Rain ReignReview posted January 16, 2026.
Feiwel and Friends, 2014. 226 pages.
Starred Review
2024 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Winner
2025 Mathical Honor Book
It took me a long time to get around to reading this highly acclaimed middle grade novel, but I'm glad I finally did.
Rose is happy to have a name that's a homonym (Rose, rows) and to have a dog Rain whose name is a triple homonym (Rain, reign, rein). Rose is in fifth grade, and she's on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. She has an aide to help her remember not to shout when someone breaks a rule, and to remind her that not everyone is interested in homonyms.
Rain lives with her father, who has trouble getting impatient with her at times, but she also has her dog Rain to turn to. Her uncle Weldon lives down the road and drives Rose to and from school. But when a hurricane hits and her father lets Rain out without her collar, Rose is distraught when she can't find her after the storm. Could she have been swept away down the swollen creek?
But Rose makes a plan and gets help from some new friends.
The plot of this story is fairly simple, but it's heartfelt, and does take a surprising and poignant turn at the end. Rose tells her own story, and hearing things from her perspective, we don't think she's weird - and we feel pain when other people do. But we also feel joy when she finds that having a loving dog can bring people together.