Rose clearly loves Rain and is overjoyed to find her after the storm, but Rose works hard to reunite Rain with her previous owners. What do Rose’s actions reveal about her character, both directly and indirectly? You may want to consider these points as you build your answer.

• What are Rose’s options after rediscovering Rain?
• What does Rose reveal in her narration about her motivations and feelings during the search for the Hendersons?
• How does her decision to return Rain connect to other actions Rose takes?
• How does Rose feel when Rain is reunited with her original owners?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might list quotations from the novel that address this discussion topic and identify the ways in which the quotations connect in order to make inferences about Rose. The class might address one or more of the bulleted points (such as identifying Rose’s options) together. Students might have strong reactions to Rose’s decision and could benefit from sharing in a whole-group or small-group format. Then, students could spend time re-reading, taking notes, and journaling before resuming as a full class to discuss. This process provides opportunities for connections, reactions, and literary analysis.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with attentional and executive functioning differences might find a graphic organizer helpful, such as a T-chart with quotations in one column and analysis in the other.