Rules
Catherine, a 12-year-old girl with big responsibilities, loves her autistic younger brother David. But she often feels that her parents, so focused on special care for him, forget that she exists, too.
Like most eight-year-old boys, David is a handful. He just doesn't know when enough is enough, and in all the commotion Catherine feels ignored. She can't help but get embarrassed by some of David's behavior-like when he throws toys in the fish tank-so she
decides to start writing down rules she thinks will help him become more normal.
Yet after she befriends Jason, a boy her own age who is mute and wheelchairbound, she reconsiders what it means to be normal.
Rules, Cynthia Lord's Newbery and ALA Award-winning debut novel, is a tender look at the frustration, struggle, devotion, and hope experienced by families with autistic children.
“... this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance.”-School Library Journal
1103544479
Rules
Catherine, a 12-year-old girl with big responsibilities, loves her autistic younger brother David. But she often feels that her parents, so focused on special care for him, forget that she exists, too.
Like most eight-year-old boys, David is a handful. He just doesn't know when enough is enough, and in all the commotion Catherine feels ignored. She can't help but get embarrassed by some of David's behavior-like when he throws toys in the fish tank-so she
decides to start writing down rules she thinks will help him become more normal.
Yet after she befriends Jason, a boy her own age who is mute and wheelchairbound, she reconsiders what it means to be normal.
Rules, Cynthia Lord's Newbery and ALA Award-winning debut novel, is a tender look at the frustration, struggle, devotion, and hope experienced by families with autistic children.
“... this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance.”-School Library Journal
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Rules

Rules

by Cynthia Lord

Narrated by Jessica Almasy

Unabridged — 4 hours, 0 minutes

Rules

Rules

by Cynthia Lord

Narrated by Jessica Almasy

Unabridged — 4 hours, 0 minutes

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Overview

Catherine, a 12-year-old girl with big responsibilities, loves her autistic younger brother David. But she often feels that her parents, so focused on special care for him, forget that she exists, too.
Like most eight-year-old boys, David is a handful. He just doesn't know when enough is enough, and in all the commotion Catherine feels ignored. She can't help but get embarrassed by some of David's behavior-like when he throws toys in the fish tank-so she
decides to start writing down rules she thinks will help him become more normal.
Yet after she befriends Jason, a boy her own age who is mute and wheelchairbound, she reconsiders what it means to be normal.
Rules, Cynthia Lord's Newbery and ALA Award-winning debut novel, is a tender look at the frustration, struggle, devotion, and hope experienced by families with autistic children.
“... this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance.”-School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

The appealing, credible narrator at the heart of Lord's debut novel will draw in readers, as she struggles to find order and balance in her life. Her parents place 12-year-old Catherine in charge of her younger autistic brother more often than she would like. Taking solace in art, the girl fills the back of her sketchbook with rules she has established for David, "so if my someday-he'll-wake-up-a-regular-brother wish doesn't ever come true, at least he'll know how the world works, and I won't have to keep explaining things." Sorely missing her best friend, who is away for the summer, and realizing that the girl who has just moved in next door is not a kindred spirit, Catherine devises some of her own self-protective rules ("When you want to get out of answering something, distract the questioner with another question"). In the able hands of the author, mother of an autistic child, Catherine's emotions come across as entirely convincing, especially her alternating devotion to and resentment of David, and her guilt at her impatience with him. Through her artwork, the heroine gradually opens up to Jason, a wheelchair-bound peer who can communicate only by pointing to words on cards. As she creates new cards that expand Jason's ability to express his feelings, their growing friendship enables Catherine to do the same. A rewarding story that may well inspire readers to think about others' points of view. Ages 9-12. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him ("It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store"). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. 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.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

When 12-year-old Catherine is embarrassed by her autistic younger brother's behavior, her mother reassures her that "real friends understand." But Catherine is not convinced, and she is desperate to make a friend of the new girl next door. She doesn't like it when others laugh at David or ignore him; she writes down the rules so he will know what to do. Catherine is also uncomfortable about her growing friendship with 14-year-old Jason, a paraplegic. Jason uses a book of word cards to communicate, and Catherine enjoys making him new cards with more expressive words. Still, when he suggests that they go to a community-center dance, she refuses at first. Only when Jason sees through her excuse does she realize that her embarrassment is for herself. Catherine is an appealing and believable character, acutely self-conscious and torn between her love for her brother and her resentment of his special needs. Middle-grade readers will recognize her longing for acceptance and be intrigued by this exploration of dealing with differences. (Fiction. 9-12)

From the Publisher

Praise for A Handful of Stars:

* "Salma's artistic creativity and gumption awaken Lily to the power of imagination, the importance of embracing change and knowing when to let go of the past, and the rewards of venturing beyond one's comfort zone." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "The treatment of Salma's migrant life is matter-of-fact but direct, and Lily plausibly deals with possibilities of local racism and swells with indignation on behalf of her new friend... It's the straightforward and unaffected prose (highly suitable for a readaloud as well as reading alone) that really allows Lily's story to shine... it's hard to resist joining her on her journey toward greater maturity." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"[A] warm-hearted, thoughtfully written tale of a memorable friendship." — The Horn Book Guide

"This sensitive coming-of-age tale compassionately explores prejudice and multiculturalism." — Kirkus Reviews

"A thoughtful work that examines cultural bias and will spark discussion." — School Library Journal

Praise for Half A Chance:

* "[Lord] has combined vivid, cinematic description with deft characterization and handles several important issues with sensitivity, nuance, and great skill... A deeply enjoyable read." — School Library Journal, starred review

* "With winning results, Lord brings the same sensitivity to the subject of dementia that she brought to autism in her Newbery Honor book, Rules." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for Rules:

Newbery Honor Book

Schneider Family Book Award

ALA Notable Book

OCT/NOV 07 - AudioFile

RULES is a timely story of three special children—one autistic, one physically challenged, and one who is coping with both. Jessica Almasy easily steps up to the task and slips from character to character with ease. Catherine, the protagonist, sister to autistic David, is done especially well. Her stream-of-consciousness thoughts are resonant, and listeners can effortlessly embrace her struggles. Adult voices are clearly differentiated from the preteens', allowing keen visualization of Catherine's struggle to separate herself from her parents' expectations. Her friendship with a physically challenged boy compounds her dilemma of what she believes is socially acceptable versus what she knows in her heart is true. Almasy truly does justice to this lovely Newbery honor novel. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID: 2940171026332
Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date: 07/24/2007
Edition description: Unabridged
Age Range: 8 - 11 Years
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