The Sundown Rule

by Wendy Townsend

Louise is sent to live with relatives for six weeks while her dad is working in Brazil. Feeling neglected, she reaches out to abandoned bunnies, baby raccoons, even a dead crow. When her father contracts a deadly infection, Louise must come to terms with her feelings.

Genres: Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Animals

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2011

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brief book packs a mighty punch, taking out such difficult concepts as death and religion. In this sense, it reminds me of "Bridge to Terabithia". This is the story of Louise, a young girl, who's grown up living a simple life with her father, who is a ranger, in the woods of Michigan. Her father is called away to write an article for National Geographic in Brazil, and she is sent to live in suburbia with her aunt and uncle. Louise is a huge animal/ nature lover (which really reminded me of myself), and her aunt is allergis to animals, so Louise is not able to take her cat along. She makes a friend, has simple adventurous jaunts into nature, and experiences a full range of emotions. I loved this book, as it felt so natural and so real to me. It's been a long time since I've read a book like this-- one that felt just as easy and clear as breathing. If you read this, though, be aware that animal injuries/ deaths are fairly graphic and would be upsetting to some readers.

[Andra · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the National Parks setting.

[Sheila Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the wild creatures that Louise captures and lovingly observes must go back to their natural habitats by sundown. This rule was made by her gentle father who works for the Park Service and writes articles about nature.

Louise tells her own story, and this preteen’s first- person voice is perfect. She’s an unusual kid, especially by today’s standards, because she has grown up living in a nearly wilderness setting. In clear detail, she talks about her love for the crows who communicate with her and each other. Like her carnivorous cat, crows are not all sweetness and light. But she loves them all with her whole heart. So it’s very hard for her to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle in a community for retirees, where she is probably the only child. Her father is on a writing assignment in Brazil, and she doesn’t even have the comfort of her beloved cat; he’s been left at home to be cared for by friends. Louise feels trapped in her aunt and uncle’s beautiful house. When she goes exploring, she manages to discover nearby small remnants of the natural world even in this suburban area. In addition, Louise makes a good friend, a girl her own age. But she still misses her dad, the crows, and her cat.

The cover illustration of this book depicts a dead crow, visually foreshadowing a darker side to the story. Louise’s aunt and uncle had a daughter who was killed in a horseback-riding accident, and Louise suffers her own loss during this summer. She finds comfort in her love for nature but also realizes that she needs to accept and appreciate the very supportive people in her life.

Although this is what’s called a “quiet” book, it kept me totally engaged. Louise is such an appealing character, and her situation feels quite real. Children who are fascinated by creatures – from spiders to jaguars – will see themselves in Louise. Others may discover in THE SUNDOWN RULE a whole new and wonderful perspective on the natural world.

[Natalie Cheetham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both Louise and her dad love nature. Her father's love is demonstrated by his work for the Park Service, and the articles that he writes about nature. Louise demonstrates her love by observing animals in the wild and in home-made habitats, but any animals that she captures must be released by sun-down. Louise is not thrilled when her dad gets an assignment to write an article about jaguars in Brazil and will not let her and her cat, Cash tag along. And, even though she loves her aunt and uncle, she's finding it hard to feel at home in the suburban sprawl. When her father gets sick in Brazil and cannot come home after six weeks, Louise must find a way to cope within the confines of her new environment.

I consider myself a nature-lover. And, while I know that Louise meant well, I couldn't help cringing whenever she'd take an animal out of its own environment to observe it in a tank for a few hours (unless the animal was in jeopardy)...so right off the bat I had problems with this novel. The other glaring problem was that I felt there really wasn't much of a story. A lot of the dialogue, especially between Louise and her new friend, felt forced and phony, and the plot was severely lacking. I read and read, and ultimately found myself asking, "What was the point of it all?"

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lews and her dad love their simple life in a cottage in the woods. While her dad writes articles about nature, she and her cat Cash venture into the woods to explore. She can’t resist bringing her animal finds home with her, but her dad’s rule is that by sundown she has to put them back where she found them. What she really wants is to hold one of the crows that comes to snack in her compost pile, but she knows they’ll never let her get close enough.

Then Lews’s dad leaves for South America to work on an article for National Geographic, and she has to go stay with her aunt and uncle in the suburbs for six weeks. The worst part is that Aunt Kay is allergic to animals, so Cash can’t come. Although Aunt Kay and Uncle Jack are really nice and Lews has made a dear friend in their neighborhood, she still misses the woods, her cat, her crows, her dad. It’s almost like she’s been carried away from her native habitat and is waiting for someone to return her by sundown.

When everything seems like it’s falling apart at once and her six week stay looks like it could turn into all summer, Lews is faced with a question: can she adapt and survive until she’s able to go home?

If you enjoy stories about nature and animals, give this one a try.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's not a lot too this quiet novel about a girl and her love of nature except that: a love of nature. When Louise's father gets a chance to write an article about jaguars for National Geographic, she's thrilled. Unfortunately, she's far less thrilled by the fact that he'll be abandoning her for the summer and she'll have to live with her perfect nice but animal-resistant aunt and uncle. As Louise muddles through the months, she learns how to deal with the death of a beloved pet, a new friend, and her father's sudden and distant illness. Everyone in this book is just nice as peaches and cream, so there's no real conflict aside from what Louise wants and what the universe hands her. It's a fine book but neither the writing nor the characters particularly stand out. Kind of a dud, I'm afraid. - B

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louise's dad made a rule - whatever animal you catch in nature you have to return by sunset. Louise loves animals and nature and loves living with her dad by Marl Lake, with her cat Cash by her side. She's happy and content with the way things are. But her dad gets a chance to write an article for National Geographic and must travel to the jungles of Brazil for the story, so Louise goes to to stay with her aunt and uncle in a manicured suburb with little wild anywhere. She makes a new friend, finds a few animals to rescue and grows closer to her aunt and uncle waiting for her father to return. Tragedy strikes and she learns that her beloved cat, who had to be left behind because of Aunt Kay's allergies, has been hit by a car and then she finds out that her dad had to have an emergency appendectomy and there are complications. Will Louise's world ever be the same?

[Sylvia Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book! As a child, I loved being outdoors, and I loved animals, and this young (12-year-old) protagonist does, too. Like the heroine of another of this author's books, "Lizard Love", Lews is refreshingly unlike many of the tweens featured in YA novels. She's compassionate and vulnerable and giving. The adults in the book make mistakes, and are not perfect, but they mean well and they try hard, despite being busy and worried and all-too-human. The animals themselves, the crows and other birds, the tortoise her aunt buys for her, her unlucky cat, are nicely presented. Even the neighbor who shoots a crow and then, by way of apology, stuffs it (he practices taxidermy) and gives it to her, is a likeable human being. Recommended for anyone who is or ever was an animal-loving young girl.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Louise and her father live a rural life and are very protective of all the animals in their area. When her father gets an assignment to write an article about leopards in Brazil, Louise must stay with her aunt and uncle, leaving her cat at home. She makes a new friend, but her cat gets killed by a car. She must adjust to a new life without animals (her aunt is allergic) while her father is away. Good reading for animal lovers.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went back and forth on this one before finally giving this one three stars. It was a good book. I just wasn't all that into it, and I feel guilty that I didn't like it more. Well written with well developed characters, this short book offers a lot to discuss like nature and the natural world, life and death, religion and whether or not animals other than human beings have souls.

[Anne Hayner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet book with a low-key plot, but with enchanting descriptions of the natural world and the connections a child can develop with it simply by close observation and opportunity to follow her curiosity. Immediately recommended it to my 12-year-old son who loves animals, and he is captivated by it.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Sentence Review: Ultimately a very "safe" almost too tame book where no one is mean and bad things happen randomly with no fault to much of anyone.

[MCPLD Youth Department · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the older child interested in nature.

[Alison]

Rich details of the natural world.

[Stacy Ford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just didn't grab me, and I'm a nature lover!

[Mrs. Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your thoughtful
animal lovers will love it.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for nature lovers. Even though a couple animals die, it's about caring for and learning for animals.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. as well as lizard love