Shouting at the Rain Paperback – May 5, 2020

Thank you to Penguin Kids and Nancy Paulsen Books for sharing an ARC with our #bookexpedition group.Once again I’m in awe of the characters that Lynda Mullaly Hunt creates. Delsie, who lives with her Grammy on Cape Cod, is weathering fading friendships and blossoming new ones. She’s feeling abandoned by both her mother who left when she was just a baby and by her best friend who’s leaving her for a “cooler” girl.With the help of her loving, wise Grammy, who thinks Delsie hung the moon, her amazing neighbors Henry and Esme, and a new friend named Ronan, Delsie learns that “(Family) is made by the people who love you. Who worry about you and champion you.”With themes of family, friendship, and hope, this will be a definite addition to my classroom library when it publishes in May 2019.Some of my favorite pieces of beautiful writing from Hunt:“Chips and dents make a person more interesting.”“When people throw rocks, you can either build wall or bridges. Be a bridge builder.”“Every pancake has two sides.”“Some friends are glitter, and some are glue.”“Anything that matters in this whole wide world is about connection.

Delsie is being raised by her offbeat-yet-caring grandmother on Cape Cod. It's fine, but she can't help wondering why she doesn't have typical parents. Her unease grows as her friend group starts changing and shifting, until her life feels like one of the storms she likes to track. Enter Ronan, an unexpected and unconventional ally who has been through the wringer himself. Their tenuous friendship grows as they connect over shared experiences of loss and feeling like you don't belong...anywhere. These young people feel real- when Delsie is rejected by her former best friend, it stings, and her sadness and anger is palpable. When Ronan acts out, you understand where he's coming from. These characters are windows into young people's minds, and readers will connect with them as they learn resilience, and rediscover the love and support that already exists in their lives. It's a beautiful and meaningful story that resonates, especially in today's stressful world.

SHOUTING AT THE RAIN is a heartwarming story about a young girl who lives on Cape Cod and her summer of discovery. She must learn to deal with broken friendships, the truth about her mother, the angry new boy, and what it means to be part of an untraditional family.Lynda Mullaly Hunt writes with honesty, humor, and heart. She remembers what it's like to be in middle school and knows how to put it on the page. She leaves the reader feeling hope. "Thing is, the sun is always in the sky - it just gets hidden sometimes." This is her third book and is sure to be loved by readers everywhere!

I would recommend this book for a 4th grader to possibly 7th grade. As an adult though, I enjoyed this easy read for something to not think about in depth. I'd consider this a "summer read" for when you have the time to read. This book took me about 2 days to read. I like Hunts character development and brilliant use of dialogue. In fact, it seemed the whole book was dialogue and I began to wonder if Delsie even breathed. The third to last chapter seemed to be a great place to end the book but it kept going for three more chapters. Those chapters could have been summed up into one chapter. The last three chapters were so repetative in their overused, over analyzed, Pollyanna views of "lessons", I became bored and wondered when the book was going to end as it dragged on and on...much like this review. But if an elementary kid gets some life lesson from it then it's totally worth the read, repeatatives and all.

Shouting at the Rain is as heartbreaking and heartwarming as they get. Most kids can relate to the issues in the book: wanting a “normal” family, being rejected by friends, blue collar life, grief, abandonment, neighbors who are family, mean kids, anger, finding your “herd,” unexpected friends, standing up for yourself. I fell in love with Delanie and her family -she made me laugh, then cry, then cheer for her. I love Esme’s strong shoulder, Henry’s wise words, and Grammy’s unconditional love. 5 stars and all the love for their wonderful, beautiful book!

Lynda Mullaly Hunt truly knows how to tell compelling stories to raise social awareness using kid-friendly language. This story about a young girl struggling with friendships and family circumstances is surely relatable by many children as well as adults. And for those who don't necessarily relate, it is a wonderful opportunity for those readers to understand. I'm always looking forward to reading more books by Hunt.

Wow! Hunt writes another great book. I am particularly fond of Fish in a Tree but I am in love with this book. Delsie is an orphan who lives in the Cape with her Grammy. She starts the summer off with her close friend, Brandy, but Brandy suddenly becomes close with a girl named Tressa. Tressa is jealous of Brandy and Delsie's relationship. She starts to torment Delsie but what will happen once Ronan gets in the picture. Hunt writes another great book for ages 10-11 for any parents.

Hunt’s love and respect for young readers is obvious in every page of this book. This story will resonate with kids who feel left behind by friends, parents, or others and will remind readers to see the love that’s right in front of them.

My daughter loved it

It has a great flow, easy to read, and has a great life lesson!

Good read!