Rules by Cynthia Lord - Book Set #3

Lord, C. (2006).  Rules.  Waterville, ME.  Thorndike Press.

Catherine is a 12 year old girl just starting her summer break.  She has a brother who is Autistic named David.  Catherine constantly has to watch after David as he tries to function socially. She makes up rules to help him remember how to act appropriately in all kinds of situations which only seems to work sometimes. She is often embarrassed of him, and worries about what other people think of David, her family and mostly herself.  Catherine misses her best friend Melissa who is away visiting her Dad in California for the entire summer.  A pretty and "cool" girl named Kristi moves in right next door and she is excited to start a new friendship with her, but also constantly worried about what Kristi thinks of David.  Catherine also makes a new friend Jason that she meets at the Occupational Therapist office that David goes to.  Jason is in a wheel chair, and can not move with out the help of someone else and can not speak either.  He can, however, communicate by pointing to picture cards in his communication book.  Catherine's skill and love for drawing is used to create more picture cards for Jason and a friendship develops as they use the cards to communicate.  Kristi wants to take Ryan, a boy she likes (but is also mean to David) to a community dance and she asks Catherine if she wants to go with Jason.  Kristi does not know that Jason is handicapped because she has only seen him through a drawing.  Catherine is to embarrassed to tell Kristi about Jason because she is afraid of what she will think of him and of herself.  Jason invites Catherine to his birthday party   at his house which is the same day as the dance.  Catherine uses this as an excuse not to go with Kristi and Ryan to the dance.  During the birthday party, Jason asks Catherine if she wants to go to the community dance.  Knowing that Kristi will be there, she says no, that she can't dance, but Jason realizes it is because she is embarrassed of him.  After running off from the party, Catherine decides to call Jason and ends up leaving a message with his mom to meet her at the dance.  At the dance Catherine apologizes to Jason and introduces Kristi and Ryan to him, to which they are most definitely judgmental and angry at Catherine for not telling them about his handicap. Catherine and David make up and  dance together, even if it breaks one of her rules.  

Rules is an outstanding realistic fiction book because of both the characters and plot. Although not all readers would be able to relate to having a sibling with Autism, there are very few books that address this relationship and so this is a particularly special book for that reason.  Most all readers could identify with family and being embarrassed of them in some way or another.  Readers can relate to wanting to have a cool friend, missing a true friend, and worrying about what others think.  The plot mostly deals with relatable everyday happenings but also has a few surprises because of David and his public behaviors and of course all of his rules.  Many emotions arise when Catherine is asked to the dance by her two best friends and what they will do when they finally get the chance to meet.  True friendships are revealed as well as acceptance of self and others even if they are not "normal".