Recommended for: Young Audiences | Family (all ages)

THE STORY: In 1937 Kansas, 11-year-old Jack Clark faces many challenges: local bullies, his father’s desperate attempts to keep his family intact, an older sister getting sicker by the day, and a little sister with an eye for trouble. But he’s also facing the epic disaster of the Dust Bowl—which means families disappearing overnight, tempers flaring in his small town, and the steady spread of the mysterious illness “Dust Dementia.” So can Jack even trust his own eyes when he makes a terrifying discovery in the abandoned barn next door? Is the sinister shadow with a face like rain—a creature with a plan to deprive humans of water forever—real? This uniquely American fable uses haunting music and startling imagery to ask: When everyone says you’re too small to be the hero of any story, where do you find the strength to save your family … and the world?