Rules by Cynthia Lord
This year I decided one of my “life reading goals” (come to think of it, that’s the perfect topic for a post, watch for that really soon) is to read all of the Newbery Medal Winners and Newbery Honor books. Since this is a life goal, I don’t have to rush through it, but I’ve found myself enjoying these books so much, that I can’t stop reading them. Plus, they are nice breathers as I usually read them in a day and give me a small break from my much longer adult fiction books.
Rules by Cynthia Lord, is one of these books, and is a Newbery Honor book for 2007. It’s also an ALA Notable Children’s Book. Catherine, a twelve year old girl, loves her autistic little brother, David, but also resents that he comes in the way of her desire for acceptance and normalcy. Catherine has created a list of rules for David in an attempt to head off any embarrassing behaviors. These rules include:
- No toys in the fish tank
- If the bathroom door is closed, knock (especially if Catherine has a friend over)!
- At someone else’s house, you have to follow their rules
- A boy can take his shirt off to swim, but not his shorts.
- Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you.
- You can yell on a playground, but not during dinner.
- Flush!
- Sometimes people don’t answer because they didn’t hear you. Other times it’s because they don’t want to hear you.
Catherine has a set of unwritten rules that she follows herself. Some of these include:
- Leaving out isn’t the same as lying.
- Not everything worth keeping has to be useful.
- If you don’t want to do something, say, “Hmm. I’ll think about it” and maybe the asker will forget the whole bad idea.
- If you want to get away from someone, check your watch and say, “Sorry, gotta go!”
- Sometimes you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got.
- If you want to change the subject, confuse the other person by going off on a wild, chatty detour.
- When someone is upset, it’s not a good time to bring up your own problems.
- When you say something stupid, gloss over it with superfast talking and maybe no one’ll notice.
Through the simple plot, Catherine learns how to let go, be herself, and not worry about what others think. This book is perfect for those families or young siblings whose lives are impacted by a special needs child. It’s also perfect for families or children who would like to learn empathy, see the world through someone else’s eyes and learn what it’s like to be different.
Cynthia Lord’s website here.
This looks like an excellent set of rules for everyone to follow!
I have recently discovered your blog and am enjoying exploring it.
on January 26th, 2008 at 1:53 amI have this one to listen to on CD. I’m hoping to find some quiet time soon!
on January 26th, 2008 at 6:34 amI enjoyed your review. This book looks very worthwhile and I love Newbery books.
on January 26th, 2008 at 9:56 amI loved this book, especially having just previously read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (from the point of view of an autistic boy). Great insight and balance between the two books.
Visiting your blog for the first time, via Semicolon’s Saturday Review. I like the clean look you have here and am looking forward to more browsing.
on January 26th, 2008 at 1:20 pmI really liked the friendship between Catherine and Jason, and how she made the picture cards for him.
Enjoy your trip through the Newberys! I’ll check at Semicolon to see which ones you’re reading.
on January 26th, 2008 at 4:11 pmMaureen - thanks!
Amy - I wish I had some long car trips ahead of me, so I could listen to more audio books!
Framed - I see you’re from Utah, me too!
Mindy - I just picked up The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at the library today. Will start reading tomorrow! Thanks for enjoying my blog.
Julie - My husband is an artist, I enjoyed how she liked to draw. Stay up to date with my reviews by subscribing to my RSS feed through your favorite reader or by email!
To all - I always add comment droppers to my reader and have done so with you. I look forward to many great reviews and recommendations. Thanks!
on January 26th, 2008 at 10:28 pmEven though I’m an adult, I’m adding this one to my book list right away! I have a special interest in autism and used to work with children with autism. Thanks for the recommendation!
on January 27th, 2008 at 4:07 pm[…] reviews What is What by Dave Eggers and Rules by Cynthia […]
on March 6th, 2008 at 7:14 pmI have read Rules. It is a great book for anyone who needs to sit back and relax. I am in fourth grade and I know a variety of people who read rules ageing (I don’t know how to spell that) from 9-24! It’s amazing how this book spreads around the world.
on May 18th, 2008 at 12:35 pmI read “Rules” for a summer reading report and I thought it was verry good. The cover is what caught my attention. I know, don’t judge a book by its cover, but the bright-blue fish tank stood uot among all the other books. Anyways, I would definetely reccommend this book to people of all ages.
on August 18th, 2008 at 8:49 ami read rules and i was woundering were is the setting and the date ofthe book i am in the 6th grade and i really liked the book please answer as soon as possible
on August 26th, 2008 at 11:14 am