"The Storm in the Barn" by Matt Phelan is set during the 1930s in the Dust Bowl. Jack Clark is our protagonist and he faces a host of challenges-- bullies, a disappointed and hard to please father, two sisters, one who is seriously ill from all the dust, and one who tends to go places she shouldn't be. But when Jack wanders into an abandoned barn and discovers a man who looks like rain, he must decide if he is strong enough to protect the people he loves and bring back the rain.
What a great mixing of genres. This book had historical fiction, folk lore, and adventure--all in a graphic novel format! And it did them all well. The showdown between the eerie Rain king and Jack was intense and creepy. The wordless panels in this section were well used as they increased the tension and drama of the fight. However, this same ploy didn't work so well elsewhere. There were times where I thought, "This is the third time in a row he's used that picture and I'm not sure why." That is a small complaint compared to the praise I have for this book, though. The pictures captured perfectly the dry, dusty setting of the dust bowl and the down trodden nature of those who lived there. The self discovery and redemption of Jack in the end was very satisfying and the journey to the end was both poignant and exciting. I would especially recommend to boys. See the trailer here! I didn't make this trailer, so the recognition goes to the author.
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