Genre 6: Fiction, Fantasy, YA: Rules

Posted by Tamra S , Sunday, August 1, 2010 9:28 AM

Bibliographic Data

Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. New York: Scholastic.

Summary and Analysis
"Follow the rules." The first chapter title of the book, with every subsequent chapter being a rule that Catherine has for her autistic brother, David, though a few are her own. Catherine is twelve and her family life seems to revolve around the high demand needs of David. She began keeping a list of rules for David to remember in order to avoid any potential embarrassing situations, like "A boy can take his shirt off to swim, but not his shorts" and "This is Catherine's room. David must knock!" Set on the coast in Maine, Catherine is hoping this summer will be different with a potential new friend moving in next door. She forms an unexpected friendship with Jason, a disabled young man, who communicates with picture cards, that goes to the same clinic as David. When Catherine is faced with being accepted by her neighbor or being true to Jason as a friend, she has to make a choice based on good conscience. Meanwhile, she struggles to be understood by her parents and have them realize that she needs them just as much as David. This poignant and quick-to-read novel will have readers sympathizing with Catherine and understanding a little bit more about how different life is with an autistic child.

Lord writes in an honest and fresh way. Told in the first person from Catherine's point of view, the reader gets a real sense of how Catherine's life is affected by having an autistic brother. Her love for her brother is unquestionable, but it's also easy to see where she can become frustrated and jealous. Lord depicts David in a true form of autism. Being a mother of an autistic child herself, she knows the behaviors and mannerisms of this disability, as well as the joys and struggles that come with it. This book is good for any intermediate grade child and up that either has this struggle or knows someone with autism, as it provides wonderful insight.

Awards and Reviews
*Newbery Honor Book
*Schneider Family Book Award
*School Library Journal: Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents . . . this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. © Reed Business Information
*Booklist: Torn between love for her brother and impatience with the responsibilities and embarrassments he brings, [Catherine] strives to be on her parents' radar and to establish an identity of her own. . . The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships. © American Library Association

Connections
*Have students share rules they have to follow. How are their rules different from David's? Why?
*In what ways to do you get yourself out of a sticky situation? What rule might you write for that?
*Have you ever had to choose between two friends? What did you do and how did you decide what to do?
*If Catherine were to write a rule at the very end of the book, what do you think it would be?

References

Lord, Cynthia. n.d. Rules Discussion Guide. Retrieved from http://cynthialord.com/materials.html

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