The Honest Truth, Dan Gemeinhart. The cancer has returned for a second time and 12-year old Mark is dying. With $100 in his pocket and Beau, his dog, in his backpack, he sets out to climb Mt. Rainier, the tallest mountain in North America. No notes, no hints are left for his parents to have a clue where he might have gone. Only Jessie, his best friend and confidant, knows where he went and swore she wouldn't reveal his plan. Despite her personal turmoil, she is keeping her promise. Along his journey, he comes across bullies that knock him down, stealing from him, and sweet Hispanic angels that hold him up and remind him of Jessie's family. Mark is sick and weak and tired and alone. He is making this climb for his grandfather. But with his face plastered on TV screens, he avoids people at all costs, until a gentle man in a pick-up truck finds him near frozen, picks him up, and recognizes him; yet, gives him a small window of time to complete his task before he will make a phone call. With Beau at every step, he begins his ascent of the mighty mountain.

This book will grip you from the very first page, the very first sentence, and hold you until the last sentence wraps itself around to the beginning. Each chapter shares how many miles Mark has left to get to the mountain and each half chapter is told from his one dear friend, Jessie. The climb will have you biting your nails with horror and fear. I found myself thinking about Mark and worried for his family, desperately looking for him. Was Mark selfish or selfless? A question I found myself asking over and over again. Perhaps, you will, too.

Rain, Reign, Ann Martin. Rose Weldon is a fifth grade autistic girl that has her own school para pro and is a collector of homonyms. In her notebook of alphabetized homonyms, she leaves blank spaces for new additions; however, if there is not enough space to add a new pair or trio, she starts the entire list over again. Rose lives with her dad, who gets impatient with her perseverations and obsession for following rules. Her mom left years ago, but her adoring uncle takes her to school each day and picks her up. One day, her dad brings home a stray dog that he found and Rose names him Rain/Reign because he was found in the rain. They become inseparable.

Hurricane Susan is approaching and the community begins to prepare. She comes with a vengeance: closing school, knocking out bridges, falling trees, but all survive. In the middle of repairing the damages, Rose's dad lets Rain out but forgets to bring her back in. Rose doesn't understand how he could do that . . . and without her collar for identification. She creates a plan for locating her by identifying all the animal shelters within a several mile radius of home and calling each one. Days and days pass. Finally, a shelter has a dog that fits Rain's description; however, when Rose and her uncle get to the shelter and identify her, they learn that Rain is actually named Olivia due to a microchip planted by her "real" owners. Being the rule follower that she is, she sets out to find Rain's true owners.

The author pulls at the reader's heartstrings with tenderness. Do we want Rose to find Rain's real owner? Aren't we happy that Rain and Rose have one another? Will Rain want her previous owner more than Rose? Will Rain's previous owner see the love between Rose and Rain? The ending brings surprises, tears and smiles. Be prepared to fall in love.