The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan (Genre: Historical Fiction)

A.    BIBLIOGRAPHY
Phelan, Matt. 2009. THE STORM IN THE BARN. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763636180

B.    SUMMARY
In this debut graphic novel by Matt Phelan, the story is a blend of folklore, mystery, and historical fiction. Set against the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the story is about a young boy living in a small Kansas town. The year is 1937, and eleven-year-old Jack Clark feels alienated and useless. The family farm sits idle because of the long drought, Jack’s older sister is suffering from what the doctors term “dust pneumonia”, and Jack feels useless as his dad deems him unfit to help with chores. Jack is also bullied by a group of unruly youths. Jack’s only solace is listening to his sick sister read stories of Dorothy’s adventures in Oz, and visiting his older friend Ernie who runs a convenience store. Ernie regales Jack with stories of another Jack who fights off the King of Blizzards and the two-headed King of the Northeast Winds.

One day, Jack spies something strange in an abandoned barn, but he begins to doubt what he thinks he saw when he overhears the local doctor expressing concern that Jack may be suffering from “dust dementia.” It is only later that Jack builds up the courage to face the entity in the barn, which turns out to be “rain”, hiding from the world until people grow desperate enough that they will worship “rain” when it manifests itself. Jack finally feels he has had enough of being bullied and decides to take concrete action, one that might just free the townspeople from the long drought.

C.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Jack Clark is a well-delineated character that adolescent readers will easily relate to. The feelings of alienation, being useless, the fear of the unknown and anger that comes with being incessantly bullied are all feelings that many adolescents can empathize with.  The story is also rooted in actual history, that of the Dust Bowl period of the 1930s. One of the events described in the book, i.e. the jackrabbit drive is based on an actual event that occurred back then and is effectively conveyed by Phelan in a series of panels which shy away from graphic description yet make the bloody events that transpired perfectly clear.

The setting for this story is Kansas in 1937, and Phelan credibly recreates the details of the period through the pencil and watercolor panels portraying the dust storms, the hazy effect from the ever present dust, and the styles of the period as evidenced by the characters’ clothing, the cars, the buildings, farmhouses, barns, etc. The language used in the novel is also period authentic, and lends credibility to the story.

The style of writing is sparse with direct, unadorned language and this suits the story as the illustrations “speak” for themselves. There are pages upon pages where there is no text and only illustrations that encourage readers to pore over the illustrations and infer the meaning. Though Jack’s encounter with “rain” seems more like fantasy, the story never loses sight of its true focus, i.e. the plight of people trapped on barren farms, and struggling to eke out a living during the Dust Bowl period. In Jack Clark, readers will find a determined young hero who discovers his sense of identity and self-confidence.

D.    AWARDS/ REVIEW EXCERPT (S)
The Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction (2010)

Publishers Weekly: “The big novelty here is the Dust Bowl setting, and Phelan's art emphasizes the swirling, billowing clouds of fine grit that obscure even nearby objects. Older readers might have appreciated more text to make up for the lack of visual clarity, but kids will identify with Jack and appreciate his success.”

VOYA: “Phelan's panels, which stretch on wordlessly for pages at a time, evoke both the majestic sweep and crushing loneliness of the bone dry prairies during the Great Depression, and his mastery of facial expressions and body language allow him to communicate in just a few pen strokes what could take paragraphs of text.”

School Library Journal: “Written with simple, direct language, it’s an almost wordless book: the illustrations’ shadowy grays and blurry lines eloquently depict the haze of the dust. A complex but accessible and fascinating book.”

Kirkus Reviews: “Author/illustrator Phelan's first graphic tale is part historical mystery, part fantasy thriller. The pencil-and-watercolor panels are cinematically framed and often wordless, advancing the plot and delineating character with careful strokes. The bleakness of the Dust Bowl comes through in both the landscape and the hopeless faces of his characters. This is not to be missed.”

E.    CONNECTIONS
*This graphic novel makes an excellent introduction for a Social Studies unit on the Dust Bowl period. Teachers/librarians can also compile some additional material on this period such as recorded interviews with those that lived through this period, documentaries, etc. and use these materials to engage students’ interest in the topic and initiate discussions on the topic. One of the documentaries on this period is “American Experience: Surviving the Dust Bowl” (2007).
*Upper elementary and middle school students can be encouraged to show their research skills by compiling information on the Dust Bowl period and presenting the information in the form of a project such as a PowerPoint presentation, a diorama, collage, essay, etc.
*Students can also be encouraged to read other accounts of the Dust Bowl period such as:
Hesse, Karen. 1999. OUT OF THE DUST. Scholastic. ISBN 0590371258
Stanley, Jerry. 1993. CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SCHOOL AT WEEDPATCH CAMP. Crown Books. ISBN 0517880946