Skip to main content

Rules

Image
By Lauren
Rules
By Cynthia Lord
Scholastic Press, 2006. 200 pages.
Twelve-year-old Catherine has a younger brother named David, who is autistic. Because she is often embarrassed by him, she makes him lists of rules on how to act in public, such as "A boy takes off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts." While accompanying David to his occupational therapy classes, Catherine befriends a paralyzed boy named Jason. Jason is unable to speak, so he carries around a scrapbook of words that he can point to when trying to communicate. Catherine helps him by illustrating new, descriptive cards for him such as "Stinks a big one!" and "Whatever." She helps Jason to become expressive and more like any other teenager. Although Catherine is often angry and frustrated by her autistic brother, her friendship with Jason teaches her about tolerance and acceptance.

Cynthia Lord does a beautiful job of showing the humor and heartache of being a twelve year old girl, especially one living with a disabled brother. Although at times "Rules" breaks your heart, it ultimately leaves you with a sense of peace. This book has received many recognitions, including ALA Notable Children's Book, Schneider Family Book Award, and Newbery Honor Medal.
Labels:

Comments

Susan said…
An excellent book that appeals to different ages. Both me and my 11 year old daughter enjoyed reading it.
November 11, 2010 at 11:32 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Display: Dino-mite Reads

By
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Enigma Girls

By
  The Enigma Girls By Candace Fleming New York: Scholastic Focus, 2024. Informational. 371 pages. If you have an interest in little known aspects of history or in World War II in particular, this book is for you. The Enigma Girls tells the story of 10 young women who worked at Station X at Bletchley Park in England helping to break ciphers during World War II. Each of the girls grew up in different circumstances, and thus, each worked at in a different part of Station X cracking codes. The reader learns about how Station X worked through the stories of each of the girls. Whether it was transcribing the Morse code messages that the Germans were sending to their armies or decoding, translating, or paraphrasing messages, each girl had a part to play. The stories of the girls are intermixed with plenty of photographs as well as special chapters about how to decode various types of ciphers. Learning about Station X through the eyes of the girls that worked there helps the reader gain a huma
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Hidden Dragon

By
The Hidden Dragon By Melissa Marr New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023. Fiction. 161 pages. Three children, Otter, London, and Sophia, live in a fantasy world with dragons. Otter (short for Ottilie) is the daughter of a ship captain, and she loves the sea and its dragons. London is a stowaway boy, searching for a new life full of adventure. Sophia lives in a thief house with other children, all dedicated to helping each other and trying to make the kingdom better. As trouble begins to brew both on land and at sea, these three heroes realize that maybe it's up to the kids to make things right. Readers experience the book from multiple perspectives, and with a bit of mystery and adventure, this is an amazing fantasy read. With the inspiring message that children truly can make a difference, readers will enjoy how each character fights for what's right, even when it's inconvenient. The ending is resolved a little quickly, but this is a great read for all "hatchlings."
Post a Comment
Read more