Rain Reign

Rose is a high functioning girl with Asperger's Syndrome. She keeps a growing list of homonyms that she finds intriguing and exciting and loves her dog, Rain, who her dad found during a storm.

Rose and her father manage to get along together although her dad spends many evenings drinking beer at the local bar. Luckily, Rose Uncle Weldon is someone she can depend on, and he provides the stability and encouragement Rose needs. 

When Rain is let outside during a storm without her leash on and runs away, Rose sets out to find her dog.  Her father is of no help, but Uncle Weldon does a great job of following Rose's very detailed plan.  

Except that when Rose finally locates her pet, she is confronted with whether she should find Rain's original family, or keep him for herself.  

For a girl who enjoys following rules, this is a hard decision.

Rose is an interesting character, and throughout the entire story she narrates using homonyms quite consistently, something that makes her Asperger's seem a very real part of this story.

I don't know that middle grade readers would pick up on some of the social issues Rose's dad has himself, but although Martin does not reveal everything about him, it seems obvious to me that Rose's father may fall somewhere on the autism spectrum himself, and I was grateful that Uncle Weldon was there for Rose.

I will never get tired of reading Ann M. Martin's work, from her Babysitter's Club series to her stand alone fiction, Martin continues to leave her mark in the world of children's literature.