I have a weakness for stories about quirky children, especially autistic or Asperger’s children. I absolutely loved Rain Reign, the story of Rose, whose name is a homonym, who loves homonyms, and who loves her dog, Rain, whose name is also a homonym.

Homonyms are everywhere, and Rose is the collector of all things homonymic. Rose (rows) is also the owner of a stray dog that her father brought home for her in the rain, hence the name, Rain (reign).

What did I like about this book?
I liked Rose, even though I could see how she could be annoying with her constant attention to homonyms and prime numbers, her insistence that all traffic rules must be obeyed to the letter, and her tendency to blurt out her concerns and thoughts in inappropriate places and at inappropriate times.

I liked Rose’s Uncle Weldon, who is a gentle soul who lends some stability to Rose’s otherwise out of control life.

I even liked that Rose’s father, a borderline abuser and alcoholic, makes the right decision in the end, for Rose and for the others in Rose’s world.

Rose’s schoolmates and teachers are for the most part kind and patient, even though Rose is not always easy to deal with in the classroom or outside.

I highly recommend this story to dog lovers, lovers of children on the autism spectrum, and rule followers everywhere. Rain Reign might bring a tear to the eye, but I can reassure those who are wondering what my children always wonder about dog stories:(possible spoiler!) no dogs die in the course of this story.

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This book is also nominated for a Cybil Award, but the views expressed here are strictly my own and do not reflect or determine the judging panel’s opinions.