Rules by Cynthia Lord

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  Rules, by Cynthia Lord, is the kind of novel that a wide variety of readers can relate to. Whether you are an average adolescent girl, a child with a disability, or a parent or friend of a child with a disability, there is a character in this novel that you can empathize with. Catherine is a young girl that is already busy navigating that awkward phase of life between child and teen, but she also happens to have an eight-year-old brother with autism. Catherine wrestles with her love for her younger brother whom she helps navigate life by creating “rules for him”, and this sentiment is in conflict with her wish that he were more normal, so that she can fit in better with both her family and society. At an age when girls already feel extremely self-conscious, it takes a strong character to be able to show readers what it takes to be able to balance an acceptance with what life deals you with grace and understanding, while also trying to find a sense of self. The themes in Rules are very powerful and relatable: everyone has flaws, not just those who are disabled, and the book tackles concepts of acceptance and diversity. Whether or not you have someone in your life, or you yourself have a disability, these themes are highly applicable to everyone. 

Evaluative Criteria: Gender and Theme (included in review)

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


-Ms. J