The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan
Illustrated in beautiful muted watercolors, The Storm in the Barn tells the story of a young boy named Jack living in Kansas in 1937 towards the end of the Dust Bowl era.  Since the family farm is nearly dead, he can do little to contribute until he wanders into a nearby abandoned barn and meets the Rain King.  Through his interaction with the Rain King, Jack makes the ultimate contribution and his brave and heroic actions save the town.  The Storm in the Barn was recently awarded the Scott O’Dell Award for historical fiction- the first graphic novel to win the award!