The Doll People

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

Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein). Not everyone understands Rose’s obsessions, her rules, and the other things that make her different — not her teachers, not other kids, and not her single father. When a storm hits their rural town, rivers overflow, the roads are flooded, and Rain goes missing. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. Though Rose’s story is often heartbreaking, her matter-of-fact narration provides moments of humor. Readers will empathize with Rose, who finds strength and empowerment through her unique way of looking at the world.

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.

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.

This story prepares a child for what to expect at a traditional American wedding, from the point of view of the ring bearer. The simple rhyming text concludes with the bride and groom driving off, the ring bearer and other children throwing seeds for good luck – for “This is the way/The wedding will go.”

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.