I enjoyed a nice visit to my local Indie bookstore this weekend, and picked up (among other books) a copy of Ann Martin’s Book, Rain Reign. The main character, fifth grader Rose Howard (her name is a homonym) is on the Autism spectrum and has an obsession with homonyms, prime numbers, and rules. Her father gifts her a stray dog and she gives it a name with 3 homonyms: Rain, Reign, Rein. I won’t give anything away, but this book is one of a number of books in recent years about a character with special needs who will tug at your heart and make you think about kids you teach/have taught for a long time after you finish reading  it.

Rose’s father (and her relationship with him) is not easy. Ann Martin does not sugar coat things. I would say that this character makes the book a bit more suitable for upper grade, more mature readers. I loved the book.