Rules

Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York: Scholastic.

Catherine's life is full of rules. With a brother with autism, it has to be. David needs those rules to cope with the world and Catherine needs those rules to cope with David. She feels like David gets all the attention and her needs get pushed to the side. When a new neighbor moves in, Catherine thinks she has a chance to be a normal kid, but her own embarrassment at David keeps her from getting there. Plus there is Jason, the boy at the clinic with Cerebral Palsy. She's making him word cards and talking with him, but when Kristi asks about him, Catherine again is embarrassed. She has to learn not to worry about what she or others think and to speak up for herself.

This book struck a chord with me. You see, my nephew and my son are both autistic. For years, I have worried about them. Would they adjust to school? What would the other children think or say? How many teachers will I have to battle? But I have also worried about their big sisters, especially my niece Kathryn (ironic!). Her brother is very much like David. He echos TV shows that he loves and is constantly being reminded of the rules. Kathryn has spent so much of her life taking care of him, that I have worried about her needs. She, unlike Catherine, never found her voice. My niece ended up in the hospital after a suicide attempt. I wonder if she had seen this book if it would have made a difference in her life.