• Age: 10 to 18
• Grade: 5 to 12

Bethany knows that she is special. She doesn't learn things as easily as her classmates do and that sometimes makes them mean to her. They call her names - including the really "bad" name. Even her mom and her sister Mira say unkind things at times. But Bethany has friends like her neighbor Mrs. Goldsborough as well as happy times with Dad when he gets home from work. And now, Mira has promised to protect her from the bullies when the new school year begins.

Then tragedy strikes, tearing Bethany's world apart in ways she could never have imagined, and she starts to wonder if there will ever be a place that feels like home again.

Award-winning author Valerie Sherrard revisits the world of The Glory Wind in her new historical novel.

Valerie Sherrard first decided to become an author when she was in grade six! Her homeroom teacher that year, Mr. Alf Lower, praised and encouraged her efforts and instilled in her a lifelong belief in her ability to write. After producing about a dozen books for teens, Sherrard turned her hand to picture books. There’s a COW Under My Bed! introduces Oscar Ollie Brown, who will be embarking on his second adventure in There’s a Goldfish in my Shoe! in the fall of 2009. Since becoming a published author, Sherrard has enjoyed visiting many classrooms and libraries to speak to young people about writing, literacy, and most of all, finding and following your dreams. Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Valerie has spent time in a number of provinces, including her current home of New Brunswick. She lives in Miramichi with her husband Brent and their four cats: Lilly, Thragg, Patootie and Cody.

Valerie Sherrard's profile page

"Award-winning author Valerie Sherrard continues to explore the connection between human beings, community and nature in Rain Shadow, a companion novel to The Glory Wind. . . These novels work well together. Each explores themes of tolerance and compassion in the context of post-WWII Canada, using unique points of view that on one hand create the illusion of distance, but on the other put the reader right where s/he needs to be."
— Canadian Children's Book News

"(Rain Shadow) is another strong work in the realist tradition, presenting the past without rose-coloured glasses. Readers emerge from the story with a fresh awareness of what kindness and decency to others really mean. Sherrard has made good use of metaphor, characterization and point-of-view to create another outstanding novel.
Highly Recommended."
— CM Magazine

"The book has excellent potential for classroom discussions about polio, special-needs children and grief. . . Rain Shadow is a sweet, yet tragic, little gem of a story that could nicely supplement a lesson plan for upper elementary students."
— The National Reading Campaign