Rules

Rules
Written by Cynthia Lord
2006

Artistic Catherine yearns to be like every other twelve-year-old...easier said than done. Her younger brother David has autism and Catherine has spent years trying to teach him what she refers to as "the rules" so that he embarrasses her less. Catherine is tired of her family's life revolving around David and what he needs. She often goes with David and her mom to his OT sessions with the hope that she and her mom can go shopping or to the beach during his appointment. One day while in the waiting room, she meets a new friend named Jason when he's leaving after his appointment. Their first interaction is less than friendly, but before long they become friends and begin to help each other in some unexpected ways. 

Lord wrote this book with Catherine as the narrator, which allows us to take a peek at a child with autism through the eyes of a sibling. The title of each chapter is one of Catherine's rules for David such as "if you don't have the words you need, borrow someone else's" and "pantless brothers are not my problem." I really enjoyed this book because I have worked with numerous autistic children in my classroom, but had a different perception of them because of my role as their teacher. I think students in the upper elementary grades and middle school would really enjoy this book, as it's written from the perspective of someone close to their own age. Many of the dilemmas that the characters in the story have are very relatable to real life situations.