Book Review RULES

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lord, Cynthia. 2006. RULES. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439443822

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Catherine is twelve years old and simply wants a normal life. Having a normal life and being cool is almost near impossible for Catherine because she has a younger brother, David, with autism. As a result, her family revolves around keeping David happy; Catherine’s mother must take him to his occupational therapy classes while dad must take David to the video game store whenever he wishes. Catherine craves her parents’ attention and is annoyed by all the attention her younger brother receives but then feels guilt because of her brother’s disease.

When the old woman next door moves out, Catherine finds out the new family moving in has a daughter her age. Catherine is overjoyed and wants to make sure her new neighbor, Kristi, likes her. Whenever Kristi is coming over to hang out, Catherine makes sure to remind David about the “rules.” He must remember “chew with his mouth closed,” “no toys in the fish tank,” “to keep his pants on” and most importantly, “if the bathroom door is closed, knock (especially if Catherine has a friend over).”

Catherine soon finds herself trying way too hard to impress Kristi and also hiding a new friend, Jason, who she met at the occupational therapist clinic. Jason is in a wheelchair and cannot talk without using his communication cards. After forming a friendship with Jason, Catherine decides to expand his card collection by making new words for his communication book.

Jason invites Catherine to his birthday party which falls on the same day as the community center’s dance. Once at the party, Jason asks Catherine if she wants to go to the dance with him. After declining his invitation, Jason suspects that Catherine is ashamed of their friendship. In the end, Catherine apologies to Jason and asks him to go to the dance with her. They both have a great time, and Jason even makes Catherine break her own rule: “no dancing unless I’m alone in my room or it’s pitch-black dark.”

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In contemporary realistic fiction novels, characters are vital, and children need to be able to identify with them. In Rules, Catherine obsesses in looking cool and fitting in with the cool crowd. Catherine is a good kid but doesn’t always make the right decisions because she does not want to be embarrassed in front of her friends. This is something any pre-teen and teen can relate to. In addition to all this, the rules that she has written for David to learn also consume her life. These rules prevent her from opening up to people, voicing her opinions, and even dancing in public.

After becoming good friends with Jason, who suffers from a physical disability, Catherine finds out Jason struggles with accepting his disability and has even wanted to die. She helps him try to fill the void he feels and make him feel complete. Interestingly, Jason helps guide Catherine through her own emotional journey. With his help, Catherine grows up and realizes that her rules are just excuses from making hard decisions and facing her fears.

Lord’s style of writing is simple with plenty of teen vocabulary: whatever, yeah right, awesome, and stinks a big one. Comical and heart-warming, Rules is a page-turner that is sure to keep readers entertained.

4. AWARDS WORD AND REVIEW EXCERPTS
American Library Association Notable Books for Children
Newberry Honor Medal
Schneider Family Book Awards
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award
Great Stone Face Children’s Book Award
Maine Student Book Award
Bluegrass Award

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “A rewarding story that may well inspire readers to think about others' points of view.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.”


5. CONNECTIONS
After reading Rules, teachers can lead a discussion with middle school students about families coping with children or other relatives with disabilities. The topic of accepting peers with disabilities can also be discussed.

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