Rain Reign

Bone, a stray dog, narrates the sometimes harrowing tale of how he finds a permanent home, effectively and evenly read.

Following their more traditional epistolary novel, P.S. Longer Letter Later, the authors re-team for another book, told in the immediacy of email rather than “snail mail.” All the usual tween subject matters (parents, siblings, friends, school) are on display, while the email format allows the characters to speak for themselves.

This popular series has been trimmed and translated into a new format. With middle school girls as protagonists, the visual storytelling amplifies characters and clarifies difficult concepts to make it appropriate for younger readers. Tough topics like stepfamilies and medical problems are discussed with sensitivity (and sometimes humor) through the context of the girls’ friendship.

The first in the series of adventures shared between Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft and their families is well-voiced in a light British accent.

Because of a mix-up, best doll friends Annabelle and Tiffany are sent to the wrong house where they must deal with Mimi, a doll who thinks she’s the queen of all and whose behavior is perfectly ghastly. Readers who were first introduced to these characters in Doll People will enjoy seeing them again.

Annabelle and her friend, Tiffany — both dolls come to life — soon learn that running way for any reason is full of pitfalls. The dolls’ third adventure (The Doll People (opens in a new window) and The Meanest Doll in the World (opens in a new window)) is illustrated cinematically by a Caldecott Medalist.