, but with her uncle, classmates and even strangers. The reality of a girl with aspergers/OCD can be harsh and heartbreaking. But seeing and hearing it through Rose's eyes gave me a new perspective and understanding. At times, Rose had me in a fit of giggles and awe, at other times, I would get so angry or sad for her. Many tears were shed for my little friend.

By the time I started the third chapter, I kept forgetting that I was reading a contemporary story about a little girl. It really felt like I was reading an autobiography. Rose is so real to me. All of her emotions, logic and feelings were so raw and full of innocence and life. It is really hard to comprehend that Rose is just a character that Ms. Martin gave a voice to. To me, she's real. And I would do anything to meet her. I would like to share the homonyms that I thought of that she didn't mention in her story... mince/mints and tighten/titan. Maybe they're on her list. Maybe not. Either way, I'd hope to impress her.

The ending to Rose's story is heartwarming with a tinge of longing. I very much hope to hear from Rose again. I would like to see her as a teen, young woman... I'd like to grow up with her and follow her along through life, through her eyes. She's full of heart and extremely smart. I have high hopes for her future...

No matter what your favorite genre is, this is definitely a book that everyone should read. I promise you, Rose will leave some sort of imprint on you - she will teach you something, make you feel something you never have before, make you think twice - she will touch your heart.

(*An ARC was sent to me by the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.)

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Rose, a high-functioning autistic 12-year-old, loves homonyms and prime numbers, her Uncle Weldon, and her dog Rain. Her father is often harsh, her mother is gone, and her classmates are not particularly friendly, so Rose treasures the few bright spots in her life. When her father lets Rain out

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without her collar in the aftermath of a hurricane, Rain is lost, but Rose soon makes a plan to find Rain again. Will she succeed?

I like to shoot straight with people in my reviews of dog books, so I will tell you this: the dog does not die, but this book will still make you cry. Martin does a good job of capturing the relationship between Rose and Rain without descending into sappiness. My only criticism of the book is that the ending felt rushed to me -- certain things happened and were never explained fully. On the other hand, that's quite similar to real life, especially for kids in situations similar to Rose's, so perhaps I shouldn't complain. I would recommend this book to readers who like stories featuring animals and don't mind a little sadness along the way.

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There are quite a few books with buzz right now featuring unique, wonderful protagonists who have learning, mental, or physical disabilities. Rain Reign falls into this new popular genre, featuring a heroine with a high-functioning form of autism.

I absolutely love Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin. This

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author needs no introduction and you're guaranteed a well-written novel for young adult readers. It is a sad, lovely story about a young girl named Rose, whose carefully constructed world is changed forever after a hurricane. Her determination, spirit and resilience in the face of turmoil, loss, and the baffling world outside of her own will win your heart.

I have so many wonderful things to say about this novel. Rose is a quirky, endearing and inspiring protagonist with a deep love for her dog, the rules, and homonyms (reason #100 to read this novel: grammar lesson!). Her life isn't an easy one, but despite her strained relationship with her father, her difficulties in school, and the challenges of maintaining the order and routine of her world, she perseveres.

As far as content goes, this is a fairly clean read. There is some uncomfortable near-violence when Rose's father loses his patience with Rose. Alcohol and objectionable language (the 'r-word', bullying, etc) are also content flags to be aware of. Overall, the content is handled well and serves a purpose to the plot, rather than existing for dramatic effect. Ann M. Martin is a teacher-favourite and the publisher's website even has a free discussion guide posted for download! (See link at the end of the review).

Fans of Mockingbird (Kathryn Erskine), Counting by 7s (Holly Goldberg Sloan), and The Categorical Universe of Candice Phee will enjoy this novel. Anyone who has ever loved a pet will love this book, actually. Rose's love for dog is inspiring; she would do anything to save Rain--and to make sure she does right by her. Even if it means giving her away...

Add this to your must-read list for this year! Ann M. Martin never disappoints!

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I'm just a sucker for dog stories and this one is my new favorite. be warned this book definitely requires a tissue box on hand. ms. martin does a wonderful job of capturing the voice of Rose, an autistic child.

Rose is an autistic girl that lives alone with her father. She struggles with life due to her autism. She is very preoccupied with homonyms and prime numbers and when she gets upset she blurts out prime numbers. Her home life is complicated because her father struggles with her mom being gone and

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his daughter is not "normal". He also drinks. One day her father brings home a stray dog and gives it to Rose. Rose names the dog Rain (because it was a rainy day and rain has a homonym-reign). So Rose's existence is basically school, taking care of Rain, homework, cooking dinner for her/her dad, and avoiding dad if he comes home drunk. One night as a hurricane is approaching her father lets Rain out to go to the bathroom and Rain is lost in the storm. This story looks at Rose's relationship with her dad, her strength in looking for her lost dog, and her courage when she finally finds her dog and learns the truth about her mother being gone. Great book to help you see the issues that autistic children face in the everyday tasks of the world.

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Rose, a fifth grader with Asperger's, obsessions with homonyms and prime numbers, a strained relationship with her father, a caring one with her uncle, and a beloved pet dog, must make a difficult personal sacrifice. A beautifully crafted story.

I thought the story was good in this book. I have only worked with a couple of autistic children in my lifetime, I think he did a good job portraying them. However, the homonym and prime number stuff drove me crazy. I know the autistic mind probably thinks tha way but it interrupted the story for

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me. Rose lives with her father. He is a single dad. He works as a mechanic and frequents the Irish Pub. He is rough around the edges. He often yells at Rose. Then there's her Uncle Weldon who is very patient and loving.

One day Roses father comes home with a dog he finde behind the bar he frequents. It's a rainy day so Rose calls the dog Rain, plus it's a homophone. Rose loves this dog then one day the dog disappears during a storm and what happens when they find it makes the story.

I found the book somewhat annoying but moving. You just have to get past the homonym and prime number thing. I think it's a good book for kids to read to learn compassion and empathy. Rose tried very hard to not do the things that annoyed people, but it was part of her. I think it's good that other children understand the struggles one may face if the have autism. Overall I liked the book.

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I must say I truly enjoyed reading Rose's story and her love of words, specifically homonyms. Rose has many obsessions homonyms, rules and routines and not everyone understands these rules including her single father. Her father brings a dog home for Rose in the hopes it will help to keep Rose

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calm, which it does but Rose in the back of her mind questions if the dog belongs to someone else who might be missing her.

This is not your usual dog story, but it is a story of making the right choices even when they are hard and they may hurt. Martin does a wonderful job showing us a child with Asperger's is just a child with unique qualities that may take some extra patience to understand.

Well worth the read and highly recommend for all ages. This book was on the Indie Kids list and was recommended to me by one of the wonderful ladies at Blue Willow Bookshop and it was our March Pick for ILE Reads Young Adult Bookshop.

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A peek into the world of a girl diagnosed with high-functioning ASD, a single father unprepared to deal with her, a sympathetic uncle, a lost dog, and the storm that brings their story to the breaking point.

Rose in on the autism spectrum. She's high functioning and more than a handful for her single father. Her father's brother is a wonderful presence in her life.

Rose loves collecting homonyms and prime numbers. And even more than that she loves her dog, Rain (reign). When Rain runs away during a

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superstorm, she is upset but develops a logical plan on working to find Rain again.

Over the course of the book, readers see Rose grow, deal with stresses, and deal with loss.
This will definitely appeal to students who like books like Wonder, Out of My Mind, etc.

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This is a wonderful book about autism and crisis parenting and I guess I could say the crises of childhood. Listening to the audiobook made it even more clear how annoying a child with Asperger's can be and how difficult it could be to have such a child in the classroom. It also highlighted the

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delight of such children. Just as importantly it emphasized the difficulty of parenting if one has never been exposed to parental love and reason. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the topic.

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"If you know one child with autism, you know one child with autism," this popular saying within the autism community holds true with the character Rose Howard in “Rain Reign”. Rose has very specific likes and dislikes, she has habits and behaviors that make her uniquely special – as we all

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do, but Rose’s behaviors are more pronounced. Unfortunately, there are people in her world who find her uniqueness difficult rather than endearing adding an uncalled for amount of stress to Rose’s life.
Although Rose lives with her father she depends heavily on her uncle, who is endlessly patient and supportive. On her own most afternoons and evenings, Rose depends on the companionship of her dog and best friend, Rain. When a hurricane strikes their town, Rose’s beloved dog is lost. As she deals with the situation the reader cannot help but love and respect Rose, who holds the adults in her life to a standard much higher than is their norm.

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Narrated by Laura Hamilton. Hamilton does a great job presenting autistic Rose Howard's story and generating the listener's sense of compassion for Rose. When Rose compulsively recites homonyms, Hamilton does so with a robotic urgency that gives an idea of what having autism is like. And when Rose

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calls out infractions of rules, you feel the annoyance of her father, teachers and classmates. Her uncle Weldon is far more accommodating and nurturing of Rose than her impatient, surly father. The reunion at the pet shelter is a weeper! A great audio version of a powerful and revealing story.

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A wonderful, but sometimes difficult read.

There are so many emotions packed into a slim novel that it is hard to digest them all. First, Ann M. Martin has managed to put together a touching story of family and being different and love. Rose is a fifth grader who is being raised by her dad and her uncle. Rose loves homonyms, is a stickler

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for following rules and wants desperately to wins her father's love. But Rose is different. She is autistic so she struggles with life, family and fitting into a world that doesn't understand her and that she doesn't understand. When her dad lets out her dog Rain into a hurricane and Rain goes missing, Rose's life will change forever. Touching, sweet and your heart will bleed for little Rose. Older kids will accept and understand the deep and troubling material in this book but younger readers will not. The story does point out the need for all of us to be a bit more patient and kind in our dealings with special needs kids. Being different isn't a bad thing, It's just different.

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This book was wonderful. Rose's character is so complex. The intricacies of Aspurger's are evident within Rose, but the uniqueness of who Rose is despite her diagnoses also shines through. This would be a great book for teaching students about exceptionalities and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

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Ultimately, the greatest lesson from the book is to be who you are and don't let anyone tell you that who you are is any less than wonderful.

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I absolutely loved this book. Rose is a young girl with high functioning autism, or Asperger's. She is obsessed with rule following and homophones, which most of us call homonyms. Rain is her dog, and rain/reign are homophones, and Rose has an aide that sits with her in class and reminds Rose when

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it is time to "step out into the hall" to calm down. Rose adores her dog, until one day, during a "superstorm" Rain gets lost. Rose sets a course to find her, and when she discovers her in a pet shelter miles away, Rose discovers she has to make a serious decision to do the right thing. My heart aches for young Rose and her sweet, simple outlook on life.

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3.5 stars

I always associate Ann M. Martin with the "Babysitter Club" series so I wasn't at all interested in reading "Rain Reign" until a number of positive reviews appeared for it. The book is simply written, with a very touching storyline. Eleven-year-old Rose, who is diagnosed with

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high-achieving autism, is the narrator. It took me a while to appreciate her voice, but by the end I was cheering for her all the way, especially when it came to Rain, her beloved dog. I love the relationship Rose has with her Uncle Weldon, but her alcoholic father is horrible and I hated the way he treated his daughter. This book is heart-warming and heart-breaking, and is a great companion book for younger reader who enjoyed "Wonder".

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Oh, the best type of story. A lovely main character, Rose, who is on the Asperger's spectrum and obsessed with homonyms, and her dog Rain with her imperfect family. A sweet lovely tale.

Rose is on the Autism spectrum, high-functioning. She loves four things: homonyms, prime numbers, rules, and her dog, Rain. She has trouble in school because of her difficulty relating to the other kids, and at home, her father is a sometimes drunk, semi-abusive man. But Rain she relates to

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well.
When a terrific hurricane destroys much of the are where she lives, Rain gets lost. Her uncle Weldon, who is far more loving and understanding than her father, takes Rose out to search for Rain.
In the end, Rose has to make an extremely difficult decision, which shapes the course of the book.

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Rain Reign is a great book. The narrator of the book, Rose, gives the reader a first-hand account of the daily life of a fifth grader with high functioning autism. The story tells of her life with her dog and the need to do what is right, even when it is hard.

A girl who loves words and rules.
A dog who is loyal and true.
The hurricane that comes between them.
Rose Howard and Rain are inseparable. Rain is named rain because she arrived in the rain, but mostly for Rose's homophone obsession: Rain = Reign = Rein. And a triple homophone name is extra special

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according to Rose's rules.When Rose gets anxious, Rain listens. Rain does not fault Rose when the homophones overwhelm her speech, when Rose's classmates and single father make fun or get mad. Yet with the help of Rain and her understanding Uncle Weldon, Rose begins to control her obsessions. Then Hurricane Susan roars into their East coast town and Rain disappears. Now it's Rose's turn to help Rain. Rose's passion for rules and structure allows her to devise a plan to find her dearest companion. But will Rose be able to overcome her fears and carry out that plan? Rose's bravery and honest voice will have readers cheering and on edge in this compelling story.

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