Rain

In a dystopian world, where the last of what is known to be the human race, lives the only remaining forest. Men and women must live separately to keep order in the village. Blinded by false hopes and untold truths, a young woman learns of her prophecy to seek the reality of what destroyed the world and of how she can save the last bit of life left on earth.

“Rain, rain, go away” is a phrase we often hear, but readers may change their minds when they learn the science behind one of nature’s most frequent phenomena. Readers learn why we need rain and what has to happen for Earth to stay hydrated. Age-appropriate content explains every step of the water cycle, while a detailed infographic helps readers visualize the process. Full-color photographs accompany the text, turning rainy days into something wondrous and exciting.

This book looks at the sources and composition of the atmosphere and rainfall, with particular attention on acidifying components and those that affect ecosystems. It further widens the subject to look at trace metals. It includes papers on the impact of deposition on soils and forests and the recovery of the natural environment. Work on critical loads makes a contribution to understanding the degree to which deposition must be reduced to limit its impact.

A story of resilience and redemption set against one of America's defining moments--the Dust Bowl. It's 1935 in Oklahoma, and lives are determined by the dust. Fourteen-year-old Kathryn Baile, a spitfire born with a severe clubfoot, is coming of age in desperate times. Once her beloved older sister marries, Kathryn's only comfort comes in the well-worn pages of her favorite book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Then Kathryn's father decides to relocate to Indianapolis, and only the promise of a surgery to finally make her "normal" convinces Kathryn to leave Oklahoma behind. But disaster strikes along the way, and Kathryn must rely on her grit and the ragged companions she meets on the road if she is to complete her journey. Back in Boise City, Melissa Baile Mayfield is the newest member of the wealthiest family in all of Cimarron County. In spite of her poor, rural upbringing, Melissa has just married the town's most eligible bachelor and is determined to be everything her husband--and her new social class--expects her to be. But as the drought tightens its grip, Henry's true colors are revealed. Melissa covers her bruises with expensive new makeup and struggles to reconcile her affluent life with that of her starving neighbors. Haunted by the injustice and broken by Henry's refusal to help, Melissa secretly defies her husband, risking her life to follow God's leading. Two sisters, struggling against unspeakable hardship, discover that even in their darkest times, they are still united in spirit, and God is still with them, drawing them home.