Rules- Cynthia Lord

Title: Rules
Author: Lord, Cynthia
Publisher: Scholastic, 2006
ISBN-13: 9780439443821

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: 780 Lexile
Interest Level: 9+
Awards: Newbery Honor, Schneider Family Award

Readers Annotation: Rules help make life run smoothly. Some are meant to be shared with everyone, and some are just to help you get though this world with some sense of normalcy.

Plot:
Catherine just wants her life to be normal. She wants to be able to go to dances, laugh and spend time with friends like a normal 12 year old girl. This does not feel possible when David, Catherine's brother, has autism and their entire lives revolve around that. Catherine has created rules for her brother to live by. These range from "pants stay on in public" to sometimes people don't hear you because they do not want to." These rules help her and David navigate the world around them. While waiting at the Occupational Therapist's office, Catherine finds a friend in a boy who cannot speak. He uses a communication book. This bond is formed because she creates word cards for him. This friendship is not the "normal" she was hoping for, but is more than she ever thought.

Review:
This book shows compassion, friendship and acceptance for who one is even though sometimes there are difficulties. Catherine finds that normal is not reality. There is no such thing as normal. This book explores the tough parts of living with a child with autism. David has a hard time living life as others do and Catherine is his only person to help his see things differently. Her parents seem to cater to his every whim. This book is a unique look at life and what it really means to be happy.

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