Title: Rules
Author: Cynthia Lord
Lexile Level: 670L
Recommended for
8-12 years old; 3-7th Grade
Summary
The book titled Rules by: Cynthia Lord focuses on the protagonist, Catherine who has a younger autistic bother named David. This text shows how her family copes with David's autism and how to meet his needs. Catherine utilizes her sketch book as a way to cope with challenges and express herself.
She is frustrated when she is not invited to events because of David. For example, in the first chapter, the text states, "But here's what I understand: Sometimes everyone gets invited except us, and its because of David"(Lord 6). Despite her feelings of being excluded in social events, Catherine's bond with David is close. This indicated when she likes to accompany him with her parents, to David's occupational therapy.
Within the story, Catherine points out how rules are very important for David. It shows that some of the rules that most individuals pick up on through intuitiveness or experience is not always recognized by some individuals on the spectrum. This is clearly supported when it states, " 'David doesn't learn from watching other people, so I have to teach him everything.'...Take your shoes off at the doctor, but at the dentist leave them on."(Lord 71). Throughout the novel, these rules are shown in italics.
Catherine's developing with Jason, a boy that she meets during occupational therapy, who is paraplegic and does not speak.Catherine and Jason communicate through communication cards. She helps him create new ones. This is shown when the text states, "'What word means more then awesome?'... Make. Card. More than. Words. Even though we're blocking the sidewalk and people have to step on the grass to go around us, I take a blank card from my pocket and write 'more than words' , across the top."(Lord 149).
This novel was a 2007 Newberry Honor book.
Review
I liked reading this book because it was interesting to gain an insight to Catherine's perspective and how David's autism affects the family dynamics.I believe that this text portrays a realistic depiction of a girl who has a sibling with autism. Each individual is unique and their story varies but I believe that it portrays the challenges and accomplishments in everyday life.
Through the first-person narrative, readers have the opportunity to learn about her bond with her brother. In addition, it shows her frustration about feeling left out of invitations to events. Furthermore, it shows her growing friendship with Jason. I believe it shows how Catherine grows as an individual and how being "normal" is not as important compared to being yourself and accepting being unique.
This text was well-paced and was easy to read. It kept my attention and it is interesting to see the point of view of the main character. I developed a personal connection to this text, because my younger cousin is on the spectrum and she has received occupational therapy and speech therapy.
Learning Standard
"Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions)." (Reading Standards for Literature; Grade 4)
Learning Goal
Students will obtain knowledge from the text, in order to identify and provide detailed descriptions of characterizations as well as the overall structure of a story, through its story elements.
Learning Objective
Students will identify, describe and portray the text's story elements, which include the following: the characters, the setting, the plot, the conflict, and the resolution, through the creation of an animation through Powtoon. (Cognitive and Psychomotor)
Learning Activity
Students will create an animation through Powtoon, in order to portray their view on the protagonist, Catherine, in the book titled Rules by: Cynthia Lord.
Learning Outcome
Students will successfully identify and describe the novel's story elements and recognize Catherine's characterization throughout the novel, by analyzing her thoughts and actions.
Selling Tool
References
— Mid-Hudson Library System – Rules / Cynthia Lord. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from http://search.midhudsonlibraries.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1716503__Srules%20by%20cynthia%20lord__P0%2C2__Orightresult__U__X1?lang=eng&suite=cobalt
— New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2017, from https://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-p-12-common-core-learning-standards-for-english-language-arts-and-literacy
