Rules

Bibliography 
Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 9780439443821

Plot Summary
Life is governed by a list of rules. Not everyone needs them written down to be reminded of them. Catherine’s brother, David, needs more rules added every day. He also needs to be reminded of them constantly. This is because David has autism. And all Catherine wants is some semblance of normalcy.

But what happens when the rules Catherine made for her little brother begin to seep into her own life? How normal can her life really be?

Critical Analysis
Rather than focus on the person living with autism, Cynthia Lord writes from the perspective of the person’s sibling. The book opens with Catherine attempting to learn about the new neighbors moving in with her brother David. Within the first five pages, the reader is introduced to several of David’s eccentricities. He must have an umbrella outside, a promise must be kept, and rules make the world go round.

One device that Lord uses well in this novel is the power of words. Catherine is an artist, and she offers to create new words for Jason’s communication book. Many of the words convey her frustrations. Many of the words she gives Jason are negative. Words such as unfair, cruel, hate, ruined, tease, and embarrassed. These words often come to her after an episode with David. 

Catherine worries about people staring at David. When he begins to shriek or do something Catherine deems weird, she worries about judgment. This may contribute to her lack of friends other than Melissa, who is away for the summer. The same worry affects her friendship with Jason, a paraplegic boy that communicates with a book of notecards with words and phrases. Once again, she worries about people judging her for not fitting into a box of normalcy, and she refuses to spend time with him outside of occupational therapy.

It doesn’t take long for the reader to see that Catherine uses the rules she has created for her brother David to navigate her own life. And this causes problems. Not to mention the fact that her parents don’t ever see her, or so it feels. Catherine is used as a live-in babysitter. Her father cannot deal with the reality of his home life, so he spends more time at work and takes his son out to the video store out of a combination of guilt and fatherly duty. In order for Catherine to get something that she wants, she has to pull a stunt that pulls him out of work. It isn’t until then that he realizes how upset his oldest child really is about the treatment of her. “Maybe he does need you more than me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need anything at all!” (pg 187). 

Review Excerpt(s) 
Newbery Medal Nominee (2007)
Schneider Family Book Award for Middle School Book (2007)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (2008)
California Young Readers Medal Nominee for Middle School/Junior High (2009)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2009)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - "Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. . . . A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter."

Connections
Think about your younger brother or siblings. If you don’t have any, imagine that you do. What are 5 rules you would give them to live by? Why would you give them these rules?
Catherine uses the word cards to express some of her emotions. Jason has to use them in order to communicate. Create 10 of your own communication cards. These will be used to communicate with all day tomorrow. You will be unable to use your words. Chose wisely.
Further Reading: Baskin, N. (2009). Anything but typical. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Choldenko, G. (2004). Al Capone does my shirts. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Connor’s Life with Autism: http://oomscholasticblog.com/sites/default/files/ACT_1216_0117-ConnorArcher.pdf