Rating: 
Summary: Rain Is Not My Indian Name
Review: Before I began this book I came onto amazon.com to see what other people thought of this, along with the reviews and summaries I was expecting something absolutely GREAT!!! Well, it wasn't as good as I thought. The author had so many chances to make it good, it just never had potential. I will admit it was a 4-star book, until I got to the ending. I got so confused at the ending. I had absolutely no clue! Since I live in OK I loved how it mentioned city names and places I am very familiar. I would suggest this book to someone who might like it, but just don't expect a whole lot out of it. Happy Reading!
Rating:
Summary: Rain Is Not My Indian Name
Review: Before I began this book I came onto amazon.com to see what other people thought of this, along with the reviews and summaries I was expecting something absolutely GREAT!!! Well, it wasn't as good as I thought. The author had so many chances to make it good, it just never had potential. I will admit it was a 4-star book, until I got to the ending. I got so confused at the ending. I had absolutely no clue! Since I live in OK I loved how it mentioned city names and places I am very familiar. I would suggest this book to someone who might like it, but just don't expect a whole lot out of it. Happy Reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't wait for a rainy day to read this one!
Review: Cassidy Rain Berghoff learns on the morning of her 14th birthday that her best friend has died. During her journey towards healing, she uses photography both as an opening to connect with those around her and as a shield. She reluctantly gets involved with her Aunt's Indian Camp, and learns about her family, her peers, and herself. Through her discoveries and support from family and friends, she learns to cope with misconceptions and grief.RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME is entertaining and provocative while addressing death and multicultural issues. Cynthia Leitich Smith effectively weaves the multicultural aspect gently through the story. I never felt bashed over the head. As a Japanese-American, I identified with Rain and her ambiguous feelings towards her heritage. Strong characters, evocative small-town setting, wonderful story, and a touch of humor make RAIN a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! Very highly recommended!
Review: Cassidy Rain Berghoff plans a kiss under the mistletoe to mark her new life, her birthday, and her new beginning. Galen has been her best friend through "lemonade stands, arcade games, spelling bees and science fairs." When he gives her a beautiful necklace for her birthday, something shifts. Trust Galen to show it first. But she believes there will be many days to share what they feel -- only to learn Galen dies overnight. Rain's the only person in town to not attend the funeral. Somewhere frozen inside are her words, but she remains silent as grief overwhelms her. Rain isolates, avoiding visitors, friends, and soccer buddies. Eventually her family pushes her into the world again, attempting to send her off to an "Indian Camp". When the camp becomes the focus of town controversy, Rain inadvertently finds herself at the heart of it. Instead of participating as a camper, she becomes the photographer for the local newspaper at the camp. That experience begins the process of healing and reconnecting to her world. Author Cynthia Leitich Smith intersperses the narrative with journal entries, creating a fresh sense of immediacy in RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. As the teen girl struggles through grief to rejoin the world, her journey of healing and growth touches the heart of all readers. Exploring the world of race, friendship, and connection, Rain becomes an example through her words and feelings -- never does the prose become preachy. Instead, she reveals her loss, her pain, her mistakes, and her growth, thereby allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. A remarkable and poignant achievement, RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME is a keeper! Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! Very highly recommended!
Review: Cassidy Rain Berghoff plans a kiss under the mistletoe to mark her new life, her birthday, and her new beginning. Galen has been her best friend through "lemonade stands, arcade games, spelling bees and science fairs." When he gives her a beautiful necklace for her birthday, something shifts. Trust Galen to show it first. But she believes there will be many days to share what they feel -- only to learn Galen dies overnight. Rain's the only person in town to not attend the funeral. Somewhere frozen inside are her words, but she remains silent as grief overwhelms her. Rain isolates, avoiding visitors, friends, and soccer buddies. Eventually her family pushes her into the world again, attempting to send her off to an "Indian Camp". When the camp becomes the focus of town controversy, Rain inadvertently finds herself at the heart of it. Instead of participating as a camper, she becomes the photographer for the local newspaper at the camp. That experience begins the process of healing and reconnecting to her world. Author Cynthia Leitich Smith intersperses the narrative with journal entries, creating a fresh sense of immediacy in RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. As the teen girl struggles through grief to rejoin the world, her journey of healing and growth touches the heart of all readers. Exploring the world of race, friendship, and connection, Rain becomes an example through her words and feelings -- never does the prose become preachy. Instead, she reveals her loss, her pain, her mistakes, and her growth, thereby allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. A remarkable and poignant achievement, RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME is a keeper! Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Like getting to know a whole community
Review: Cassidy Rain Berghoff's heritage includes German, Irish, Creek-Cherokee, and Ojibway. As she says, "Being a mixed-blood girl is no big deal..." but her Indian heritage is a big part of how she thinks of herself. It's also how her neighbors in her small midwestern town define her, dragging her unwillingly into the controversy surrounding Indian Camp -- a summertime activity club for Native kids. The controversy erupts just as Rain is beginning to venture out into the the world again after six months of self-imposed isolation following the death of her best friend, Galen Owen. Mrs. Owen, Galen's mother, is on a campaign to cut the funding for Indian camp. Rain, still mourning the loss of her friend, has to contend with small town gossip and small-minded thinking. The story of how she perseveres is the heart of the book. Her draws on her family, her artisitc ability, her humor and wit, and her kind-hearted nature. All this is brought to life with a rich and lively cast of well-developed characters. Reading this book is like getting to know a whole community.
Rating:
Summary: Like getting to know a whole community
Review: Cassidy Rain Berghoff's heritage includes German, Irish, Creek-Cherokee, and Ojibway. As she says, "Being a mixed-blood girl is no big deal..." but her Indian heritage is a big part of how she thinks of herself. It's also how her neighbors in her small midwestern town define her, dragging her unwillingly into the controversy surrounding Indian Camp -- a summertime activity club for Native kids. The controversy erupts just as Rain is beginning to venture out into the the world again after six months of self-imposed isolation following the death of her best friend, Galen Owen. Mrs. Owen, Galen's mother, is on a campaign to cut the funding for Indian camp. Rain, still mourning the loss of her friend, has to contend with small town gossip and small-minded thinking. The story of how she perseveres is the heart of the book. Her draws on her family, her artisitc ability, her humor and wit, and her kind-hearted nature. All this is brought to life with a rich and lively cast of well-developed characters. Reading this book is like getting to know a whole community.
Rating:
Summary: Very highly recommended!
Review: Cynthia Leitich Smith has penned a wonderful one-sitting read with RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. There's a laugh on every page (like discovering who Uncle Ed dated between getting gold tooth #1 and gold tooth #2) to provide a healthy balance to the emotionally-charged story of an intelligent young woman seraching for her place in the world following the death of her dearest friend. Ms. Smith has a gift for putting her readers in the head of a quirky, insightful fourteen-year-old without once resorting to teenage cliches or stereotypes. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book--Ms. Smith is a talent to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Rain Resonates with this Reader
Review: Cynthia Leitich Smith's Rain is Not My Indian Name is a refreshing, respectful examination of the issues that contemporary teens face. Smith gives such authentic voice to the heroine, Rain, that the character becomes real to this reader. The book courageously takes on real and complex issues that many teenagers face today, including death and single-parent households. Although there is enough action within it's pages to keep any teen interested, this is truly a book about individual characters. Smith captures the essence of her main character, Rain, by giving the reader a glimpse into her American Indian heritage. What is most impressive about Rain's character development is her proud heritage comes through, but does not solely define her. Smith has accomplished what few writers have. She develops her heroine's culture but not at the expense of her universal appeal to all teens, regardless of ethnicity. Rain illustrates the differences that make us special but also the similarities that unite us. I highly recommend this book for teens and parents alike for a thoughtful view of young middle-America. My only regret is that this type of book was not being written when I came of age.
Rating:
Summary: Rain Resonates with this Reader
Review: Cynthia Leitich Smith's Rain is Not My Indian Name is a refreshing, respectful examination of the issues that contemporary teens face. Smith gives such authentic voice to the heroine, Rain, that the character becomes real to this reader. The book courageously takes on real and complex issues that many teenagers face today, including death and single-parent households. Although there is enough action within it's pages to keep any teen interested, this is truly a book about individual characters. Smith captures the essence of her main character, Rain, by giving the reader a glimpse into her American Indian heritage. What is most impressive about Rain's character development is her proud heritage comes through, but does not solely define her. Smith has accomplished what few writers have. She develops her heroine's culture but not at the expense of her universal appeal to all teens, regardless of ethnicity. Rain illustrates the differences that make us special but also the similarities that unite us. I highly recommend this book for teens and parents alike for a thoughtful view of young middle-America. My only regret is that this type of book was not being written when I came of age.
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