Rules

Lord, Cynthia. (2006). New York: Scholastic Press. 0-439-44382-2.

PLOT SUMMARY

Twelve year old Catherine is without her best friend this summer. She befriends the new girl next door and also makes a friend at the occupational therapy office where her autistic brother makes weekly visits. Her friend Jason at the OT office is severely disabled and is only able to communicate through vocabulary cards. The girl next door doesn't understand about Jason or her brother. Catherine, in an effort to make life as normal as possible, sets rules for her brother to learn and abide, but it is often too much to bear and she learns that sometimes rules just can't be followed.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Great writing and great characters with whom the reader can sympathize. We can understand Catherine's desire for normalcy in her life, and the stresses that her brother's disability puts on all of them. The situations that occur are very realistic and sometimes humorous and at the same time, tragic.

READER'S ANNOTATION

With an autistic brother, Catherine feels it necessary to give him rules to live by so that he knows what to do in the "normal" world. Yet, even though he knows the rules and has them memorized, he still disobeys them. Even Catherine has rules that she has to live by based on the idiosyncracies of her brother. There is so much that turns their lives topsy turvy that she longs to have a normal life with a normal brother and parents who pay more attention to her rather than ignore her because of her brother who needs their attention. When a disabled boy befriends her, she learns to relinquish control of some of the rules and understands that being different does not mean you are not "normal."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cynthia Lord is a former teacher in New England. She has written short fiction and Rules is her first book that has won many awards including the Newberry Honor Book designation.

GENRE

Realistic fiction

CURRICULUM TIES

English

BOOKTALKING IDEAS

How would you feel if your parents devoted most of their time to your brother. If he was mentally disabled would that make a difference to you? How would you feel when you were out in public with him and he caused a scene?

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE

10 and over

CHALLENGE ISSUES

NONE

CHALLENGE DEFENSE IDEAS

Know library policies and know the book.

WHY INCLUDE THIS BOOK?

It shows the importance of family relationships and tolerance with those who are different.