Rain Reign
Written by Ann M. Martin

Summary:
Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She’s thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose’s rules of homonyms, is very special. Not everyone understands Rose’s obsessions, her rules, and the other things that make her different – not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father.

When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, the roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search.

Primary Source Pairing:
Rose and Rain find each other when they both needed someone to love. Unfortunately during a superstorm, Rose’s dad lets Rain out and she is lost after the storm. In the radar image of Superstorm Sandy paired with this book, the massive breadth of the storm is evident. Students who have watched the news and who are interested in weather will find the image familiar. Students who are still learning about weather will gain useful background knowledge about weather, storms, and forecasting weather radar.

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• What size and shape is the map?
• What graphical elements do you see?
• What on the map looks strange or unfamiliar?
• What are your feelings as you examine this map?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
Superstorm Sandy Radar: Wikipedia Commons