Book Review of The Storm in the Barn

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Phelan, Matt. 2009. THE STORM IN THE BARN. Ill. by Matt Phelan. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763636180.

 

PLOT SUMMARY

The story starts in 1937 Kansas. Families are suffering from the effects of lack of rain and constant blowing dust. One boy named Jack is having a particularly difficult time between having to deal with dust storms as well as neighborhood bullies. One day he finds a creature in a barn. It turns out that the creature is the embodiment of the rain. There is no rain in the land because the creature is staying in the barn. Jack confronts the creature, causing it to ultimately rain on the land. Jack saves the land through his bravery.   

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book provides an excellent description of daily life in the Dust Bowl of 1937 Kansas. There are very few words, but those that are written are succinct and evocative. The narrative includes more than one subplot. There is the surface story of living a rural existence in the Kansas Dust Bowl, but there is also another story of trying to understand what is dwelling in the barn, what to do about it, and how to have the courage to do it. The illustrations of this graphic novel make it easy to follow the plot. Also, the simplicity of the drawings reinforces the feelings of sparseness and dryness that permeate the tale.  

 

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

2010 ALSC NOTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD: “At the stark, dry height of the 1937 Kansas dust bowl, 11-year-old Jack tries to bring back the rain when he challenges a mythical figure in this stirring graphic novel.”

2010 KANSAS NOTABLE BOOK AWARD: “This graphic novel shares the story of Jack Clark as he faces his share of ordinary 11-year-old challenges. He also is dealing with the effects of the Dust Bowl in Kansas, including rising tensions in his small town and the spread of a new illness - "dust dementia." In a land where it never rains, it's hard to trust what you see - and harder still to take heart and be a hero when necessary.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL starred review: “Children can read this as a work of historical fiction, a piece of folklore, a scary story, a graphic novel, or all four. Written with simple, direct language, it's an almost wordless book: the illustrations' shadowy grays and blurry lines eloquently depict the haze of the dust.”

 

CONNECTIONS

*Growing up; facing bullies; finding your inner courage; the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression: these are all subjects explored by this book, and subjects that this book can help readers explore.

* Other books like this one include:

Durbin, William. THE JOURNAL OF C.J. JACKSON: A DUST BOWL MIGRANT. ISBN 9780439153065.

Stanley, Jerry. CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP. ISBN 9780517880944.  


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