The Colors of the Rain

by R.L. Toalson

This historical middle grade novel written in free verse, set against the backdrop of the desegregation battles that took place in Houston, Texas, in 1972, is about a young boy and his family dealing with loss and the revelation of dark family secrets.

Ten-year-old Paulie Sanders hates his name because it also belonged to his daddy—his daddy who killed a fellow white man and then crashed his car. With his mama unable to cope, Paulie and his sister, Charlie, move in with their Aunt Bee and attend a new elementary school. But it’s 1972, and this new school puts them right in the middle of the Houston School District’s war on desegregation.

Paulie soon begins to question everything. He hears his daddy’s crime was a race-related one; he killed a white man defending a black man, and when Paulie starts picking fights with a black boy at school, he must face his reasons for doing so. When dark family secrets are revealed, the way forward for everyone will change the way Paulie thinks about family forever.

The Colors of the Rain is an authentic, heartbreaking portrait of loss and human connection during an era fraught with racial tension set in verse from debut author R. L. Toalson.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Poetry, Novel In Verse, Historical, Young Adult, Family

384 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2018

About the author

Arnold Adoff Poetry Honor award-winning MG author, poet | THE COLORS OF THE RAIN | THE WOODS | wife, mom of 6 (boys), long-distance runner, tea drinker

Reviews

[Sydney ✨]

So this was waaaay more emotional than I had anticipated. It was such an inspiring and thought provoking book for a middle grade level, which I think is really important! This book raises topics that are tough and not normally talked about!
The free verse way this was written in was so beautiful. I think it added a lot to the story I think that everyone needs to read this.

[Musiclib]

Full disclosure: I know the author. Full disclosure, part 2: She'd be very upset with me if I let that influence my review. Review contains spoilers!

In Texas in 1972, racism was still alive and well. Paulie finds that out the hard way - when his father is killed for beating a man to death at a bar. As the effects of the sudden death of her husband begin to take a toll on Paulie's mom, Paulie and his sister Charlie go to stay with their Aunt Bee (their father's sister). Aunt Bee is a school principal trying to work through the desegregation of Houston Public Schools. (For reference, HPS was still undergoing desegregation in 1972... Brown vs. Board of Education was decided in 1954).

Paulie and Charlie eventually move to different schools to escape the angry feelings of their community. Paulie, who feels most at peace when he's drawing in his sketchbook, is enrolled in art class with Mr. Langley, who is African American. Together, they begin painting a mural on a side building. During that time, Mr. Langley becomes a father figure for Paulie. As time goes on, Paulie learns much more about his family than he ever knew. Secrets were being outed so quickly, Paulie almost couldn't deal with them. As the truth comes to light, Paulie discovers that his future doesn't have to be as dark as he once thought.

Toalson weaves together several characters and their dark plot lines to a very heartwarming ending. She excels at exposing Paulie's inner monologues using free verse writing. It does take a few pages to figure out Paulie is white, and that Charlie is a girl. However, Toalson really highlights the struggle Paulie has to deal with regarding race (both with regard to his father and the actions that lead to his father's death, and with his interactions with African American classmate Greg).

The violent events aren't described play-by-play, and the historical detail is accurate.

As a librarian, I would hand this to middle school and older children who like realistic fiction and/or 20th century historical fiction. Because of the historical detail, this book could be of interest to adults as well.

[Laura Shovan]

THE COLORS OF THE RAIN is a beautiful middle grade verse novel by debut author R. L. Toalson. This heart-centered book is about Paulie, a boy in the 1970s South whose family is struggling. When he goes to live with an aunt, a school principal, desegregation impacts his life in unexpected ways. Readers will connect with Paulie's honest, emotionally raw voice.

An ARC of this book was shared with the #BookExpedition reading group.

[Keleigh Spinner]

Gorgeous. A beautifully written, layered novel with rich characters and powerful themes. I will be saving this one for my children to read in late elementary/middle school. In the meantime, I will recommend it to all of my reader friends, regardless of age.

[Ben Langhinrichs]

Told from the point of view of ten year old Paulie, this lovely novel told all in verse explores issues of race and trust and loss with a backdrop of the 1970s desegregation turmoil. Paulie is not always 100% sure what is going on as his family expands and contracts, and the loss of his father and instability of his mother leave him anxious and unsure and dependent on relatives, but over time, he learns that while nobody is perfect, you can learn to trust and be trusted to learn. Racial issues are handled sensitively from the point of view of a white boy trying to understand the prejudices of people around him, and figure out how he feels. I was particularly touched by his somewhat difficult and awkward friendship with Greg, a black boy in his school, but honestly all the characters are rich, complex, and nuanced. A truly lovely book.

[Em]

It was much more heavy than I expected but I really enjoyed it

[Anne O'Brien Carelli]

I was given an ARC to review and was pulled right in to a compelling story, told in a way that makes it easy to digest the content and feel the emotion. After reading it, I went back through and really studied the use of words and poetry and it made me appreciate the book even more. The author has taken an ugly, uncomfortable subject and infused it with compassion and understanding. It will probably be a new topic for middle graders (and YA readers, as well), but it's an excellent way for them to look at history from different points of view. The author did a beautiful job of tackling a tough topic so that kids will want to continue to read and find out more. I highly recommend it.

[Mandy Stallard]

Wow! This novel-in-verse from R. L. Toalson is a must read. Paulie's father was killed on a rainy evening, and ever since that day, his mom hasn't been the same. She's started drinking and is rarely home. Since his mother can longer take care of them, Paulie and his older sister, Charlie, go to live with their Aunt Bee who happens to be the principal of Paulie's new elementary school. It's 1972 in Houston, and the community is boiling with protests over school desegregation. At his new school, Paulie meets Mr. Langley, the art teacher. Mr. Langley is different than any other teacher Paulie has had before because he is black, but Paulie quickly feels a connection to him. Paulie also meets a black student named Greg who has a special connection to Mr. Langley as well. Unfortunately for Greg, he becomes the target of Paulie's repressed anger over losing his dad and his mom. Eventually, Paulie realizes that he and Greg are more alike than he could have ever imagined.

Aunt Bee has the nicest house Paulie and Charlie have ever seen; she cooks for them and provides for them in ways their mother never could. Paulie and Charlie are loving their new life until their mom throws a wrench in it. She wants them back. The children are faced with the dilemma of disappointing their aunt if they leave and disappointing their mom if they stay. There is an amazing surprise in the plot that unfolds near the end of the book. This twist will leave readers in tears (both happy and sad), and they will be rethinking all of Aunt Bee's prior actions.

Novels-in-verse are quickly becoming one of my favorite genres. They are such quick reads and beautifully lyrical. This book is no exception. I snapped four or five pictures of lines that I didn't want to forget because they were too special to just keep reading. I love when an author writes such beautiful lines that I just want to savor them, and there were many lines worth savoring in The Colors of the Rain

[Rebecca]

So many positive things about this book:
Novel in verse
Historical time
Families
Loss
Rekindling
Recovery from the past
So many things packed into this page turning novel in verse! It may seem like a big book but you’re going to want to continue reading page after page to find out what’s next!

[Llyr Heller-Humphreys]

Excellent upper middle grade historical fiction novel in verse about a boy coming to terms with the world around him.

[Ally]

Told in verse this touching book takes an unflinching look at hard topics like violence, broken families, death and race without ever feeling too heavy. Toalson bring Paulie to life in these pages. We see his anger and his fear, his jealousy and his grief. But her writing is light enough to let Paulie learn how to navigate the complexities of growing up in a broken imperfect world. Set against the chaos of school desegregation in 1970's Texas, Toalson let's a family's drama and pain play into a larger world that is working through it's own drama and pain. In the end her story tells you that families are messy. But so is life. That's what makes it so beautiful.

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads)]

“Sometimes families don’t look
exactly the way we expect it to.
Sometimes it looks maybe
just a little bit better.”
#TheColorsOfTheRain is a novel written in verse.
It takes you on a journey with 10-year-old Paulie as he navigates life during the war on desegregation in Houston. Not only has he lost his dad, but things seem to keep falling apart at the seams.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Will Paulie be able to trust again?
Will he find a way to be happy despite all of the setbacks he continues to face?

[Cassie Thomas]

“I’ve never felt so alone in my life, even though there are people all around me.”
Set in 1972 during a time where the war on desegregation was hot, Paulie Sanders is discovering who he is after the only family he thought he knew, ends. This story, written in verse, takes you through Paulie’s life after the death of his father and how he learns to cope. Not only with losing his Dad, but all of the other issues that arise, and then the secrets. All of the family secrets.
Out in September, this will be a must read.

[Kristin Crouch]

Thank you to the author for gifting me an ARC.
R. L. Toalson has woven so many wonderful elements into this novel in verse. Paulie's father has died, his mother is debilitated by grief and addiction, and racial tensions are running high as his town is struggling to integrate. Luckily, he has his sister, Charlie, and his Aunt Bea to support him.
Thinking back through the novel, I am overwhelmed at everything this young man had to face. But the book never felt overwhelming. There was so much struggle and sadness, but Paulie found peace in his art, his dog, and his extended family. R. L. Toalson wrote a very heavy novel that never once feels too heavy to bear - a wonderful talent, in my opinion.
The Colors of the Rain is a beautiful book to hand to students who are interested in integration, who've faced any type of loss or grief, who've witnessed addiction, or who struggle with finding and being their best selves. Basically, it should be made available to any kids you may know!

[Connie D]

Well, I have to admit that I cried a few times reading this book. Not when I discovered their father died, not when their mother crumpled and was unable to take care of them, but later.

This book deals with lots of tough issues (murder, grief, alcoholism, racism, bullies), yet there is also great beauty in the pieces of the family that remained, the art created, gardening with grandparents, the people who try to help, and the potential for friendship and love.

Beautifully written, in short, spare poetic form.

[Gannon Youakim]

I don’t normally read verse novels, but a student literally checked this out from the library for me. So I did.

And I’m glad I did.

This verse novels was full of emotion. At multiple points, I teared up. Toalson did an excellent job capturing the most impactful moments of Pauline’s life, weaving in multiple narratives, and reflecting the concerns of both the time and today. This was almost a five-star for me, but I would’ve liked a little more experimenting with structure within each of the poems.

[Katie Reilley]

I was able to read this book through my #bookexpedition ARC group.

Absolutely loved this MG historical fiction novel told in free verse. Set in the 1970s in Texas, the story is told by ten year old Paulie who begins to question everything after his father is killed in a race related crime.

When more family secrets are exposed, Paulie must change the way he thinks about his family. With themes of grief, friendship, and family, this is a must buy for MG classroom libraries.

[Anja]

The Colors of the Rain was such a great, poignant book about segregation, family relationships and friendships. I loved how it was set during the 1970s and I loved how the protagonist is white. I've read so many other books about segregation through a black POV so it was refreshingly different to read about racial tension and segregation through a white POV. I really loved that it was set in free verse.
Paulie, Greg, Aunt Bee, and Mama are such amazing, round characters. I looked forward to each chapter and I was intrigued throughout the whole book. This book was really, really good and I hope to read more books by R. L. Toalson in the future.

[TheNextGenLibrarian]

Read this today and I don’t know how to rate it. The book is a historical fiction novel in verse set in 1970s Texas and deals so much with race, family trauma, loss of a parent and more.

BUT THE DOG DIES!

It ruined the whole thing for me. I bawled. I couldn’t find any trigger/content warnings for that so I’m kind mad 😂

CW: death of a pet, death of a parent, racism, bullying, grief, alcoholism, abandonment, addiction, domestic abuse

[Melanie Sumrow]

Told in stunning verse, this is a heartbreaking story filled with hope. Paulie's world falls apart, but he learns to piece it back together as he re-examines what it means to be both a family and a friend. Set with the 1970's war on desegregation as its backdrop, the author does a masterful job of integrating the racial tension of the day from a child's perspective.

[J.H. Diehl]

A white fifth-grader's family tragedies and secrets are woven into the brutal realities of a community's resistance to school integration in this sensitively-told novel-in-verse, set in the early 1970s in Texas. One thing that struck me about the story was how its characters, both black and white, all in some tragic way bruised by life, find ways to anchor and buoy each other through difficult, changing times and - especially for the protagonist Paulie - as those hard secrets unveil.

[Stefania B]

Super good book, really deep and almost made me cry but I held it in. The feelings and deep meanings of the text were meaningful and the plot twists in verse were super cool and surprising. Fr recommend really good book

[Diana S]

I loved this book! Great Story!

[Laurie]

An ambitious, moving novel-in-verse that doesn’t shy away from tough topics and features a resilient protagonist.

[Gloria Bauernfeind]

I loved this book. I never experienced racism towards African Americans growing up. Being Hispanic though I did experience some. This book leaves you with hope. I loved the ending.

[Melinda]

This book takes place amid desegregation in Houston but is really about families, the good and bad. It’s left me thoughtful and emotional, which is always a good sign in a book.

[Isabel Bryan [the Bookmark Hoarder]]

"I am a spider stuck in a web,
surrounded by dewdrop questions.
Every move I make
sends answers I don't like
splashing deep enough
to drown me"
-"Web," pg 218

A very well written novel in verse. And I love the title!

My only note is that it was more about the main characters family than it was about the desegregation of Texas schools in the 1970s. That doesn't make it any less good-I was just anticipating more if the poems to deal with school based on the summary.

[Patricia Rose]

I sometimes substitute teach at a middle school, and R.L. Toalson's book The Colors of the Rain was in one of the classrooms of an English teacher whose students are prolific readers. So I thought I should read it.

It's a very good story with interesting characters who are surprising. The story is more emotional than I thought it would be, so it would be a good book to discuss with kids and unpack some of the topics.

Set in the early 1970s in Houston, Texas, it addresses a period of time that I remember well: desegregation in schools. The main character, a young boy named Pauly, doesn't want to be like his daddy--a murderer. And yet, Pauly finds himself full of rage because he is poor and without a father figure. When his mother cannot handle the loss of her husband, Pauly is sent to live with his aunt.

He has no friends and is the new kid. Rather than befriending another bullied student, a young Black boy, Pauly finds himself doing mean things to him and not understanding why. And feeling self hatred for it.

This is a book about redemption. I really liked the end. I also liked that it was historical fiction covering a deeply divided South and showing the race divide in schools (and among adults who were shunned for loving someone of another ethnicity). It shows the difficulty of growing up poor, but also how love wins. And it highlights, families, and how messy they can be. The writing is very good and the story itself is a fast-paced read because it is told in verse. Highly recommend.

[Timiya]

I really liked this book. The book is about a boy named Paulie that dad got killed because he protected a black man, but when Paulie starts going to a school with all the colors of people he bullies a black boy, named Greg. I really liked this book because it teaches me not to judge a book by its cover. Paulie judged Greg because he was black. For example, at the end of the book, Paulie becomes friends with Greg. They started becoming friends because Paulie got to know the boy and didn't judge him by his appearance

[Ginger]

A heart-breaking story beautifully told diving into topics of racism, abuse, family, and grief.