Rules

1. Bibliography

Lord, Cynthia. 2006. RULES. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439443821

2. Summary

Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence. She tries to make her life more normal by giving her brother lots of rules to follow, but her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic named Jason. . In the end, Jason helps Catherine see that her rules may really be excuses, opening the way for her to look at things differently.

3. Critical Analysis

Growing up with an autistic younger brother is not easy and it seems far harder when the pre-teen years hit. Catherine feels as though David’s needs far overshadow her own in the family but the embarrassment his behavior causes her is the worst of it. Nevertheless, Catherine understands what David’s world is like and when she snaps at him, she is beset by guilt. It is this sensitivity that allows her to befriend a boy her age with severe communication problems who is wheelchair-bound. Gaining a stronger sense of herself and demanding what she needs as a member of the family allows her to move beyond embarrassment into acceptance. One of the treats in this book is that David echoes words rather than generating his own and he frequently speaks in lines he remembers from Arnold Lobel’s Frog & Toad. The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother. Catherine’s tentative relationship with her new neighbor Kristi is complicated further when she develops an unexpected friendship with Jason, a regular client at the clinic David visits for occupational therapy. Fourteen-year-old Jason travels in a wheelchair, and talks by pointing to word cards in his communication book. After a rocky start, the two become closer as Catherine creates new word cards for Jason’s book. Moving his repertoire beyond the stock words and phrases provided by his therapist, Catherine enables him to show some attitude and give voice to his adolescent sarcasm. Catherine likes Jason, but now she’s worried about what Kristi will think of him as well as David. Preferring to keep Jason a secret from Kristi, Catherine ends up falling short in the eyes of both her new friends when it comes to trust and honesty. As Catherine struggles to find her way into these new relationships, her feelings for her brother float realistically between frustration, embarrassment, love, protectiveness, and everyday sibling ups-and-downs. Her carefully constructed rules for David are really about her own need to feel in control, and to understand and live with a brother who is often misunderstood or teased by others. As the parent of an autistic child, Cynthia Lord writes with familiarity and empathy for Catherine and her family. Readers will sympathize with Catherine’s struggle to explain the world to David through his beloved rules and her frustration at his demanding, embarrassing behaviors and his garnering the majority of parental attention, combined with Jason’s expressive limitations, this book will provide considerable food for thought.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

- AWARDS -

Buckeye Children's Book Award, 2008 Winner Grades 6-8 Ohio
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 2008 Winner Vermont
Great Stone Face Award, 2008 Winner New Hampshire
John Newbery Medal, 2007 Honor Book United States
Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2008 Winner Grade 6-8 Kentucky
Maine Student Book Award, 2007-2008 Winner Maine
Massachusetts Children's Book Award, 2010 Honor Bok Massachusetts
Mitten Award, 2006 Winner Michigan
Schneider Family Book Award, 2007 Winner Middle School United States
Skipping Stones Honor Award, 2007 Winner Multicultural and International Awareness Books United States
Voice of Youth Award, 2009-2010 Third Place United States EXCERPTS -

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE review: “This is a story that depicts the impact of a needy child on an entire family very realistically.”

LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION review: “The first-person narrative is very engaging, and readers will identify with Catherine's struggles and cheer for her at the end. This is a great book to help students gain some understanding about autism, while also providing a good read.”

5. Connections

Have students consider what words they would require if they were in Jason’s position as well as what words they’d be likely to get if adults were their sole source. They could also write a list of words that they would add and reasons why.

Write a list of rules they would make for their younger brother or sister.

Discuss a situation in which they were embarrassed by someone they love and how they overcame it