Shouting At The Rain, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Penguin Random House, 2019. $22.99 ages 10 and up

"There's so much I can't say. I
can't tell her how Madre Seal
coming back makes me curl up
and pull the covers under my
chin at night. I can't tell her one
of my best friends has chosen a
new best friend. And I can't tell
Esme that I don't want her to be
my friend; I want her and Henry
to be my mom and dad. I'm glad
they love me, but it feels like
having the light of the sun but ... "

Ms. Hunt gets right to the heart of her strong and memorable tale. Our meeting with Delsie is abrupt. Her friend Aimee blows through the front door, excited about a role in the summer production of Annie. The two have seen the movie together. Aimee wants help in making her performance authentic. Delsie has no idea how she can help.

"So, I don't understand how I can help. Wouldn't
Michael be better?
"No, he can' help me. Not like you can. Michael has ...
a family."
I feel like I've tripped and haven't hit the ground yet.
"Tell me," she says. "What's it like ... really like ... to
be an orphan?"

That is how we learn about Delsie's family circumstance. She has never considered herself an orphan, until now. Yes, her mother did leave her with her grandmother, and has not tried to contact her. But, she has a family. She and Grammy live together, work together, and support one another. It is a new summer, a time when she learns something about life, love, loss, friendship, and the true meaning of family.

Brandy, a friend who returns to their island each summer, has suddenly changed. She wears makeup, has a new rude, haughty friend who takes pleasure in making Delsie look bad. Tressa doesn't like that Delsie doesn't wear shoes, doesn't have money, and lives with her grandmother who cleans motel rooms. And she doesn't like Delsie's new friend, Ronan. Ronan has just moved to live with his father. Brandy does nothing to support Delsie, leaving her heartbroken ... for a time.

 In trying to deal with that hurt, she turns to Ronan. His mother has also abandoned him, sending him to live with his father. As the two spend time together, Ronan gets to know the special people who are Delsie's family on Cape Cod. Her neighbors, her grandmother, her school friends Aimee and Michael, and the cape itself all play an essential role in helping her deal with the betrayal of her former friend, and the worry of her mother abandoning her. They are strong, worthy, and loving characters who readers will find admirable, and memorable.