1. Bibliography Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0439443830
2. Plot Summary
Catherine is a twelve year old girl with a big problem named David: her eight year old autistic brother that keeps her life from being anything but normal. Catherine just wants to make friends with her new next door neighbor and be a normal pre-teen but there is often more expected of her because of David and sometimes it seems as though everything revolves around him. He is hard to understand and hard to explain to friends at an age when appearances are critical. David has a list of rules that Catherine has made for him- rules that other people just learn intuitively but David doesn't such as "you can yell on a playground, but not during dinner" and "A boy can take off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts." During one of David's appointments at his occupational therapist, Catherine meets Jason, a young boy confined to a wheelchair who can't talk. After an awkward beginning, they become friends. Catherine, a talented artist, makes new words and pictures for Jason's communication book. Words such as "whatever" and "stinks a big one!" allows Jason to express himself more like a typical teenager. When her next door neighbor invites her to a dance and tells her to bring Jason, she must decide what matters more to her: appearing normal or being a loyal friend. In the end, Catherine decides to be true to herself and redefines what "normal" is. Cynthia Lord writes a story of a young girl torn between her fierce love for her brother and her burning resentment of the amount of attention her brother demands from her family and the loss of her childhood to a large extent.
3. Critical Analysis
This book is equally touching to those who have dealt with a disabled family member and those who have not. This book is very enlightening for readers who have never had any experience with equipment such as communication books or with the behaviors associated with autism. Cynthia Lord takes great pains to portray believable characters with realistic disabilities and emotions. Catherine's character, in particular, is exquisitely developed so that even readers who have never had any related experiences can feel her pain and conflict. During an emotional confrontation with her father, Catherine screams at him,"Maybe he does need you more than me, but that doesn't mean I don't need anything at all!". That universal emotion of feeling neglected, ignored, and rejected in your heart, even when you're mind knows the logical reason why, is easily identified with by every reader. Lord makes the setting contemporary with natural dialogue that uses current phrases and body language of this age group. The journey that Catherine takes in this book is one from a girl who yearns for normalcy and is embarrassed by the things in her life that make her different, to a more mature young adult who accepts the complications in her life, knows what is important and who is important to her, and is proud of herself for being able to maneuver challenges that most others her age would not. In the end, a major theme in this story, is deciding what is considered "normal". Ironically, while she longs for the "normal" lives of her best friend and her next door neighbor, both of them are dealing with divorced or separated parents; a problem that Catherine has no experience with. The message is, whether it is unfair or not, we are all given strengths and weaknesses in this life, privileges and disadvantages. The point is not to wish away your differences but to embrace them, find the value in them, and use them to the best of your ability. There is an "Afterwords" section in this book that includes an interview with the author and some activities for young readers.
4. Review Excerpts
School Library Journal-"Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability."
Booklist-" Torn between love for her brother and impatience with the responsibilities and embarrassment he brings, she strives to be on her parents' radar and to establish an identity of her own."
Publisher's Weekly-"Appealing . . .entirely convincing. . . . A rewarding story that may well inspire readers to think about others' points of view."
Kirkus Reviews-"Middle-grade readers will recognize her longing for acceptance and be intrigued by this exploration of dealing with differences. "
Newberry Honor Book
Schneider Family Book award
5. Connections
This book would be an excellent discussion starter about what our society defines as normal, what questions people have about disabilities, and the importance of sensitivity and acceptance
Other books that focus on dealing with disabilities:
Al Capone Does my Shirts ISBN 0142403709
A Corner of the Universe ISBN 0439388813
Me and Rupert Goody ISBN 0374448043
My Thirteenth Winter: A Memior ISBN 0439339057
The Summer of the Swans ASIN: B000OJ5ZLQ
Tru Confessions ISBN 0312372736
Views from our Shoes: Growing Up with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs ISBN 0933149980
Posts
