Friday, March 18, 2016

Brimner, Larry Dane. The Rain Wizard.

Brimner, Larry Dane.  The Rain Wizard.  Boyd's Mills/Calkins Creek      2015  119p  $16.95  ISBN 978-1-59078-990-2      elem/ms     Biography  VG-BN       

Charles Mallory Hatfield was America’s most famous “rainmaker.” Hatfield traveled around the country bringing rain to drought-parched lands.  This fascinating biography delves into his personal life and his usually successful attempts to make it rain. The narrative begins in 1915, when he was asked by the city of San Diego to bring rain to fill their almost dry reservoirs.  This he did in spades.  The torrential downpours flooded the city and caused major destruction in the area. This well-researched and insightful book offers a look at a fascinating man who took his magical recipe of chemicals to the grave with him. With a wealth of primary-source materials and period photographs, Brimner brings Hatfield to life with all of his quirky behaviors.  The excellent page layout and choices of typefaces and colors, as well as the double-page spreads, make it a most attractive resource, and it is sure to be a hit in elementary and middle-school libraries.

Summary: Charles Mallory Hatfield was America’s most famous “rainmaker.”  This well-researched and insightful book offers a look at a fascinating man who took his magical recipe of chemicals to the grave with him.      


Hatfield, Charles Mallory                                         --Susan Ogintz

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