Rules

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This book, from the amazing author Cynthia Lord, follows the stories of a brother and sister. David is a young boy who has autism, and Catherine, his sister, has taken it upon her self to teach David the rules of everyday society. Simple things, such as when to and not to pull your pants down. Catherine records rules for David in a notebook, and is constantly adding rules as situations arise. One day while attending therapy with David, Catherine makes an unlikely friend and she discovers more about herself and her personality than she would like.

This book is wonderful for describing not only compassion and understanding for those with disabilities, but an understanding for those who may have family members with a disability. This book shows what everyday life is like for those with a disability and what hardships they have to overcome.

A book that would be great to pair with this one is THE MAN WHO LOVED CLOWNS, by June Rae Wood. This book follows the story of Delrita as she lives with an uncle who has Down's Syndrome. This book has a similar feel to RULES and would be a great story to bring up discussion as well.

This book was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

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. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. 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. This sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

Citation

Lord, C. (2008). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic Paperbacks.