Rules (Scholastic Gold)

Closer to 4.5 stars.

My nearly ten year-old smarty pants son read this; early in the book, he set it down and turned to me, saying "you know how sometimes when you read a book and someone dies you really feel sad and need to take a break 'cause it's hard to keep going?" I replied "don't forget -- I'm the person who cried during the opening scene of [the movie] 'Hachi' and never stopped!" He laughed and said "oh yeah."

His younger brother (our youngest son) is profoundly developmentally disabled: he's nearly eight years-old, appropriately sized, but cognitively, developmentally he is a baby. A sweet, innocent, pure, affectionate baby who has not realized there is a world beyond himself and his wants. This incandescent child of mine cannot speak / sign, cannot understand speech / sign -- this is called global aphasia. He cannot feed himself, is in a diaper and does not appear to realize when he is either wet or soiled. He can walk, but not sturdily, not well. He exhibits "inappropriate" behaviors because he is a baby in an ambulatory big boy's body.

A few years ago our eldest son came to me and said that sometimes when we're out, either as a whole family or just the children and me, that he is embarrassed by his younger brother. I was so proud of him for knowing he could tell me this and face no recrimination. He's a young boy himself and he is allowed to be embarrassed by someone so markedly different, who whoops or cries or screams, who likes to bang his open palm on glass.

So reading "Rules" was an emotional experience for him. It is the story of twelve year-old Catherine, a neurotypical girl whose younger brother, eight year-old David, has Autism. It appears to me that David's Autism is high-functioning, although he seems to have some significant perseveration tics. David, like many people with Autism, does not understand nuances or social norms / mores, so he needs strict rules to behave / engage appropriately in "the real world." David's Autism has also self-dictated rules, like taking the umbrella with him: he needs that in order to leave the house.

Catherine's social life is understandably limited, and those with both Typical and Disabled children will understand this, at least here in N America (where I am raising my children): people are uncomfortable with differences. They don't know what to do with someone who doesn't fit neatly in their defined boxes. Our eldest son is a wildly social creature yet he rarely gets invited to a friend's house because, we suspect, the parents want to minimize their interactions with our whole family. Relax -- it's not contagious. The friends come over here all the time (which is vastly unfair and I could go for a break), which is good, which is REALLY good as they are exposed to our younger son, so they see him, they hear him. He's just "the brother." It's the parents who have the problem(s). As our eldest son ages, in middle school as Charlotte is, I don't know what we'll see, because that whole "being part of the group" thing is so important then. I can imagine it's hard for Catherine, especially as a pre-teen girl.

A few years ago my husband I am made the decision that our youngest son's disabilities will not be the sun around which our family orbits. It was for a while, and it was deleterious to all of us both individually and certainly collectively. Catherine and David's parents have, unfortunately, not made such an edict. Shame on them. Shame on them for making Catherine be her brother's keeper. I understand, believe me I understand, how depleting and exhausting it is having a child with Special or Exceptional (as in our case) Needs, and the parents are trying to divide the workload. But that is WRONG to do to a sibling when they are still a child. I know I am in the minority, that most of our Special friends are just like Catherine and David's parents and less like us. Yes, I do hold us up as paragons and yes, it is hard work. But so what? Parenting is supposed to be hard work regardless of a child's (dis-) abilities.

"Rules" connected with my son, or my son connected with it. Whichever, but that is terrific. He found connections to his own life and, of course, differences. A boy in his class has a younger sibling who is biologically female but identifies as male, and while Gender Identity Disorder is neither Autism nor is it the Developmental Disabilities of our son, it is still a pronounced difference and a reason to make a family different and odd. My eldest son said he thought this classmate should read it because he might also see himself in it.

Empathy is hard to teach. Compassion is hard to teach. I am grateful to this book for not teaching but reaching my eldest so he could see he is not alone.

This book is a short, but packs quite a bit of punch for a novel of its length. Having grown up with a disabled sibling, I could definitely relate to Catherine. The voice of the MC was authentic and the author did a nice job of conveying the guilt she felt when she got frustrated with her sibling. It's something I still deal with as an adult. When you're twelve, it gets extremely frustrating to have high parental expectations set for you as the "normal sibling" and watch your parents get excited over the smallest accomplishments of the disabled sibling.
I would have liked to see more character development (Kristi didn't seem very fleshed out to me) and the ending felt too abrupt. I'd definitely recommend the book though.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Do you know what its like to be stared at where ever you go, people judging you in their heads? I read Rules by Cynthia Lord, and I recommend this book for readers ages 9 to 13. It is a realistic fiction. Rules is set in the present.
Catherine is a 12 year-old girl who lives in Maine, USA. Catherine's little brother, David, has autism. David is eight years old. David has a very hard time learning things, so Catherine makes rules for David to follow. David loves the rules Catherine makes for him. They teach him what to do and what not to do. Catherine and her mom take David to therapy every week. One day while David was in therapy, Catherine met a disabled boy named Jason. Jason is 15 years-old, and cannot move or speak. Catherine and Jason become very good friends. Catherine has a neighbor, who she strains to be friends with, but finds out her neighbor isn't such a good friend.
I think there could be more information about Catherine's other friend Melissa than the book gives, but I really liked the chapters where Catherine finds out Jason likes her. I highly recommend Rules. This book shows what it feels like to be judged, and that it hurts. Some other titles by Cynthia Lord are Touch Blue, Hot Red Hamster, and Happy Birthday Hamster.

Its about a girl named Catherine that gave rules for her young brother David so he can behave around people and every time David was around Catherine he will say one of the rules.One of the problems Catherine had to face is telling David that not to say any of the rules she had told him but David always did not follow that rule.The central theme is to follow rules even if you don't like them like when Catherine say to David " when we are at other peoples house never closed other peoples basement doors unless they say you can "because at there house when David see's the basement door open he close's it.I thought this book is really good because it has some humor,problem's,and it was fun reading it.I recommend this book to other people because it is funny and it was fun reading it and getting through the story.

This had all the potential of being a really good book. The premise that the narrator's rules for her autistic little brother set up the subplots make for more enjoyable reading. The problem is that for the first half of the book, this premise does little more than jumpstart a slow moving literary vehicle.

The characters, though all very well developed, were not very multidimensional. David, for instance, the 12-year-old narrator's little brother who suffers from autism, is never seen as more than his parents' or older sister's burden and reluctant responsibility. (The inside cover of the book explains that the author, Cynthia Lord, is the mother of an autistic child, so I'm certain that she intended more depth for that particular character.) I would have liked to see more sides of David. Perhaps more spontaneous affection for his sister and parents. We are shown a great deal of Catherine's artistic side. Surely David has one as well.

Kristi is the new girl next door, and we learn a little about her parents (separated) and her bedroom. But not much about her. Ryan is the boy down the street whom Kristi makes friends with, but he enjoys teasing David, which, of course, infuriates Catherine. We don't learn much about him either. These two characters in particular would be more interesting if we could learn

A. Why does Ryan tease?
B. Is there something going on at home which causes him to be that way?
C. Why does Kristi want to be friends with him, even after she sees how he treats David?

Jason is the exception.

Catherine meets wheelchair-bound Jason at the clinic, and almost immediately develops a fascinating friendship with him. Jason soon became the reason for my continuing to read. Though severely handicapped, Jason is painted as human, down-to-earth, and multidimensional as any character in the story. He is a sweet and very human character.

Catherine's new friendships force her to realize that there may be exceptions to her well-intentioned rules she has established for David as well as for herself. One thing that really intrigued me about the book was that none of the protagonists were perfect. They were simply trying the best they could to do the right things at the right times. Sometimes they said the wrong thing or failed to say the right thing.

My primary problem with RULES is (as I stated earlier) it takes so long for the pace of the story to pick up and for the central characters to change and grow. When the story begins to develop and intrigue the reader, it really does pick up the pace. But it ends almost immediately after the climax. I don't want to give away too much, but Catherine has to make a very risky stand. We are never told the final results of that stand. We never see the developing after-effects of her choices. It sounds rather paradoxical for me to say this, but I hope there is a sequel.

So, my feelings about RULES are very mixed. I liked it, but I wanted to like it more.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

This book has been on my to read list for a really long time now. Now that I have read it, I do not know why I took so long to get to it. This book is about a girl who is afraid of her younger brother embarrassing her. He is autistic and she is always making up rules for him to follow. When she waits outside the clinic where he goes to occupational therapy she makes a very unexpected friend that helps her realize things about herself, her brother and friendship. I think that this book does a really good job of dealing with the perspective and feelings of an older sibling that has a younger sibling with a disability. If you liked Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper or When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds you would like this book.

I loved this story narrated by a 12-year-old girl named Catherine whose brother, an 8-year-old named David, has autism. David is often reminded to follow the rules that have been set up to help him fit in, like, "No toys in the fish tank," "Late doesn't mean not coming," and "Don't run down the [OT] clinic hallway." While sitting in the waiting room during one of her brother's weekly OT appointments, Catherine meets a boy in a wheelchair named Jason who uses is unable to speak and offers to make him some word cards to add to his somewhat limited inventory. Their interactions help the newfound friends see things in a different light. Unsurprisingly, Catherine feels her life and her efforts to make friends (especially with a same aged just moved in neighbor girl) are complicated by her brother's behavior, but she is wise beyond her years, coming up with things like, "Looking closer can make something beautiful," and "When someone is upset, it's not a good time to bring up your own problems." Sometimes she's even funny, suggesting, "If you want to change the subject, confuse the other person by going off on a wild, chatty detour." Forced by circumstances to attend a dance, Catherine must decide whether or not to bring her somewhat secret relationship with Jason into the open. Except for Jason's revelation to Catherine, "Sometimes...I.Wish.Die," which could be upsetting to younger kids, this book is a really good, very family-friendly story about dealing with diversity. Also good: Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman. Similar in subject: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon and Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison.

A few years ago, I was listening to a 5th grade class discuss their transition on becoming middle schoolers. They shared many fears and concerns: 'What if I forget my locker combination?' 'What will the cafeteria food be like?' 'What if I get lost?' 'Will there be more homework?' Mostly, it was the usual stuff I hear every year. But one comment has stayed with me - "I'm worried kids will make fun of my sister because she is disabled." The room went silent. And then an eruption of hands went up around me. Students responded with an empathatic discussion in support of their peer. I was grateful for two things: 1)the power of a caring community of kids and 2)how brave the student was to share his challenge. I realized he must have felt emotionally safe to do so. But I also wasn't aware of the stress he had been feeling about his sibling. These students need support and care. Enter the essential read Rules. It's full of insight, understanding, and strength.

An autism diagnosis affects the whole family. Because of the daily demands and interventions required, balancing daily life activities can sometimes be difficult. This can be very hard on siblings of autistic children. Through Catherine's eyes you feel her annoyance, frustration, jealousy, embarrassment, and worry. And you also feel her love, compassion, care, and loyalty. Those traits help her overcome the emotional obstacles she faces. If you want to encourage understanding and care for children like Catherine, read Rules. This book has been making a difference in my school.

I like the book Rules because it was about a boy named David and a girl named Catherine. David and Catherine were siblings and David was autistic. Catherine had to teach him a bunch of rules about how to live life because she was older. The setting is David and Catherine's house, at a video game store and at a pond. Whenever David leaves the house, he asks for his red umbrella to take with him, whether it's raining or not. A few of the rules that she taught was that a boy could take off his shirt to swim but not his shorts, it's fine to hug mom but not the clerk at the video store, and sometimes you've got to work with what you got.

Catherine's and David's next door neighbor move away and the moving men come to put new furniture in the house. Catherine and David go over to the men and talk to them and ask when the new people are moving in. Then Catherine teaches David a new rule that is If you want to get away from someone, check you watch and say "Sorry, gotta go!" Catherine's friend, Ryan, comes over and David goes to hang out with them. Ryan tells him that if he doesn't hold on to the umbrella he'll take it. Then Catherine teaches him not to be rude and still be polite.

Now Catherine's friend comes over and they are going to go fishing. Then they change their mind and go swimming in the pond instead. When her friend goes away, Catherine tells David that when someone laughs at you it could be because they like you but also because they want to hurt you. Catherine's friend comes back and they all go swimming. They go home and they just keep playing together every day.

We all do it, out of human nature. We see people we feel to be less fortunate than us and we can't help but look their way. A glance filled with pity and guilt. Whether it be physical limitations from something like cerebral-palsy or "odd" behavior stemmed from something like autism. However, inside these individuals lies someone as interesting, as creative, and as normal as you and me. Often times our looks and glances are not meant to hurt or offend but that doesn't me they aren't received that way. Not just by the individual, but by those closest to them. A parent. A sibling. A friend.

In Rules, Cynthia Lord puts us in the place of twelve-year-old Catherine. Catherine wants a normal life, complete with a next door friend who she can take to the beach and send flashlight messages back and forth with late at night. Lucky for her, Kristi is moving in next door this summer and may prove to be just that friend. One problem. Catherine's autistic brother David keeps getting in the way. So does Catherine's relationship with Jason, a handicapped boy she warms up to during David's occupational therapy sessions. Will Kristi still want to be Catherine's friend despite these things? Is it worth hurting either relationship in order to impress Kristi? And will Catherine's life ever be "normal"?

First and foremost, I have to commend Cynthia Lord. I have never read a novel that tells a story about autism from the point of view of a girl whose brother suffers from it. It's genius, and packed with raw, yet sometimes comical emotion. She's made Catherine so genuine, with such an authentic voice. Catherine is very responsible when it comes to David and very thoughtful when it comes to Jason, yet at the same time, can't help but ponder the advantages of a life without them. This isn't written in a rude or selfish way, it's totally natural. Because of Lord's writing, it's easy for the reader to sympathize with Catherine and her situation.

And it's not just Catherine, all of Lord's characters shine and come to life in an unflinching, honest way. Jason, who can only communicate by pointing to word cards with pictures on them, is quietly bold. Kristi, who Catherine tries desperately to impress, like many kids, may indeed be less superficial and more thoughtful than one would first expect. And then there's David, Catherine's younger autistic brother, who she tries to control and teach through the use of rules she's made up, life lessons. "No toys in the fish tank!" Through David's interactions with Catherine (his need to quote Frog and Toad books when the going gets real tough), Lord shows us that despite his autism, David is just like any other little brother who loves to pester his sister.

Interestingly enough, the only characters that did not sit well with me were the adults, and it's not Lord's fault. I see it all too often in school, kids not being allowed to live life as a kid. Kristi has to have dinner ready for her mom when she gets home from work. The responsibilities Catherine's parents place on her and the things they expect her to understand and live with, it's not fair to her. Even Jason's mother begins to just "expect" certain behaviors from Catherine. It's no wonder she feels used. Catherine's dad is usually at work and her mom is often times too busy to watch David, in one scene, even for just a few minutes while Catherine entertains a friend. I'm sure that somewhere along the line, her parents have had their fair share of difficult times (especially with David) but that doesn't give them the right to use their daughter, shift all responsibility onto her plate (a twelve-year-old girl remember), and put all her wants and desires on the back-burner. It's frustrating and it's all too real in today's society.

In the end, what makes Rules such a class act, is how Cynthia Lord never takes the story where you'd expect a children's author to take it. David does not act "over the top" in regards to his autism. Catherine isn't an unsocial hermit, hard up for friends. She's actually very likable in the book. There's even more to Jason and Kristi, then first expected, much more. Nothing is softened up, nothing is given the Disney treatment, and why should it be? These are issues all too prevalent in the lives of younger readers today. It's nice for a change to see an author show them a different side to an extremely important, yet different story.

I think Rules has many things going for it and is a story not only all children should read, but adults as well. There's plenty they could take away from Catherine's "rules". After all, those awkward looks and glances Catherine and Jason received while "running" in the doctor's parking lot, they weren't coming from children. Cynthia Lord has written a story that should change the way you look at people. It did for me.

Catherine is twelve and has to babysit her pesky eight-year-old brother--a lot--in this book for middle school readers. But David isn't pesky in the usual way. He's autistic. He makes odd comments in a loud voice, throws a tantrum if someone is late, and takes his pants off in public. Catherine hates it when people stare, so she's made a list of rules for him: "If someone says `hi,' say `hi' back." "Late doesn't mean not coming." "No toys in the fish tank." "Keep your pants on." "Flush!"

Meanwhile, Catherine makes two new friends, Kristi and Jason. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine is excited. But Kristi likes Ryan, a boy who enjoys teasing David and making him look foolish. Catherine hopes Kristi won't turn out to be like Ryan.

The other new friend, Jason, goes for occupational therapy at the same time as Catherine's brother. Jason is confined to a wheelchair and can only communicate by pointing to words written on a set of cards, words like GO, HI, PLEASE. After Catherine gets to know him, she makes him some new words: AWESOME! GROSS! STINKS A BIG ONE! Jason loves them.

Catherine mentions Jason to Kristi but doesn't tell her that Jason is disabled. She isn't sure how Kristi will react and is afraid of losing her as a friend. When Kristi suggests that Catherine and Jason double-date with her and Ryan, Catherine struggles with her divided loyalties.

This Newbery Honor Book is well-written and entertaining. Lord writes with insight and humor and Catherine is very likable. I admired her attempts, mostly successful, to communicate with her brother and her friend Jason. The book helps the reader understand the challenges disabled people and their families face.

Autism is a timely topic, now that one in 110 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum. Cynthia Lord, as the mother of an autistic son, knows whereof she writes. I greatly admire the parents of autistic children because of their often heroic efforts to find help for their children. For anyone interested in reading non-fiction books about this topic, I loved Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autismby Jenny McCarthy (yes, that Jenny McCarthy) and The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Sonby Rupert Isaacson.

Reading level: 10 and up.

Catherine and David are sister and brother for life. In fact, Catherine has a set of "Rules" outlined for David as well as herself to follow more or less so for Catherine to avoid humiliating situations. She also outlines some of these rules to protect her brother. For instance, in her rule book, Catherine states that sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you. One particular person that she protects David from is a boy named Ryan.

The story takes place on the east coast, I'm guessing Maine (where the author lives) during summer vacation. Catherine meets a new neighbor, but doesn't really become good friends with her and yearns for her best friend Melissa who is spending vacation on the west coast. However, she does bond with another disabled boy, Jason at occupational therapy where they take David (he has autism).

Read the story to find the other Rules that Catherine sets, how she protects her brother, how she helps Jason out, and how she spends her summer mostly in her sketchbook when she isn't thinking about humanity.

Rules by Cynthia Lord is a middle grade novel that deals with autism in a very real way. Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a life that doesn't totally revolve around her little brother David's autism. Told in her voice, you immediately become sympathetic to her role in the family. One of the strengths of Rules is that you sense Catherine's conflicting emotions. You never doubt that she loves her little brother, but because so much of the family dynamics are taken up with his disability, she sometimes just wishes he were "normal."

In order to help David cope better in the world, Catherine comes up with a set of rules. In fact each chapter starts off with a rule: "Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you," and "If it's too loud, cover your ears or ask the other person to be quiet," and "If the bathroom door is closed, knock (especially if Catherine has a friend over)!" and "No toys in the fish tank." These rules are Catherine's way of keeping the situation under control.

There are two other influences in her life. The first is Kristi, her new neighbor that she desperately wants as a friend, but is unsure how she will react to David. The second is a boy in a wheelchair she meets at one of her brother's therapy appointments. Jason can't talk, so he has a book of cards with pictures and words that he points to in order to communicate. The evolution of their friendship is interesting to watch, and it is not without some painful moments.

Finally, one of my favorite touches in the book is how David quotes from Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad books when he can't come up with his own words.

Rules is an important book. With the rate of autism skyrocketing, children are more exposed to autistic kids. Whether it is a sibling, a classmate or just someone in the grocery store, Rules can help open up the conversation about autism. It's also funny and touching, with many heart-warming moments throughout. It's a relatively quick read and would make a good read aloud book.

RULES is the story of 12-year-old Catherine, whose life is defined in large part by her relationship with her autistic younger brother David. David is unable to intuit the rules of acceptable behavior, the way that other people are, and Catherine has to come up with a list of rules for him. She has other rules of her own, and these are used for chapter titles in the book.

According to her bio, Cynthia Lord is the mother of two children, one of whom has autism. Her real-world experience in, as she puts it, "living with someone who sees the world so differently than I do" allows her to give Catherine's character authenticity. Catherine rails against both her parents and fate for the problems that she has to deal with in caring for her brother. She laments especially the way David gets so much more parental attention than she does. Despite her frustration, however, she also loves her brother, and has a special bond with him that's unique to the two of them. I love the way they converse with one another using lines from Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel.

As if Catherine's life wasn't complicated enough by her brother, she befriends a boy of her own age named Jason. Jason is in a wheelchair, and is unable to speak. His brain is all there, though, and he communicates by pointing at little cards in a communication book. Catherine, a budding artist, makes him more cards for his book, so that he can have a wider of range of things to talk about. She only gradually comes to see Jason as a person, and a potential friend, rather than as some sort of charity project. In some ways, her relationship with her brother has prepared her for having a friendship with someone else who is different and has trouble communicating. On the other hand, she struggles with having yet another association that makes her seem unusual to the other kids in the neighborhood.

I found RULES a fascinating window into the world of having a sibling with autism. It makes having normal rambunctious younger brothers and sisters seem easy by comparison (though it certainly didn't seem easy when I was twelve). It evokes humor and sympathy, and it explores sticking up for yourself and others vs. fitting in. I think that it will be a hit with 9 to 12 year olds, especially those with pesky younger brothers and sisters, or who have things about their families that make them different. And who doesn't, when you look deep enough?

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on June 9th, 2006.

"Rules" is a book about autism. It should be noted that the book only covers one type of autism, the kind that most people actually know about and think about. It should be noted that this book isn't about the child with autism, or the parents dealing about said autism, but the child who has to deal with their sibling being different.

That is the charm of this book, the way that Catherine learns and grows in her maturity when it comes to how she perceives her brother. She starts off in this book, basically expecting to have some sort of normalcy when it comes to her daily life, which is always thrown into a loop by her brother David. So, she creates rules for her brother to follow. Of course, David doesn't follow said rules. David is an embarrassment to said sister.

What pulled me into this book is the fact that I've dealt with having a special needs sibling. Sure, it wasn't as bad as having David, but it could be rough sometimes. You feel as if your world is spinning out of control. You wonder if your parents have time for you anymore. You also wonder if said sibling loves you. I've also met other people, including children who've gone through the same situation. This is what is so great to me about this book, the fact that it does represent the feelings.

The ending is also one that is desirable if one is trying to help a child as is mentioned in the above paragraph cope with having a special needs sibling. It is a good piece for parents, teachers and councilors to use. The text size is also easy to read and has some fun font splattered in there which adds to the effect of reading. The story is enjoyable and teaching good morals by the end of the book.

There is a little bit of romance, but then the age group Catherine is in is dealing with liking boys. That said, the romance relationship itself teaches some valuable lessons and is likable, something that is missing from YA of late. I found the relationship to be realistic, and I also felt that Catherine and Jason could understand each other and had something in common.

Something to keep in mind if you do read the book, as I've already noted, is the fact that "Rules" does NOT represent ALL forms of autism. Each autistic individual is different. Also, I wish to add that this book has not just received the "Newbery Honor", but it has also received the "Schneider Family Book Award", which is an award given for books that deal with the special needs community geared towards younger writers. This books has gotten me looking for more that have received this award to read.

KCS: How to live with a neurotic sibling

Looking closer can make something beautiful.

Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you.

Some people think they know who you are, when really they don't.

Catherine would rather live like a normal person. It's hard enough putting up with her autistic brother, but with a potential friend next door, she feels even more embarrassed about him. And there's Jason, another potential friend. Do you think Catherine can make friends with them without letting her brother get in the way of her? (you have to read Rules to find out)
Rules takes place somewhere on the mainland close to the ocean, during recent times. Catherine is an artistic person and is used to covering up for her brother, David, but only to a certain point. She is patient enough with David but isn't willing to take full responsibility over him. Catherine doesn't really like going out in public with David because she hates the funny looks people give him (he goes around quoting Frog and Toad and his rules). however, she feels all right about him in the end. Catherine has made a bunch of rules for both her and David to follow.
David seems to always be shouting out random things, but what he says has some hidden meaning that only Catherine can understand. David goes to a therapy class/OT. He needs constant reminding to "chew with his mouth closed" or "keep his pants on in public". David doesn't understand that some people are trying to tease him and aren't laughing with him.
Jason is paraplegic and can't speak. He has to use a communication book with words in it so he can converse with others. He's pretty much like "normal" people his age in personality, but is probably more observant than others due to his disability. Jason goes to the same therapy center as David.
Jason has been going to OT before David, but only then did Catherine really notice him. His mom caught her sketching him, and that is how they got to be friends. Kristi, who would probably become really popular, moves in next door to Catherine. Catherine really doesn't want her to know about David, but she finds out anyway and their relationship doesn't get to a good start. She makes an effort to make friends with Kristi but she seems to like this guy who Catherine dislikes. Catherine gets closer to Jason but when the community center holds a dance, she uses her rules as excuses to hide behind.
I really enjoyed this book, and in some ways I could relate to the characters in it. Being an older sister, I knew how Catherine felt dealing with david. I learned not to judge people by the way they act or look because they could be a totally different person on the inside ("don't judge people by their covers") and not to restrain yourself with tons of rules. David couldn't understand what to do or what not to do, so Catherine made all those rules for them (kind of like The Giver, where if you broke one of their many rules you'd get in big trouble). But then she made unnecessary rules for herself that took away some of her freedom. Cynthia Lord's writing style included lots of details and I was able to understand everything. It had some Christian perspective in it, with Catherine opening a lot of opportunities for Jason and showing him the world in a different perspective. She learned that she didn't have to follow all those rules that she made. The pacing is a steady medium with some fast parts. The title is what it is mostly because of all the rules Catherine made. I would recommend this book to anyone in general, because there's not really anything inappropriate in it and I think everyone can relate to at least one character.

Rules
By: Cynthia Lord
Reviewed by: Pete R. Pan
If you like realistic fiction, this book is definitely for you. Rules, by Cynthia Lord is filled with laughs, cries, and happy tears. Also, you would like this book if you have a sibling. Some tags to describe this book are friendship, autism, middle school, siblings, and summer.
Rules is about a girl named Catherine who has a younger brother with autism. She says her brother kind of ruins her life and that she can't get any friends while having him as a brother. Then a new girl comes to move next door from Catherine's house, and Catherine got so excited. She always wanted next door neighbor with a girl her age. Meanwhile, Catherine is going with her brother to a place where her brother has OT and PT (optical and physical therapy) where she meets a boy that can't talk and is around her age named Jason. The book is named "Rules" because Catherine keeps a list of Rules for her brother, David, so even if one morning, he can't wake up normal, he will know some basic tips to kind of be a normal brother.
The theme of this book, or a message the author probably wanted to tell the readers is that you should still try to have fun with your life even with some bumps along the way.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the author added a lot of description and detail in the characters. She made everyone have their own personality. Each one of the characters were super and special.

Whoa. I can honestly say this is one of the best books I've read in a while, which is saying something, especially since this is classified as MG. Anyway, I started this on Christmas Day night just to try it , even though I'd really started a few books I'd received as Christmas presents, and I only put it done once (and that was only because we were going to my grandma's). I stayed up half the night, despite being ridiculously tired from the food and excitement of the day, just to finish it. So what made the book so great?

For one, the plot flew by effortlessly. It wasn't one of those plots were one big thing happens and everything is resolved. It's one of those where the MC learns to deal with something better and also experiences some little things that change her point-of-view, which sometimes makes it seem like there's no plot but in this case, it worked out perfectly.

Then there's the characters. Catherine, David, and Jason were so incredibly well-developed that I felt like I knew them. Catherine was so easy to relate to that it almost felt like I was her, dealing with David and Jason myself. David, having had some friends with autism in the past, was also realistic. But, above both of them, Jason was by far my favorite. Not a whole lot is said about why he's in the wheelchair but the way he treats Catherine and how he acts makes him a unique character. I would have loved to see more of him in the story.

Rules was not what I expected but it blew me away. If you haven't read it, I recommend that you do. You won't be disappointed.

The main characters include Catherine, her brother David, her friend Kristi, and her clinic friend Jason. Catherine is a twelve year old girl who wishes to just have a normal life, but that can't happen because her brother David has autism and the whole family needs to take care of him. Even though she loves him and the family she often feels left out. To keep herself occupied she draws pictures and writes rules for David to prevent him from embarrassing himself in public and to help him understand the world better. She also has two friends named Jason and Kristi.
David is Catherine's brother. He is eight years old and has autism. Not only does he have autism, but he also hears noises louder than it really is. The OT (Occupational Therapy) is where he has to go to see a woman named Stephanie. David loves rules, going to the video store, and Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad books. The only problem with David is that he sometimes embarrasses Catherine in front of her friends or even in front of strangers. Kristi is one of Catherine's friends with straight brown hair that pass her elbow and an in between skinny and fat body. She also is tall and likes Ryan. Jason is Catherine's next friend who is a paraplegic and uses his communication book to tell what he wants or a compliment because he can't talk. He also goes to OT for speech therapy.
This book took place in Coastal Maine at the clinic and at Catherine's house.

It all started when Catherine and her mom brought David to OT. While they were waiting for David to finish, her mom read her Harry Potter while she looked around. She was looking for someone she hadn't drawn already. She noticed she didn't draw Jason nor his mother, so she decided to pick Jason. Jason noticed her drawing him and tapped his book to say that he doesn't want her to draw him. His mom got angry at Catherine. Catherine got embarrassed and apologized. When Jason's speech therapist came she asked his mom what's wrong and she told him that Jason wanted to stop at a yard sale to get a guitar, but she didn't let him go. When they were leaving Jason's mom stopped and said to Catherine that Jason likes the picture she was drawing. Catherine than gave him the picture.
Since the day Jason tapped he liked Catherine's picture they have started to become friends. Catherine started to write and draw pictures for his communication books. She always talked to him while he tapped words for his response. Once she even pushed his wheelchair very fast so it can seem as if he is running. People were staring at them and smiling. He invited her to his birthday party. There he showed her how he plays the piano. When Catherine told Jason about the dance and how Kristi couldn't come to his party because she had to help decorate he asked her if she wanted to go. She made an excuse and Jason got mad. He left her and Catherine walked away with David crying.
When they were driving home David covered his ears because it was raining. At home Catherine was trying to keep busy, but by four o' clock she couldn't wait anymore so she took her sketch book and went outside. She did this so she could have a good view of the new neighbors. She saw the new neighbors. They included the woman and her daughter Kristi. Catherine hopes to be very good friends with Kristi and that is what happens. Catherine's mom brought Kristi over and they have been friends ever since. They played with Catherine's guinea pigs, went to the pond, talked, and made signs for the prom.
In the end, Catherine and Jason go to the prom and meet Kristi and Ryan there. Kristi was shocked to see how Jason really looked. They danced and enjoyed themselves. They were friends again. David and Catherine also became closer to one another.
"Rules" by Cynthia Lord in overall is a very good book. I thought just by looking at the cover it would be a type of book that is uninteresting and mediocre, but I was wrong. I underestimated it, which was really bad. Maybe that is why they say "Never judge a book by its cover." Not only that, but it also taught me to never judge anyone by how they look on the outside because that is just the way they are and that cannot be changed. I would definitely recommend this book for people who has autism or knows a person who has it. I will also recommend it to preteens.

Twelve-year-old Catherine's autistic younger brother David is a constant source of embarrassment for her, from his hand flapping and public tantrums to socially inappropriate behaviors such as dropping his pants in public. Catherine is constantly updating her list of rules for David in order to spare him (and herself) embarrassment at the hands of others. Many of these rules make perfect sense to the non-autistic: knock before entering the bathroom, no toys in the fish tank, chew with your mouth closed.

Catherine's best friend is away for the summer, and she's overjoyed when a new girl her age moves in next door, but she's afraid that David will mess everything up. She also meets Jason, a nonverbal wheelchair user who attends the same therapy clinic as David, and the two strike up a deep friendship, with the artistic Catherine going as far as to create new picture cards for Jason's communication book. Jason teaches her important lessons about acceptance and true friendship.

Lord has created a particularly realistic novel that looks at handicaps and public perception, siblings, and the perils of preteen social angst in a down-to-earth voice. Catherine's family has its flaws as well as its warm moments, and David is a funny, adoring younger brother even though many of his actions are mysterious and frustrating to Catherine. Catherine's budding friendship with Jason was also tenderly drawn, and I hope that Catherine and the other characters will reappear in later novels.

RULES is the story of 12-year-old Catherine, whose life is defined in large part by her relationship with her autistic younger brother David. David is unable to intuit the rules of acceptable behavior, the way that other people are, and Catherine has to come up with a list of rules for him. She has other rules of her own, and these are used for chapter titles in the book.

According to her bio, Cynthia Lord is the mother of two children, one of whom has autism. Her real-world experience in, as she puts it, "living with someone who sees the world so differently than I do" allows her to give Catherine's character authenticity. Catherine rails against both her parents and fate for the problems that she has to deal with in caring for her brother. She laments especially the way David gets so much more parental attention than she does. Despite her frustration, however, she also loves her brother, and has a special bond with him that's unique to the two of them. I love the way they converse with one another using lines from Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel.

As if Catherine's life wasn't complicated enough by her brother, she befriends a boy of her own age named Jason. Jason is in a wheelchair, and is unable to speak. His brain is all there, though, and he communicates by pointing at little cards in a communication book. Catherine, a budding artist, makes him more cards for his book, so that he can have a wider of range of things to talk about. She only gradually comes to see Jason as a person, and a potential friend, rather than as some sort of charity project. In some ways, her relationship with her brother has prepared her for having a friendship with someone else who is different and has trouble communicating. On the other hand, she struggles with having yet another association that makes her seem unusual to the other kids in the neighborhood.

I found RULES a fascinating window into the world of having a sibling with autism. It makes having normal rambunctious younger brothers and sisters seem easy by comparison (though it certainly didn't seem easy when I was twelve). It evokes humor and sympathy, and it explores sticking up for yourself and others vs. fitting in. I think that it will be a hit with 9 to 12 year olds, especially those with pesky younger brothers and sisters, or who have things about their families that make them different. And who doesn't, when you look deep enough?

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on June 9th, 2006.

"Rules" is a book about autism. It should be noted that the book only covers one type of autism, the kind that most people actually know about and think about. It should be noted that this book isn't about the child with autism, or the parents dealing about said autism, but the child who has to deal with their sibling being different.

That is the charm of this book, the way that Catherine learns and grows in her maturity when it comes to how she perceives her brother. She starts off in this book, basically expecting to have some sort of normalcy when it comes to her daily life, which is always thrown into a loop by her brother David. So, she creates rules for her brother to follow. Of course, David doesn't follow said rules. David is an embarrassment to said sister.

What pulled me into this book is the fact that I've dealt with having a special needs sibling. Sure, it wasn't as bad as having David, but it could be rough sometimes. You feel as if your world is spinning out of control. You wonder if your parents have time for you anymore. You also wonder if said sibling loves you. I've also met other people, including children who've gone through the same situation. This is what is so great to me about this book, the fact that it does represent the feelings.

The ending is also one that is desirable if one is trying to help a child as is mentioned in the above paragraph cope with having a special needs sibling. It is a good piece for parents, teachers and councilors to use. The text size is also easy to read and has some fun font splattered in there which adds to the effect of reading. The story is enjoyable and teaching good morals by the end of the book.

There is a little bit of romance, but then the age group Catherine is in is dealing with liking boys. That said, the romance relationship itself teaches some valuable lessons and is likable, something that is missing from YA of late. I found the relationship to be realistic, and I also felt that Catherine and Jason could understand each other and had something in common.

Something to keep in mind if you do read the book, as I've already noted, is the fact that "Rules" does NOT represent ALL forms of autism. Each autistic individual is different. Also, I wish to add that this book has not just received the "Newbery Honor", but it has also received the "Schneider Family Book Award", which is an award given for books that deal with the special needs community geared towards younger writers. This books has gotten me looking for more that have received this award to read.

KCS: How to live with a neurotic sibling

Looking closer can make something beautiful.

Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you.

Some people think they know who you are, when really they don't.

Catherine would rather live like a normal person. It's hard enough putting up with her autistic brother, but with a potential friend next door, she feels even more embarrassed about him. And there's Jason, another potential friend. Do you think Catherine can make friends with them without letting her brother get in the way of her? (you have to read Rules to find out)
Rules takes place somewhere on the mainland close to the ocean, during recent times. Catherine is an artistic person and is used to covering up for her brother, David, but only to a certain point. She is patient enough with David but isn't willing to take full responsibility over him. Catherine doesn't really like going out in public with David because she hates the funny looks people give him (he goes around quoting Frog and Toad and his rules). however, she feels all right about him in the end. Catherine has made a bunch of rules for both her and David to follow.
David seems to always be shouting out random things, but what he says has some hidden meaning that only Catherine can understand. David goes to a therapy class/OT. He needs constant reminding to "chew with his mouth closed" or "keep his pants on in public". David doesn't understand that some people are trying to tease him and aren't laughing with him.
Jason is paraplegic and can't speak. He has to use a communication book with words in it so he can converse with others. He's pretty much like "normal" people his age in personality, but is probably more observant than others due to his disability. Jason goes to the same therapy center as David.
Jason has been going to OT before David, but only then did Catherine really notice him. His mom caught her sketching him, and that is how they got to be friends. Kristi, who would probably become really popular, moves in next door to Catherine. Catherine really doesn't want her to know about David, but she finds out anyway and their relationship doesn't get to a good start. She makes an effort to make friends with Kristi but she seems to like this guy who Catherine dislikes. Catherine gets closer to Jason but when the community center holds a dance, she uses her rules as excuses to hide behind.
I really enjoyed this book, and in some ways I could relate to the characters in it. Being an older sister, I knew how Catherine felt dealing with david. I learned not to judge people by the way they act or look because they could be a totally different person on the inside ("don't judge people by their covers") and not to restrain yourself with tons of rules. David couldn't understand what to do or what not to do, so Catherine made all those rules for them (kind of like The Giver, where if you broke one of their many rules you'd get in big trouble). But then she made unnecessary rules for herself that took away some of her freedom. Cynthia Lord's writing style included lots of details and I was able to understand everything. It had some Christian perspective in it, with Catherine opening a lot of opportunities for Jason and showing him the world in a different perspective. She learned that she didn't have to follow all those rules that she made. The pacing is a steady medium with some fast parts. The title is what it is mostly because of all the rules Catherine made. I would recommend this book to anyone in general, because there's not really anything inappropriate in it and I think everyone can relate to at least one character.

Rules
By: Cynthia Lord
Reviewed by: Pete R. Pan
If you like realistic fiction, this book is definitely for you. Rules, by Cynthia Lord is filled with laughs, cries, and happy tears. Also, you would like this book if you have a sibling. Some tags to describe this book are friendship, autism, middle school, siblings, and summer.
Rules is about a girl named Catherine who has a younger brother with autism. She says her brother kind of ruins her life and that she can't get any friends while having him as a brother. Then a new girl comes to move next door from Catherine's house, and Catherine got so excited. She always wanted next door neighbor with a girl her age. Meanwhile, Catherine is going with her brother to a place where her brother has OT and PT (optical and physical therapy) where she meets a boy that can't talk and is around her age named Jason. The book is named "Rules" because Catherine keeps a list of Rules for her brother, David, so even if one morning, he can't wake up normal, he will know some basic tips to kind of be a normal brother.
The theme of this book, or a message the author probably wanted to tell the readers is that you should still try to have fun with your life even with some bumps along the way.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the author added a lot of description and detail in the characters. She made everyone have their own personality. Each one of the characters were super and special.

Whoa. I can honestly say this is one of the best books I've read in a while, which is saying something, especially since this is classified as MG. Anyway, I started this on Christmas Day night just to try it , even though I'd really started a few books I'd received as Christmas presents, and I only put it done once (and that was only because we were going to my grandma's). I stayed up half the night, despite being ridiculously tired from the food and excitement of the day, just to finish it. So what made the book so great?

For one, the plot flew by effortlessly. It wasn't one of those plots were one big thing happens and everything is resolved. It's one of those where the MC learns to deal with something better and also experiences some little things that change her point-of-view, which sometimes makes it seem like there's no plot but in this case, it worked out perfectly.

Then there's the characters. Catherine, David, and Jason were so incredibly well-developed that I felt like I knew them. Catherine was so easy to relate to that it almost felt like I was her, dealing with David and Jason myself. David, having had some friends with autism in the past, was also realistic. But, above both of them, Jason was by far my favorite. Not a whole lot is said about why he's in the wheelchair but the way he treats Catherine and how he acts makes him a unique character. I would have loved to see more of him in the story.

Rules was not what I expected but it blew me away. If you haven't read it, I recommend that you do. You won't be disappointed.

The main characters include Catherine, her brother David, her friend Kristi, and her clinic friend Jason. Catherine is a twelve year old girl who wishes to just have a normal life, but that can't happen because her brother David has autism and the whole family needs to take care of him. Even though she loves him and the family she often feels left out. To keep herself occupied she draws pictures and writes rules for David to prevent him from embarrassing himself in public and to help him understand the world better. She also has two friends named Jason and Kristi.
David is Catherine's brother. He is eight years old and has autism. Not only does he have autism, but he also hears noises louder than it really is. The OT (Occupational Therapy) is where he has to go to see a woman named Stephanie. David loves rules, going to the video store, and Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad books. The only problem with David is that he sometimes embarrasses Catherine in front of her friends or even in front of strangers. Kristi is one of Catherine's friends with straight brown hair that pass her elbow and an in between skinny and fat body. She also is tall and likes Ryan. Jason is Catherine's next friend who is a paraplegic and uses his communication book to tell what he wants or a compliment because he can't talk. He also goes to OT for speech therapy.
This book took place in Coastal Maine at the clinic and at Catherine's house.

It all started when Catherine and her mom brought David to OT. While they were waiting for David to finish, her mom read her Harry Potter while she looked around. She was looking for someone she hadn't drawn already. She noticed she didn't draw Jason nor his mother, so she decided to pick Jason. Jason noticed her drawing him and tapped his book to say that he doesn't want her to draw him. His mom got angry at Catherine. Catherine got embarrassed and apologized. When Jason's speech therapist came she asked his mom what's wrong and she told him that Jason wanted to stop at a yard sale to get a guitar, but she didn't let him go. When they were leaving Jason's mom stopped and said to Catherine that Jason likes the picture she was drawing. Catherine than gave him the picture.
Since the day Jason tapped he liked Catherine's picture they have started to become friends. Catherine started to write and draw pictures for his communication books. She always talked to him while he tapped words for his response. Once she even pushed his wheelchair very fast so it can seem as if he is running. People were staring at them and smiling. He invited her to his birthday party. There he showed her how he plays the piano. When Catherine told Jason about the dance and how Kristi couldn't come to his party because she had to help decorate he asked her if she wanted to go. She made an excuse and Jason got mad. He left her and Catherine walked away with David crying.
When they were driving home David covered his ears because it was raining. At home Catherine was trying to keep busy, but by four o' clock she couldn't wait anymore so she took her sketch book and went outside. She did this so she could have a good view of the new neighbors. She saw the new neighbors. They included the woman and her daughter Kristi. Catherine hopes to be very good friends with Kristi and that is what happens. Catherine's mom brought Kristi over and they have been friends ever since. They played with Catherine's guinea pigs, went to the pond, talked, and made signs for the prom.
In the end, Catherine and Jason go to the prom and meet Kristi and Ryan there. Kristi was shocked to see how Jason really looked. They danced and enjoyed themselves. They were friends again. David and Catherine also became closer to one another.
"Rules" by Cynthia Lord in overall is a very good book. I thought just by looking at the cover it would be a type of book that is uninteresting and mediocre, but I was wrong. I underestimated it, which was really bad. Maybe that is why they say "Never judge a book by its cover." Not only that, but it also taught me to never judge anyone by how they look on the outside because that is just the way they are and that cannot be changed. I would definitely recommend this book for people who has autism or knows a person who has it. I will also recommend it to preteens.

Twelve-year-old Catherine's autistic younger brother David is a constant source of embarrassment for her, from his hand flapping and public tantrums to socially inappropriate behaviors such as dropping his pants in public. Catherine is constantly updating her list of rules for David in order to spare him (and herself) embarrassment at the hands of others. Many of these rules make perfect sense to the non-autistic: knock before entering the bathroom, no toys in the fish tank, chew with your mouth closed.

Catherine's best friend is away for the summer, and she's overjoyed when a new girl her age moves in next door, but she's afraid that David will mess everything up. She also meets Jason, a nonverbal wheelchair user who attends the same therapy clinic as David, and the two strike up a deep friendship, with the artistic Catherine going as far as to create new picture cards for Jason's communication book. Jason teaches her important lessons about acceptance and true friendship.

Lord has created a particularly realistic novel that looks at handicaps and public perception, siblings, and the perils of preteen social angst in a down-to-earth voice. Catherine's family has its flaws as well as its warm moments, and David is a funny, adoring younger brother even though many of his actions are mysterious and frustrating to Catherine. Catherine's budding friendship with Jason was also tenderly drawn, and I hope that Catherine and the other characters will reappear in later novels.

This book was absolutely amazing. I was assigned to read it for one of my classes, and this was a pleasant surprise. I cannot say one bad thing about this book. I want more, though the story was a satisfying 200 pages. The content was amazing, and so was the writer. I don't think I can recall ever feeling so in-tuned with a character. The author did such a great job of describing everything: the drawings, the murky bottom of the pond, the toys in the fish tank, the feeling of running. All of the little details fit so perfectly into the story. As a writer, I'm a little jealous, this woman is crazy good with creating a vivid picture and making an ordinary life so interesting. This is definitely a must read for everyone and it's a real eye opener into the way we view people who are "different" from us.

I was shocked to see that anyone didn't like this book, to each his/her own.

I think this book does a remarkable job at putting those akward feelings about a "different" person in your life into words.

Catherine's brother is autistic and she loves him, feels bad when people stare at him, feels guilty when she yells at him and wishes that he could just argue back like a "normal" brother. There are a lot of kids out there who feel this way about a disabled family member and I think this helps sort out those feelings.

In this book Catherine helps David to fit in or be comfortable by giving him rules. Rules help David. Jason believes that Catherine's rules are her scapegoat for acceptance.

I also think this book is terrific for the parents, it exposes the guilt, concern and pressure that a parent of a child with special needs might be feeling.

I cried about Catherine's honesty, I was simply touched. Even Catherine's friendship to Jason is so very real to me. As for classrooms, I think that this is a great book for discussion. Differences - WE GOTTA HAVE 'EM. I read this book for a book club for 9-11 year old girls and their mothers.

Cynthia Lord's debut novel RULES is a tender look at adolescence and autism. Through the eyes of 12 year old Catherine, we see how her little brother's autism touches each of her family members in different ways: her mother is caring, her father is distant, and Catherine is both his sister and his teacher. No matter what happens, she tries to teach David rules to make sure he knows the do's and don'ts of life.

Then Catherine meets two kids her age who are about to change the rules: Kristi, the new girl next door who she is in awe of immediately, and Jason, a paraplegic who she meets while waiting for her brother to finish an Occupational Therapy (OT) session. Kristi could be the cool best friend Catherine has always wanted. Jason turns out to be the friend she never expected.

Rules is both compassionate and honest. It was a pleasant read due to the warm narrative and the honesty of the afflictions, emotions, and relationships. By allowing Catherine room for error, for apologies, and for acceptance, the young protagonist is very likable and relatable. Like the equally outstanding TRU CONFESSIONS by Janet Tashjian, I recommend RULES to young kids and families alike in hopes of encouraging acceptance and compassion.

This Newbery Honor Book is an eye-opener on what it's like to have an autistic sibling and parents who appear to forget that other "normal" members of the family need parental love and affection, too. It's also a heartwarming picture of how an artistic preteen befriends a nonverbal wheelchair bound paraplegic peer.The two learn to communicate by making a word book enhanced by drawings.

RULES reminded me of Jody Picoult's book MY SISTER'S KEEPER. Young readers whose parents focus all their resources on a sibling with special needs will relate well to the main characters in this story.

Parents and teachers will find a brief, but helpful, listing of books for young readers at the end of RULES that centers on autism, schizophrenia, development delays, learning disabilities, and other special needs.

Catherine is a twelve year old living with a brother who has autism. All she wants is to live a normal life, one where she is not constantly watching her brother, David.

It is summer vacation and Catherine is eagerly waiting for her "potential best friend" to move in next door. In the mean time, she follows her mom and David to his occupational therapy each week. There, she meets an unusual boy named Jason. Jason can't move or talk, so he uses communication cards. Catherine uses her gift of drawing make cards for Jason, and they become closer friends each week. She always thought it was a pain to have a sibling with autism, but realizes how tough it actually is to live with a disability.

I really enjoyed this book and how it shows how it is to take care of someone with a disability. The author shows the reality of disabilities, from the person who has it, and their family. I think this book is written in a Christian perspective because the book has good themes through out it. One of the themes in this book is to not be ashamed of a friend because you are afraid of what others reactions might be.

I really like this book. It's a good fiction middle reader, it has just the right amount of pages, and it is a just-right challenge for middle readers because some of the language was almost unfamiliar. The author has a large duck collection and her child has autism just like David does.
This book was funny and interesting. It felt true to life, but it wasn't emotional. My favorite part of this book was when Catherine finally made 2 friends, one of them being truly a friend. I learned that you should be thankful for what you have.
I would recommend this book because it's a good page-turner about making friends in middle school. It could be good for self-improvement or entertainment!

Can you imagine a life where your older sister writes a set of rules for you, so you don't embarrass her? Or on the flip side, can you imagine having a younger autistic brother who might pull off his pants in public? In the realistic fiction novel Rules by Cynthia Lord, twelve-year old Catherine deals with accepting her autistic brother for how he is and meeting her new friends.

Catherine is an ordinary girl who doesn't know how to deal with having an autistic brother. Continuously wishing for a "normal brother," Catherine writes a set of rules for David such as "chew with your mouth closed," or "if the bathroom door is closed, knock" (especially if Catherine has a friend over), so one day he just might "wake up a regular brother." Catherine usually accompanies her mom when David goes to Occupational Therapy, where David learns different games and tasks like jumping on a trampoline. She meets a fourteen or fifteen year old boy name Jason, who can't talk and is in a wheelchair. He uses a communication book to speak. In his book are various cards which have a word or a phrase on it. Many times his sentences aren't proper and don't have helping verbs such as is, did, and does. This is a particular sentence which explains his lack of language arts skills, What? Guinea pig.Eat., when someone else says this sentence it comes out to be What does Guinea pigs eat?

Also, Catherine has a new neighbor name Kristi who she has to accept. Kristi hangs out with Ryan, a boy who makes fun of David; Catherine has a hard time trying to be cool around her as well. Catherine also has a hard time accepting Kristi into her life because she's afraid of what she'll think of David. Catherine is a protective sister but at the same time she just wants to fit in. Catherine has to accept these three people in her life and also tries to find herself through the process.

I would recommend this book to kids between the ages of 10-14. This book would suit someone who wants to learn about a normal girl with disabilities shown in her life. Cynthia Lord's book was based on her life having a child with autism and another who doesn't. Cynthia is portraying life through the eyes of the forgotten child; when a disability such as autism is present and all the attention goes towards that child. After reading this book, I hope you'll view life with an autistic or disabled child differently. This book is phenomenal!

My daughter checked this book out from the library and I wound up reading it in segments to her and my 6 year old boy. They both really liked it and I loved it! Without giving anything away, there was a part in this book that was such a triumph of the human spirit (yes, I know what a cliche that is) that I became so choked up I had to pause for a full minute. This book mixes some great humor (I read her fish as speaking with British accents for whatever reason) with some surprisingly shocking, serious moments (in candid revelations from Jason). The main characters were fully fleshed-out and very likeable! The writing was terrific, especially for a debut novel! Such good writing in fact, that we are now reading Touch Blue Touch Blue by the same author. I'll get back to you on that one. Highly recommended for all ages! Rules

You can always tell when you're reading a book that has a basis in truth. With RULES, author Cynthia Lord writes about what it's like to live with autism, and she should know, since she has an autistic child.

That ring of truth is there, in every word, when you read the story of twelve-year old Catherine and her autistic younger brother, David.David hates loud noises. If there's a cloud in the sky, he has to take his red umbrella with him. If his dad says he'll be home at five o'clock, David starts going crazy at five-oh-one. He likes to rewind his movie of Thomas the Tank Engine to his favorite part, over and over and over again. His favorite place to visit is the video store, where he'll even lay on the floor to read the back of the movie box a stranger is holding in his hand. And he knows all the words to Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad.

For Catherine, though, it's a much different story. She hates the way people stare at her brother, or even worse, refuse to look at him at all. She's jealous of the time David gets to spend, one-on-one, with their pharmacist father. She hates David's rules, the strict adherence to which he is obsessed with them, and yet she makes new rules for him every time she thinks of something else he needs to know.

Catherine copes by drawing, and one day she decides to draw the boy in the wheelchair who is in the waiting room with her at Occupational Therapy. David goes there once a week to work with a therapist, and so does the boy who doesn't speak but instead uses a book of word cards to communicate. When Catherine offers to make Jason, the boy in the wheelchair, some new cards with pictures, an unlikely friendship is born. Catherine is also excited about Kristi, her new next-door neighbor, but soon finds out that friendship is a complicated matter.

How do you protect a brother that often annoys you? How can you be friends with the beautiful girl next door and yet be ashamed to admit your friend Jason doesn't talk and is in a wheelchair? How do you make your father understand that you matter, too? How do you tell your mother that even though David needs his own words, Frog and Toad is a special communication between a brother and sister that love each other? RULES isn't just a book about autism, but rather a look into the complexities of a family relationship. An excellent read for anyone who has ever had to deal with someone who is just a little bit different than everyone else.

I love this book! Rules is a Newberry Honor Book and winner of the Schneider Family Book Award. Well-written and a smooth, easy to read story, words that come to mind when I think about this book are: Honest, Real and Truthful. I like this book because to me it doesn't seem forced or fake - it's Genuine.

Catherine is a twelve year old girl who likes to draw and sketch. She has two guinea pigs named Cinnamon and Nutmeg, and wants to become friends with Kristi who just moved in next door. Catherine fills her sketchbook with drawings and also with rules to help her brother and herself understand the world. During David's OT visits, Catherine meets Jason in the waiting room. Jason uses a wheelchair and communications cards. Catherine begins creating new cards for Jason's communication notebook - new words complete with drawings of her own to match. As their friendship grows, Catherine and Jason expand in different ways; he tries new things and she starts seeing things from a new perspective.

A great book that really shows the discomfort of meeting someone is who is different. As the story closes, it's really up in the air how things will end.

When a 12-year-old girl moves in next-door, Catherine hopes life will finally seem normal. She longs to be an ordinary girl doing regular girl things--riding her bike and swimming in the pond with her best friend. Instead, life revolves around her brother David and his autism.

To help David avoid embarrassing situations, she keeps a running list of rules-things like: "Chew with your mouth closed" and "If the bathroom door is closed, knock (especially if Catherine has a friend over)!"

Catherine goes with her mom to David's occupational therapy sessions. In the waiting area, she meets Jason, a boy who uses a wheelchair and communicates by touching cards in his word book.

When Catherine is torn between Jason and the new girl next door, she is forced to evaluate what friendship means.

RULES is a touching story about families, friendship and fitting in. Catherine, Jason and David are just like real kids next door-the kind of kids you fall in love with and want to shelter from the harsh world.

I read RULES in one sitting on the day it arrived; I couldn't put it down. I felt the tension and the love-and I wanted to stay in Catherine's world for just a bit longer. I carried the characters around in my head and my heart for several days...and, I'm not sure they'll really ever leave me.

Cynthia Lord's debut novel is a must-read! I highly-recommend this magical novel that will change the way many people view the world.

Rules is a book targeted at 4th- through 7th-graders, but it has a lot to offer readers of all ages. Catherine reads like a typical 12-year-old, and the way she approaches her autistic younger brother, parents and new friends rings true. Where this book shines is its realistic and compassionate portrayal of David. As the mother of a high-functioning autistic boy, I often found myself moved to tears by David. He clearly feels the nuances of the emotions of his loved ones, but doesn't have the expressive language to communicate about them in a conventional way. Lord also has a good understanding of alternative communication methods (Jason's communication book, for example and the less accepted situationally appropriate echolalia used by David when he quotes from his favorite audio book). She also realistically portrays the cruelty special needs kids experience and does not tie up everything with a nice neat bow. Sometimes people just suck, and they don't change for the better.

The only quibble I have with this book is its portrayal of speech and occupational therapists as clueless buffoons who condescend to their clients, "yell" at a kid who uses a communication book as if he's deaf, etc. I have dealt with many speech/language pathologists and occupational therapists in private clinics and the school setting, and these wonderful professionals "get" their clients. My son's SLP and OT have given me so many great tips to help my son in all kinds of situations. Ironically, the "stupid speech woman" Jason scorns in real life would be the person who helped him develop and implement the communication book he uses to such great effect!

In _Rules_, we see the struggles of our 12 y o protaganist: making friends, coping with her autistic brother, venturing into a friendship with a disabled teen. My favorite character is that teen, who most people regard as mentally disabled just because his body is disabled. It's worth reading the book just for that character, his courage, and his subtle humor.

The character development in other respects is just shy of top-notch. Our heroine is likeable and really grows by the end of the story, but she seem to be over-reacting to several events. I would have liked a little more insight into the autistic brother and a little more refinement of word choice and style. Also, I was a little uncomfortable about the "girl-friend/boy-friend" aspect of the conclusion not because of the boy's disability, but because I don't think (and many, many people will disagree with me here) that 12 year olds should have boyfriends.

Catherine is between a rock and a hard place...as are most siblings of special children. Somewhere between protecting her autistic brother and protecting herself from embarassment of his behavior, she creates a list of rules for him.

This deeply moving story examines many facets of lives with challenges. Catherine is able to see the heart of the matter through the eyes of a physically challenged boy at her brother's therapy office. He can only communicate by pointing to words. She empathizes with his limitations and gives him new words to expand his options - like "Whatever"! They build a special bond together.

Meanwhile, outside of the world of doctors and therapists, Catherine longs to make friends with her new neighbor. She is concerned that the new friend will not understand her brother's behavior or her wheelchair-bound friend's challenges. Struggling with her own opposing feelings, she avoids bringing these two parts of her life together.

My favorite part of the story was the way that Catherine's brother was able to communicate through the words of Loebel's Frog and Toad Together story. Absolutely precious!

I was so touched by this story, because we have special needs children in our own family. The lives of our other children have been both challenged and blessed by dealing with the reality of a sibling with medical and mental differences. Of course, we tried to make sure that the hearts of all of our children were nurtured, but there was inevitably an impact on our other children. They have had extra responsibilities and sometimes felt that their needs were neglected to meet the demands of their sibling. Yet, in the end, their character was deepened and their maturity was advanced by living beyond themselves in a self-seeking culture.

This is an important story that EVERY child should read. Autism is growing at an alarming rate. It would benefit every child to get in the shoes of special children and that of their family.

Can you imagine living in a world where everything else was more important than you are? Can you picture living a life that is anything but normal, well to you anyway? This is the way Catherine feels about her life with her younger brother, in Cynthia Lord's novel Rules.

Rules is a fictional story by Cynthia Lord. This is Cynthia Lord's first novel.

Catherine is a 12-year-old girl, attempting to live a "normal" life. She is a protective older sister who defends her younger autistic brother. She tries extremely hard to help him fit in with everyone else, when in reality David doesn't care. Catherine feel she always comes second, but then feels guilty because she knows David can't help the way he is. Catherine faces many internal conflicts through the summer during which the story is set.

All Catherine wants is a normal life. But her dream seems impossible to reach when she has a younger brother with autism, causing her family and now seeming like her entire life to revolve around his disability. To head off David's embarrassing ways, Catherine writes rules for him. David loves rules. Catherine's rules range from "no toys in the fish tank" to "keep your pants on in public." But one summer there seems to be a glimmer of hope for Catherine's "normal life" dream. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine keeps imagining all the wonderful things they can do together. The best part is they can walk places, without David having to come along! Then Catherine meets Jason, a mute 14-year-old boy who lives his life in a wheelchair. Catherine is surprised to find herself good friends with him. Catherine sees how her behavior with Jason is completely different with Kristi and feels guilty about it. For example, the way she doesn't tell Kristi who Jason really is and how she avoids Kristi when she is with Jason. All of this makes her wonder, what is normal?

I would recommend Rules because it is a humorous story that includes warmth and strength. If you like internal conflict or if you feel your life is a bit less than normal, you would enjoy this story.

Before reading Rules, I thought it would be a very emotional story with lots of drama. I found that it was emotional story but Cynthia Lord was able to tie in humorous events and life lessons to make the situations less intense and to not seem so hopeless. I can't wait for more books by this talented author.

Rules by Cynthia Lord is about a twelve-year-old girl named Catherine has a brother named David who is autistic. Catherine wants the best for her brother but she cannot help feeling embarrassed by his behavior and random melt downs over events such as his father being two minutes later than what he said he would be. In order to try and keep David from embarrassing her and leaving her without friends, Catherine creates a list of rules for him to follow. David may not understand how to act around the general public, but he does respond to rules.

As Catherine fights for acceptance, she gets to know a boy named Jason who is disabled and is in a wheelchair. At first, she is quite cautious about letting people know that they became pretty good friends and keeps the friendship to herself. However, the story does not end with a rude tone; Catherine does a pretty remarkable thing at the end which will teach students to accept people who are different from themselves.

Overall, the story's theme is a great way to bring up the subject of acceptance within an upper elementary or middle school classroom. If students become confident early on that disabled people are not embarrassing or "weird", they will be more likely to acknowledge them as an equal rather than alienating them from the group. Along with a discussion on acceptance, students could also do some research on different types of mental and/or physical disabilities to help them gain a better understanding about why a person acts or looks a certain way.

It is often easy for those who write Young Adult/Juvenile fiction to make some characters overly antagonistic and others overly sympathetic. RULES, however, creates real characters who are both sympathetic and humanly annoying. I adored Catherine and her brother David. I found them both to be endearing, funny and easy to feel compassion for. Catherine's "rules" were familiar to me as a mother of a son with Asperger's Syndrome. I understood her need to keep a situation under control because it can so easily come unraveled. I loved the way the author showed how David communicates his feelings (and kids with Autism DO have feelings) through the dialogue he had gleaned from the Frog and Toad books. I truly enjoyed this book, and thank the author for doing such an excellent job in writing it. Can't recommend it enough.

No David, no toys in the fish tank. Catherine has a brother that is autistic. He embarrassed her in front of the new neighbor girl. But it turns out Kristy might have a crush on Ryan , or the other way around.

This book is a breath-taking , mind twisting good book. The action keeps you going. This book is inspiring in many ways. One is the love for her brother even when he screws up. By the end of this book, I was close to tears. This book is all about Catherine and her brother going on a life time adventure. The book is all about hope and holding onto faith. The most adventure kicks in when Jason comes in. If you want to figure out friendships, I recommend this book to all ages young and old.

When you read a bad book, the aftermath of the experience can leave you shell-shocked for quite a long period of time. Not too long ago I came across the regrettable "The Boy Who Ate Stars" by Kochka and I had a hard time recovering. Kochka, in my view, approached the subject of autism in children as a kind of wild kids-in-touch-with-their-animal side type of story. The whole project left me disappointed and wary of any books written with child audiences in mind that dealt with autism. But then I saw "RULES" and I became sorely tempted to give it a go. From its thoroughly engaging cover (you hear me publishers?) to its incredible characters, smart plotting, and all around classy style, I would recommend this book to any and every child I ran across. This is how it's done people. This is how you write a first novel.

Now where to begin? I suppose if you asked Catherine herself she'd begin with David. Everyone else seems to after all. David's eight and autistic. I'm sure you've heard stories of autistic children and the difficulties they have dealing with the world around them, but has anyone ever stopped to consider the problems their older sisters face? Sisters like Catherine who'd do anything to have a "normal" life with a "normal" little brother. Not that Catherine isn't a good sister to David. She's constantly creating rules for him that will, ideally, help him deal with the real world. Now a new girl has moved in next door to Catherine and her family. She would love to make Kristi a friend, but there's always the threat that this new girl would be overly freaked out by David. And then there's Jason, the wheelchair bound boy she knows from Jason's occupational therapy visits. Pretty soon Catherine's going to have to decide what kind of a friend she's really looking for. And the answer may not be the one she has either expected or wanted.

Lord cleverly begins each chapter heading with one of the rules Catherine has concocted for David's convenience. Of course, not all the rules apply to David. Some of them are the kids of things Catherine has come up with to get by in life. For example there's, "If you don't want to do something, say, `Hmmm. I'll think about it' and maybe the asker will forget the whole bad idea". My favorite chapter heading? The one that completely does away with any pretense that these rules are actually for David. In short, "Pantless brothers are not my problem". Nuff said.

One of the many things I loved about this book was how Lord chose to present David. I am so sick of the autistic/handicapped/mentally challenged children's book character that has to act out the standard saintly two-dimensional role too long carved out in literature. David is a real kid. Yeah, he has autism. Sure. But he also cares deeply for his sister, even to the point where he can engage in a little fishtank-related mischief on the side. Catherine has a rule that there should be no toys in the fish tank. Yet turn around for half a second and there goes David tossing a Barbie or other toy in the briny depths. Younger brother annoyances pure and simple. And Catherine, for her part, is just as real a kid. Do you think she wants to constantly hang out with and babysit her little brother when she'd rather be out getting a new best friend? Heck no! Her attitude towards her little brother is incredibly realistic. On the one hand she'd love it if, "someone would invent a pill so David'd wake up one morning without autism". But then she's really a good sister who willingly tags along to her brother's occupational therapy sessions.

Some people I've discussed "RULES" with were a little put out that Lord never comes and out says why Jason is the way he is. He sound paraplegic to me, but that's just a guess. Also, it was very interesting how Lord chose to have Catherine want desperately to have Kristi as a friend, even though her real best friend would be back at the end of the summer. Why didn't the book make Catherine one hundred percent friendless? Would that have made her seem too desperate or pandering for attention? Hard to say.

In the end, the real key to the charm of "RULES" is the book's accessibility. This is a fun read. A fun, not too long, not too drawn out read. It doesn't preach and it doesn't simplify. What it does do is present an original story from a unique perspective. I would be intrigued to hear what real siblings of autistic children think of Lord's work. One of the rare well-written works of literature for young 'uns that kids may actually want to read and reread. In the same class as, "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key".

I finally got my hands on RULES by Cynthia Lord, and I read it in one sitting. The narrator, Catherine, genuinely seems twelve. Her mannerisms and thoughts ring true, especially her artistic view on life and her lists of rules to help both herself and her autistic brother David. Catherine has more than shallow run-of-the-mill problems to deal with, and yet she's easy to identify with. In less capable hands, the story could have come across saccharine or depressing. Lord pulls it off in a way that seems effortless. She does a great job with pacing as well. From the premise of the book, I expected it to be a slower read, but the story strides along confidently.

I loved Catherine's blossoming relationship with wheelchair-bound Jason, who can't speak, beautifully shown in the vocabulary cards she makes him. At the start he has only a standard, bland set of cards. She's the first person to recognize his need to express himself through joking, sarcasm, and teen slang. I laughed when Jason's mother said, "Don't 'whatever' me, young man!" and felt a bit of shared triumph. As Catherine helps Jason communicate, she in turn reveals her own hidden thoughts and emotions. I even became a bit misty-eyed when I read the end, a rare occurrence. Catherine's life and the people in it are neither predictable nor perfect, but her compassion remains constant, and that's the beauty of this book.

This book was recommended to me by my writing course teacher. She knows about my son's Autism and passion for writing about special needs. It is a topic I know a lot about, am familiar with, and enjoy writing about.

She was absolutely right. Rules is excellent for young adults. Different kinds of special needs are talked about in the book. Young adults treat other kids with special needs differently, and there is a real sense of what is right throughout the book, without being cheesy or over the top.

Rules is a great read for kids with special needs, siblings of kids with special needs, and all young adults who are around others with special needs (which is everyone!).

Catherine is your typical 12 year old. All she wants is a normal life with normal friends, not people who look at her funny or make fun of her autistic brother David. She loves him, but that's quite hard at times when she is embarrassed by so much of what he does. The only way to bring normality to her life is to make up rules, which she keeps with her in the back of her sketch book. Rules such as "No Toys in the Fish Tank", "Pantless Brothers are Not my Problem" are part of her everyday life.

A new girl moves into the neighborhood and Catherine finally feels that she will have a chance at a new life. But will David ruin this too?

Just when Catherine is overly wrapped up in David and Kristi, she meets a young boy at her brother's therapy clinic and the two hit it off in quite a unique way; opening Catherine's eyes to a life outside of the rules.

I enjoyed this book and its overall message of acceptance.

I have been teaching kids with special needs, primarily Autism for 10 years. This book was given to me a few years back and I read it right away. Despite the fact that it is intended for a pre-teen audience I absolutely loved the book, couldn't put it down.
This book does an excellent job of depicting autism from an understandable and meaningful perspective. It shows the main character, not as a saintly sister we so often see in books and movies, but as a real life kid who sometimes gets annoyed at her brother & his "quirks".
I highly recomend this book to both teens and adults who want a real (albeit fictional) view of ASD.

Rules
By Samantha Leahy
If you want a book you just can't put down, or a book that is just too good then Rules is the perfect book for you. Cynthia lord really put a picture in my head. I could really see how embarrassing or sad Catherine must felt for her brother David. Catherine's brother has autism,
So Catherine has to make up all these rules for David to do and not to do. Through the course of the summer Catherine goes through all these crazy experiences and meets many new friends. When Catherine meets her new friends she finds out that she really has a normal life. She finally wonders what is normal. I recommend this book to people who like fun and exciting books with funny and exciting characters. If you like those types of books then Rules is the perfect book for you.

As the parent of an autism spectrum kid, I sit here desperate to communicate just how deeply this book moved me. Ms. Lord does an amazing job of capturing the autistic family. I say family rather than child, because autism affects everyone in the child's life and not just the individual. It can be very hard to feel normal when at home everything revolves around a person with special needs.

Our protagonist,Catherine, is a sweet, somewhat shy girl who loves to draw. She alternates between acting as her autistic brother's protector and being embarrassed by his behavior. David is four years younger than Catherine and obsessive about Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad. A particularly poignant touch is the way that Catherine and David communicate with eachother by reciting lines from these classic friendship stories. My son often used lines from computer games to communicate when he was younger, as he couldn't understand that others did not have the same frame of reference. This sort of attention to detail is what allows Lord to tell her story so realistically.

The characters are all richly painted and believeable. I'd like to call Catherine's mom and invite her over for tea. I'd tell her that it's ok to bring David; I don't mind if he pokes in my closets. :)

This is a story about embracing differences and accepting people as they are. I highly recommend it for both boys and girls aged ten to adult.

Rules is a very descriptive life learning book. It includes interesting characters such as Katherine and her brother. Katherine’s brother has disabilities so he goes to OT a lot. Katherine meets one of his friends there. One day he invites her to his birthday, Katherine really wants to go, but when she does go she messes everything up. Katherine wants to make it up to him by inviting him to the dance. But he’s still very upset. Can Katherine make it up to him, or is he just too upset to even talk to her. Read and find out what Katherine does next?

I LOVED this book because it gave me something to do over spring break, and it was a very good story. At school we also had a week that was concentrating on kids or adults with disabilities, and I just thought that this was a good reminder to all of you out there not to stare at people to understand. All you have to do to "understand" is be prepared that there are people that have problems out there. They are all just a normal people like me and you, they just have a disadvantage. But I do know that there are people out there that learn if you don't make fun of them or pretend that they are different, then it just makes everything easier. When you hurt someone you aren't just hurting them you are also hurting your reputation.
I just thought I would give you something to think about.
Anyways... back to the book, I think this is an AWESOME book to try reading. We had a school book fair and I thought it looked good but I didn't buy it. So i went to the school library a few weeks later and I saw that they had it, so I lifted it off of the shelf and began reading it. I loved the beginning so I checked it out. I finished it with in a few days.
I totally suggest that you read this book. It is ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!

The night I started reading Rules, by Cynthia Lord, I couldn't put it down until I had read the last page. Rules is a kid's book that won the Newberry Honor in 2007. The book is written from the perspective of a 12 year old girl who has a brother four years younger than her who has autism. The title comes from a theme that is weaved throughout the book, that the main character, Catherine, makes up rules for her little brother to help him understand the world. It is a touching account of this very likable character's attempt to balance her loyalty to her family and fierce protection of her brother, with what she wants for herself.

It is wonderfully written, and like I wrote, I couldn't put it down. It is true that the subject matter is deeply personal to me, as I have a daughter with autism, so you may only cry a few times while you read it while I only stopped crying a few times. It is moving more than sad, so don't let the crying scare you off! I think this would be a great read for school-aged kids, probably from 4th on up (5th or 6th on up if reading independently). Even though it is written for kids, I would highly recommend it for anyone. It gives invaluable insight into the lives of families with children who have disabilities that would be hard to find anywhere except for personal experience. Hearing the story from the perspective of the sister/daughter makes it even more interesting. Anyway, it is well worth the time, just have a box of tissues handy!

"No toys in the fish tank."

"Chew with your mouth closed."

"Not everything worth keeping has to be useful."

"Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you."

These are just some of the rules Catherine has created for the day her brother is miraculously cured from autism. Catherine lives her life taking care of her younger brother and trying to keep him from embarrassing her. When she becomes friends with Jason, a boy that can't talk and must use a wheelchair, she gains a new perspective on life and on her brother.

I LOVED this book! I felt for Catherine, for David, and for Jason. I could see all perspectives. That is why the book is so amazing. Catherine has normal feelings, even if she knows they are wrong on some level. The book shows that even if someone is different, they still have normal, everyday feelings, just like the rest of us. They shouldn't be treated differently. I like the realization that Catherine makes at the end of the book about David and about Jason. And about herself and who she wants to be.

You must read this book!!!

Do you have a friend with disabilities?Are you shy or scared to tell your friends things?I think the book Rules is great for kids eight and up that explores these questions.

I like this book because a girl named Catherine she has a brother named David she helps him with rules!For example,"chew with your mouth closed.Say thank you when someone give you a present.If the bathroom door is closed knock."

Kristi is Catherine's friend. She likes David but Kristi's friend Ryan starts bullying David and Catherine does not like that. Sometimes when kristi is with Catherine she looks like she wants to be Ryan.

Jason is catherine's ot friend,because he is in wheelchair. She is tense about what other people are going to think so she keeps their friendship in the clinic.Jason is real gentle to catherine I think she should not care what other people think.

A exclusive moment I enjoyed in this book is when she ask her dad to spend time with her. I find that I have a self connection to this because I never spend time with my dad.This why I recommend this book to kids eight and up.

Rules is a wonderful book and is very deserving of the honors it has received. It is a story about Catherine and her daily life with her brother, David, who is autistic. She loves him, takes care of him, and teaches him all kinds of rules just in case he wakes up one day and is "normal". On the other hand, she is also embarrassed by him and wants to keep him hidden from her friends.

Catherine befriends Jason, a paraplegic, during one of her brothers' therapy sessions. He communicates with a book of words that Catherine eagerly adds to. The relationship between Catherine and Jason is very sweet and caring with occasional ups and downs.

I really enjoyed this book, but I do believe that many of the issues the author raises would get overlooked by the younger readers. This book would be a great book for parents and younger readers to read together, it would also make a wonderful book to read as a class.

Catherine's little brother David is autistic. She has written a list of rules to help him (and her) through his days. David has difficulty relating to the outside world, but he's very smart and has memorized entire Arnold Lobel books on tape. Thus, one of Catherine's rules is: If you need to borrow words, Arnold Lobel wrote some good ones.

The surprise for me was that Catherine meets Jason, a severely challenged teen who goes to therapy at the same office as David. Jason can't talk, but that doesn't mean he can't understand. Catherine reaches out to him despite her longing to identify with her popular next-door neighbor. When you finish reading RULES, you'll feel sorry for handicapped people, but they won't be the ones you think.

After reading this lovely book, I added two RULES of my own:

When you sit down to read RULES, you will wish you had enough time to read it in one sitting.

If you need to borrow words, Cynthia Lord wrote some good ones.

Rules by Cynthia Lord is an empowering novel centered on a twelve-year-old girl named Catherine. Catherine, more than anything else, wants to have a normal life. A normal life, however, is slightly out of reach when her younger brother, David, has autism and her family seems to center itself around David. Catherine wishes that her brother would just be normal somehow, but creates a list of rules that range from "If the bathroom door is closed knock" to "No toys in the fish tank" to "Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you" (in case "normality" never happened). Through the story, we find Catherine begins to question what normal is when she befriends a boy with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), Jason. Catherine and Jason become great friends throughout the summer; Catherine even makes him communication cards for his low-tech alternative or augmentative communication (AAC) visual communication book. Though Catherine struggles with the everyday issues of a child transitioning into the world of a teenager, Catherine finds friendship in David and Jason.

As a college student studying exceptionalities, I would recommend this book to any teacher with students with exceptionalities in an inclusive general education class. Catherine is, like many students, aggravated by David's autism; however, she learns to stick up for her brother and befriends Jason, who has an AAC communication book and cannot walk on his own. Lord also uses very realistic descriptions of both autism and TBI while describing the confusion and judgment that a sibling or friend can feel. This book would be a wonderful tool to use in a middle school or secondary education classroom where acceptance will be necessary. Both David and Jason are characterized well, and Catherine faces many struggles that will be relevant to school age children (such as school dances, making new friends and fitting in). I think this book would be one I would use in the future to acquaint students with autism or traumatic brain injuries and to show that it is okay to be different in a world that enforces normality.

Rules was an assigned book for my son's 6th grade English class. I read the book at the same pace as he did to keep in line with our discussions on the book and to help look over his homework. Both of us loved the book. My son thought Jason was very cool and his ability to communicate with his cards very clever. I was also touched to see him understand the struggles of children with disabilities and the struggles of their siblings. The author has done a remarkable job with Rules. The book also opened my eyes to the fears and feelings of families with special needs chiIdren and made me look for more such books to read.

Yesterday I read this beautiful book. Rules by Cynthia Lord is a poignant story showing a slice of 12-year-old Catherine's life. Her brother, David has autism. Catherine lovingly makes up rules to help him get through life. Things that other people figure out for themselves, David must be taught. Some of the rules include "If the bathroom door is closed, knock (especially if Catherine has a friend over)!", "Keep your pants on! Unless Mom, Dad, or the doctor tells you to take them off.", and "No toys in the fish tank."
Catherine is not only a sister to David, though. She is an artist, a daughter, a friend. When a new girl moves next door, Catherine is hopeful that they will become good friends. But she is embarrassed to say anything about David. She also develops a close bond with a handicapped boy who cannot speak or walk. She draws pictures for him to help him communicate.
Cynthia Lord has done an incredible job tackling a heavy topic. The book is laced with both humor and tenderness.
I highly recommend this book for all ages.
As you can see, Rules won a Newbery Honor and the Schneider Family Book Award in 2006.[...]

I love this book plain and simple. This is a story about a girl who is expected by those around her (and I think she expects it out of herself as well) to make a great deal of sacrifice because her brother is challenged.

There are many books told from the perspective of children with challenges but this book takes the often neglected perspective of the sibling of one of those children.

Catherine is a well developed character whom I could relate to on a personal level, maybe because of my own experiences, but I am guessing that other people can relate to her as well who didn't deal with the same problems growing up.

Catherines' relationships with her parents are severely strained because they expect way too much out of her. Older siblings often feel a certain deal of responsibility toward younger siblings and if the sibling has some type of disability it exacerbates those feelings.

I liked that the author realistically drew the parents, because just because you have a disabled child does NOT make you a saint. The parents are lucky enough to have a responsible pre-teen daughter (which is a rarity) to watch David instead of having to hunt for a specially trained babysitter or to try to find a facility that specializes in watching children with disabilities so the parents can take "some time off." The fact that they don't have to do this makes them lucky and they seem to take it for granted.

Her parents to be not only neglectful of her (which of course, is common) but neglectful of David as well. It seems like Catherine puts way more time and effort into David than her mother does.

Even though Catherine does a great job interacting with her brother, considering, her mother has the chutzpah to criticize Catherine for not making him "use his own words." I kept thinking that maybe if the mother spent less time working and more time working with David, he would develop more advanced conversational skills, instead of putting that unfair burden on her daughter. I think this book would have been so much better if Catherine had gotten a chance to just tell her mother off.

I think Jason was pretty well drawn especially since his main purpose in the story seemed to be to help Catherine come to terms with her brothers disability. She had to accept he would never be what most people consider "normal." Jason also helps her determine who her real friends are.

Having a child or sibling with a disability is not all rainbows and unicorns, and though most people are aware of that, many books and movies make it seem that way ala "Rain Man" or Forest Gump." This book does not gloss over the embarrassing moments and the intense feelings of guilt that siblings often deal with.

I think what I loved most about this book was it's honesty. But it's honest without being brutal, so it's perfect for just about any age group, provided they are at that reading level. I would especially recommend it to anyone who has a sibling with a disability. I am guessing they will find it easy to empathize with the protagonist.

Good, but it never says how Kristi and Catherine's friendship turns out! I guess they make up, but it woulda been nice. Also, she keeps talking about her friend in Melissa, but she never comes. I think it should have a few more chapters about how Kristi and Catherine make up, and when Melissa comes back and she tells her everything that happened. But overall, good book :)

This story, "Rules" by Cynthia Lord is about a twelve year old girl, Catherine, who has the struggle of dealing with her brother, David, who has autism. She is often the caretaker for her brother, and tries to give him as much of a "normal" life as possible. Although she finds it hard to fit in with other classmates because of her brother's behaviors, she gives David a list of rules to follow that many people tend to take for granted. Some of the rules can be something as simple as, "No toys in the fish tank". Throughout the summer Catherine continues to go to clinics and sessions with her brother, a new neighbor has moved into the neighborhood, and she meets a young boy who changes her life. At one of David's therapy sessions, Catherine meets a boy by the name of Jason who is a paraplegic. His only source of communication is through a book with pictures. Overall this story is a very realistic and heart catching story of a young girl just trying to survive life with a brother who has a disability. I feel as though the author does a great job at expressing the characteristics and emotions that David does because of his autism. It has a great connection between a sister and brother relationship, even though Catherine just wants to live a "normal" life too. It was a great combination of dealing with adversity, and ways in which to overcome it. I think this is a great book for many middle school aged students to read. It addresses important issues about what really is "normal" and how to overcome obstacles such as a learning disability. It gives important details about autism, although there could be even more details addressed to get an even better connection. Incorporating this book into a classroom would be very beneficial to my students because it provides a great description of something as serious as autism. Each chapter in the book is based off of one of the "rules" Catherine provides for her brother. This could be a great layout for a lesson, making sub sections for each chapter (or rule) in the book. So many great options could be used to help teach your students the importance of acceptance, the importance of "what is normal?" and just the importance of how one can relate to a character such as Catherine, Jason or David. Overall, I would recommend this book for middle school classrooms.

I have just recently read Rules and it was fantastic! In the story the main character Catherine has a younger brother David who has autism, in the beginning of the story Catherine always seems really embarrassed by her brothers behaviors but towards the end she learns that she needs to be more accepting of her brother because it isn't his fault that he was born that way. I enjoyed this story because the author told the story through Catherine's point of view which really kept me engaged. The author also kept me engaged because she included in the text a lot about how Catherine felt when people would look at David funny and who embarrassed and annoyed she would get at that person which kept me interested.
The author piques the interest of other readers because when she talks about how Catherine just wants to have a normal life and how she wishes her brother was normal. You start to feel bad for Catherine, then the author changes up the story by making it seem like it was David's fault then you realize that he can't help it. The author also piques the interest of other readers because the family's situation is pretty rare and you don't see it to often which keeps you interested through out the story. If you do decide to read the book I really hope you enjoy it like I did!

This is the kind of book I want to see more of because it is a realistic look not only at autistic behavior, but at the confusion rules cause for many people with autism.

Catherine, 12 has a younger brother who has autism. David, 8 has difficulty expressing himself verbally; he does not understand the Tacit Social Codes & Rules. Catherine teaches him basic things such as chewing with his mouth closed; not putting toys in the fish tank and not running off when something unrelated catches his attention. Catherine keeps a notebook full of rules to help her brother. She helps David express himself and "find his own voice," in a manner of speaking.

Two other people influence Catherine. One is Kristi, a popular seemingly has it all together girl and a boy who is paraplegic. The boy attends the same occupational therapy clinic as David. In some very poignantly introspective moments, Catherine discovers that the boy is a true friend. She and he share some funny moments when she writes communication cards for his communication book; nonverbal, the boy depends on a book and pad to communicate. He and Catherine care about each other; they share values and similar experiences. The bond between the two is heartwarming and extends to David.

Kristi in turn also proves to be a friend.

Please read this book. Please read it and share it with somebody. You will be very glad that you did.

UNFAIR, CRUEL, HATE, RUNIED, EMBARRASSED, and MURKY. These are all the words I draw for Jason's notecards when I return from his birthday party. I slam my bedroom door and go to work trying to imagine pictures to express what I'm feeling. For MURKY, I draw the pond where I sometimes go swimming with my friend, Melissa, who is in California visiting her dad. When we're swimming there we sometimes dare each other to go all the way to the bottom of the pond - down to where the water gets colder and cloudier. The only way we can prove to each other that we actually made it all the way to the bottom is to bring a handful of the murky stuff back up to the surface with us. When I dive to the bottom and I'm just about there, I get out of breath and start to think I won't make it back up to the clean air above the water...it's a stifling, suffocating feeling. It feels MURKY, just like I do right now. Like I'm suffocating. I just want to feel normal - I don't want to spend all my time worrying about David. David is my little brother and he has autism. He needs a lot and I spend a lot of my time making sure he is OK. The rules help - the special rules that I've come up with just for David. Rules like: "Chew with your mouth shut," "No toys in the fishtank," "If the bathroom door is closed, knock," and "Keep your pants on unless mom, dad, or the doctor tells you to take them off." I love my brother but sometimes just having him around makes it hard for me to feel like I fit in. And then there's Jason. Jason is a patient at the same clinic where my mom and I take David. Jason is in a wheelchair and he can't talk, but we see each other at the clinic every week, and lately I've been drawing new words for him to put in his commnication book. I like him a lot, and we're becoming friends. But it's bad enough having a brother who is different...what will my friends think if they find out I'm hanging out with a boy in a wheelchair who can't talk? And to make matters worse, now Jason wants me to go to a dance with him. My rule for dances is "No dancing, unless I'm alone in my room or it's pitch-black dark." Mom and dad are no help - I can't talk to them about my problems. They're so wrapped up in David's issues that I sometimes think they've forgotten about me...forgotten that I matter, too. Why can't my life be normal? Why can't my brother be normal? Where do I fit in?Rules

This is a great book for anyone to read. We are never to old to be reminded to look at things from all sides. This book helped to remind me that just because someone may not be able to communicate the same way I can doesn't mean they have nothing to say. It gave me a new look at my own childrens relationship with their autistic sister. Some times it is easy to for get that they are affected by her autism too. I also bought this book for my childrens school libraries. I would recommend this to anyone to read if they are affected by a disability or not.

Cynthia Lord has produced an engaging work with a likable main character in 12-year-old Catherine who struggles to love her autistic brother, David. Watching her relationship with Jason, a boy confined to a wheelchair who communicates by pointing to words, was fascinating and endearing. Good for siblings or classmates of autistic children. I read it for a youth materials class almost a year ago and still reference it frequently, it was just that well done.

I love this book so much I read it like 30 million times. But the worst part is I can't remember the main characters name? Weird huh? Any way, I just think it is an amazing book and I just want to read it over and over again. I think you will want to too.

"Rules", by Cynthia Lord, is told from the perspective of Catherine, the 12-year-old sister of David, an autistic 8-year-old. Catherine, at 12, is dealing with finding a place in a family that seems to be centered around coping with David's needs for comfort and development. Catherine's mom is divided between managing a home business (leaving Catherine to care for David) and providing David the care and developmental therapy he needs. Catherine's dad seems to be mostly coping with his own difficulty with accepting the parenting cards he's been dealt and possibly with his own austistic-like tendencies. Neither parent, though they both clearly love Catherine, appears to have the emotional resources to cope with any of Catherine's issues. In a sense, she is expected not to have any and to participate in a semi-adult capacity in therapeutic care for David. Meanwhile, Catherine is confronting her own, normal, 12-year-old girl issues--how far should she go against her own needs and wishes to go along with her friends, who should her friends be, how to cope with mean kids, what to do with her summer when her best friend is away.

What I really like about this novel is that the characters are allowed to be complex. Though Catherine's parents are, in a way, terribly neglectful of her needs, they aren't portrayed as bad parents so much as people coping as well as they can with a difficult situation and making some mistakes in doing so. For example, there are a number of times in the novel where David is waiting for his father to come home from work and take him on an outing. David expects his father at five and becomes very distressed when he isn't home by five. Catherine notes, that while she can understand that her father is characteristically late, David can't. Reading this, I couldn't help but wonder, as Catherine didn't, wouldn't one think her father could be expected to control his tendency to be late in this instance rather than repeatedly distress his son and force his daughter to cope with this distress on a regular basis? Why is it that Catherine can understand why it is difficult for David to cope with his father's lateness, but her father can't? Another good example is in Catherine's new neighbor, Kristie, a girl Catherine would like to be friends with, but whom she immediately senses will be much `cooler' than she is. Kristie, it turns out, isn't a mean girl, and it's clear she's dealing with her own issues, but she probably isn't going to be real friend material for Catherine. I also liked Catherine's relationship with Jason, a wheel-chair bound boy about her own age. She is attracted to him, but isn't sure she wants to take on more relationships complicated by disability. Jason, though unable to communicate without the use of written cards and symbols, manages to be a pretty real adolescent. He isn't perfect- he sulks and can be manipulative. Still, the reader can see why Catherine might find him compelling.

If there is anything that seems unrealistic about the book, it is that Catherine is, maybe, too understanding. She pretty much accepts that her parents aren't able to be there for her emotionally as much as she might like them to be and is, for the most part, willing to accept what they can offer. She accepts her disappointment that new neighbor, Kristie, is probably not going to be much of a friend without hating her. She is able to accept that a friendship with Jason is going to be complicated. Most of all, she loves her brother with all of his limitations, while understanding that if she could turn him into a "normal" boy, she would.

"Rules" is actually a pretty upbeat book. In general, Catherine seems secure and confident in her ability to handle problems. Although she is coping with a number of issues, she clearly loves her family, has friends she cares about, and interests and talents outside the scope of caring for/worrying about her brother and is absolutely free of self-pity. This would probably be a great book for young adolescents coping with family issues. I highly recommend it.

This is an award winning book that tells what it's like to be the normal sibling in a family with a special child. The protagonist is realistically drawn and her difficulties protecting her autistic brother from the harsh realities of prejudice and small-minded cruelty will touch your heart. Although targeted for the upper elementary or middle school audience, readers of all ages would benefit from the expressive and moving portrait Cynthia Lord paints of the conflicts faced by the members of families with special kids.

Using her own personal experience to inform her writing, Lord shares with us a story of a girl, Catherine, with an autistic brother. Lord brilliantly paints the picture of a sister who at once loves her brother and yet steams with frustration over his differences. "Why can't he be like other little brothers?" This perspective is, I believe, an important one for kids to hear, and I highly recommend this as a read aloud in your home or classroom. There are many opportunities to discuss themes such as popularity, disabilities, loneliness, family, friendship. My favorite part of the book is when Catherine meets Jason, who is paralyzed and cannot speak. They talk with one another through Jason's communication book, a book filled with words, which Jason points to when he wants to speak. Catherine quickly discovers the limitations of Jason's communication book, and helps him expand his vocabulary, adding words to his book that give him more expression. Here Lord truly shines as a writer, exploring the meaning and quality of words. Young adult readers can easily relate to Catherine's struggle to find words that convey her emotions, and Lord beautifully navigates the reader through abstract concepts of anger, confusion and love. "Rules" warms the heart and engages the mind, creating strong mental images and inviting empathy for the characters. I highly recommend this book, and encourage you to read it with someone - because, in the end, this book is about connections and the relationships that save us from isolation.

Rules is a heartwarming story told through the eyes of 12 year old Catherine. Catherine has a younger brother with autism and throughout the story she reflects on her conflicting emotions in regards to him. She loves her brother but she is also sometimes embarrassed by his behaviors and is worried about what her new neighbor will think. She wants so badly to fit in and for once she wants her parents to pay attention to her. Through Catherine's new friendship with David, a boy who is in a wheelchair and is nonverbal, Catherine experiences the same feelings of unease that others must feel in the presence of her brother. This leads to further lessons about acceptance and true friendship regardless of outward appearances.
Rules accurately portrays what life is like living with an individual with autism; the challenges, the joys, the frustrations. Cynthia Lord is honest to her readers in demonstrating that it is not always easy. This book will surely reach out and remind readers of all ages the importance of accepting others. This is a must read!!

"Rules," Cynthia Lord's new novel, features realistic characters sure to touch your heart. It's an honest portrayal of an adolescent, Catherine, who "teaches" her autistic brother, David, through a sort of social scripting. This is not uncommon in families with kids like David. Catherine creates "Rules for David" that her sibling can comprehend. Passages from the classic "Frog and Toad" are woven into their communications and include valuable life lessons. Interestingly, the lessons not only assist in the development of the characters but actually cause the reader to step back and contemplate how these seemingly simple rules impact us all. The dynamics between Catherine and her disabled friend Jason, are written in such a way that the reader becomes privy to their special relationship. As we live our every day lives, words are taken for granted. Not so in, "Rules" where words stand on their own for Catherine, her friends, and her family. This is only a small part of what makes Lord's book an exceptional read.

Why I like this book is because it reminds me of somebody that I know. It shows me how people can be toward people with handicaps. Catherine's brother has autism. Catherine wants her brother to have a normal life. David likes the book called Frog and Toad. Catherine's brother has to go to OT therapy because of his speech. Her parents baby David and they don't baby Catherine because she is older and normal. Catherine's dad wants David to be part of their family and go outside and have fun with his family. When David started OT therapy that's when catherine met Jason. Jason was in a wheelchair and couldn't talk or walk. Catherine's friends treat her differntly because she has a friend that is handcapped.

I liked this book because it fast to read I read it in my English class and I enjoyed it. I would let people know about this book.

Rules is an excellent book. Rule is about a twelve year old girl named Cathrine who has a brother named David who has autism. Cathrine tries to teach him rules like " No toys in the fish tank and "Keep your pants on in public." I think Rules is a wounderful book to read beacuse it's about Cathrine trying to make friends and a girl moves in next door and tries to make friends. If you want to know if they become friends, read Rules. I would recommend this book to people who like books with good narration.

What a great little book! I think this is must read for everybody! It reminds you that everybody is fundamentally alike and should be treated the same way you would want to be treated with compassion and respect. It also gives insight to the point of view of someone who has to deal with a brother who is autistic. I had never really thought about it before and this book was really eye opening to me. Fantastic.

We really enjoyed reading this book. Together my 8 year old and I read the book then discussed some things that she also might feeling towards her 3 1/2 year old brother with autism. Rules put things such as, these special children need to be taught everyday rules, that we all just know, over and over. Also, Catherine's wish for a pill to make her brother 'normal' or expecting more from the non-autistic child than we do from ou special needs children. Rules came to us just when we needed it most. Growing up with a brother that needs so much and rarely gives back is hard for a young child as it is for even the parent. I recommend this to anyone who may know an autistic child.

This book was fantastic! I wil definitely read it with my students this upcoming school year. My 5 year old son has autism and goes to the elementary school that I teach at. He will start Kindergarten this year. Granted he does not have many of the autistic characteristics that David does, but the author is dead on accurate when she describes how others may look at a child with autism. Children on the autistic spectrum vary in many ways. No two are the same. It is nice to finally see an author portray a child with autism who talks. When people meet my son they are shocked when they find out he as autism because he is very verbal (even orders his dinner when we go out to dinner and said the Pledge of Allegiance on our school news show), does not flap his arms or flick his fingers, does not rock, and he does not like spinning things. He also loves to give and receive hugs. I admire the author for bringing her life experience into print so others, especially younger people, will understand autism better.

The previous 45 reviews captured 80% of my feelings on this book. My own daughter is 11 and her asperger diagnosed brother of 8 fit the bill of this story. I heard about this story from my daughter who mentioned that her class was reading a book "about her brother". I kid you not. My daughter believed that I contacted the teacher and had a book created to explain her brother and her love and her fear and her worries. The scenes from OT (many of her friends had no idea what that meant) and the levels of love, worry, embarrassment this girl feels in the story are my own daughters experience. Her comment was, after accepting that I did not write the book or tell her teacher about it, was " have you ever read a book that explains exactly how you feel in that exact moment in time?". We both cried. I feel like a stranger has written a book for our family that explains to us what is going on in our lives. There should be a better,more emphatic way to appreciate thanks to the author of this book.
Mom to 2 wonderful girls and one exceptional/complicated boy

I admit - the cover caught my eye - that's why I picked the book up, I read the back cover - I thought "this would be a perfect read for my daughter". I wanted to "screen" it before I gave it to her - I couldn't put it down! I have a son with Aspergers and ADHD - age 5 and my daughter is 8. I also am very involved in Developmental Disabilities Awareness/Advocacy/Activism. I also have a support group for parents of special needs children. I loaned this book (after I read it) to a parent that was having trouble with the same issues the book presents, her daughter, 8, was having difficulties dealing with her brother's, age 3, autism. The parent gave me back the book tonight with a smile on her face saying that after they read the book, her daughter has a whole new attitude and she is a much happier child! I recommend this book to anyone going through a similar struggle.

Cynthia Lord has created a wonderful, endearing and entertaining story that opens up discussion for so many life lessons. Working with kids with autism, I welcome with open arms this enjoyable teaching tool. I would recommend this as required reading for kids from 4th grade all the way through 7th. I think the characters are realistic and they teach from the heart. It is a good tool for teaching kids (and adults) about taking the extra step to learn more about those around us. I loved the relationship between Catherine and Jason and enjoyed "watching" Catherine create new words for Jason which opened up his world a bit more. Kudos to Ms. Lord on her Newbery Award. Education, compassion and understanding are lessons this book offers. Joanna Keating-Velasco, author, A IS FOR AUTISM, F IS FOR FRIENDA Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism

this book was one of the best books i have ever read!!!! It had great ,detailed characters who fit perfectly in this story. The books moral is, that people should not treat people with autism differently than anyone else.I personally think it's hard to do this but if you think about it, as if to say god forbid you had autism you wouldn't want anyone staring at you or ignoring you. So the author proves this point by having a character in the story who didn't like the kid with autism (David).by mary's son sam

I felt that there was no ending. I expected to turn the page and keep reading. The resolution wasn't very clear. I believe it was that Kristi wasn't a real friend, but Jason was one since he could forgive her. I don't think the conclusion or the choices that Catherine made satisfied the reader very much. But i do likhat learnesCatherine that Jason was different, like David, and they made her stand out, but they more better friends than Kristi could ever be. so the pros were the lesson, conclusion, and the cons were to absent ending, abrupt and unclear resolution, and the choices made by the characters, plus the

This great book, written from the point of view of a girl whose brother has autism, speaks with an authentic childhood voice. It encourages us to understand the "rules" we live by and how those rules can mean that people with disabilities are treated as less than human. Great mix of character, humor, deep emotion, and everyday life will keep young people glued to this story. This book reminds me of Because of Winn-Dixie and the work of Judy Blume and Katherine Paterson. Highly recommended!

Stan Davis

Guidance counselor, parent, and bullying prevention consultant

[...]

The main character Catherine tires to live a normal life. Her brother David has autism. Catherine tries hard to help David. It's hard for Catherine to live a normal life because her parents are constantly worrying about David. To help David be more normal Catherine makes rules for him to follow. One rule is "chew with your mouth closed". Catherine is a helpful sister. My favorite part of the book is when Catherine helps another kid named Jason at occupational therapy. At occupational therapy Catherine makes word cards for Jason because he cannot speak. Making cards made Jason happy, so he can communicate better. I really enjoyed this story. I connected with this story because I have an autistic cousin. I know how Catherine feels when out in public with autistic kids. Sometimes embarrassing and people always give stares. I recommend this book. It gives people a chance to know what life is like with someone's disability in a family, and it shows how people feel.
Rylie J

I just bought this book today at my school's book fair, where I am a teacher. I am one of those teacher's that has trouble not buying books. I wasn't a reader when I was younger but now I cannot keep my hands off books. I passed this book two times this week, and picked it up both times, but I finally bought it today. I am really glad I got it. I know there are many times when I felt the honest feelings of Cathrine. What an amazing book! I will definately have to share it with my colleges and some of my students!!

This is a story about a family who has a boy with autism. Their world revolves around his disability. The sister, who narrates the story, gives him lists of "rules" to follow. You and I might call this common knowledge but autism can make things like not putting toys in fishtanks a struggle to not do.
This was a cute and quick read that's good for enlightening the public to the fact that even though some people have disabilities they're people too!

This is a wonderful story. The mannerisms of David were perfectly described without making you feel sorry for him! I work with autistic children and when Catherine would complain about David's behavior I couldn't help but smile and think, "I know what you mean." I loved how dealing with David's autism was not the main struggle for Catherine. She was having this inner struggle of what "normal" is to her- which every young person goes through.

Catherine is a character that every girl can relate to because she is finding what true friends are really made of. I love that Cynthia Lord allows Catherine to struggle to find true friendship. It is not easy, and being different stinks a big one!!!! I really hope Lord has many more books about Catherine and David. This book will definately be read in my classroom because nowadays, with my inclusion classroom, dealing with special needs is an issue all students have.

Rules by: Cynthia Lord

I am not quite sure what inspired me to read this book. I saw it laying on my book shelf and decided to pick it up. But I do know one thing, once I picked it up I couldn't stop reading it.
The book Rules, by Cynthia Lord, is a story about a girl named Catherine and her brother David who has autism. Catherine is just trying to have a normal life and balance her friends and family. She runs into many problems with her mom because she always wants her to watch David. Catherine is eager to hang out with friends, especially with the new girl next store. David's sister Catherine just wants Kristi to be her friend but she is worried that David will give off the wrong impression. Along the way Catherine meets a boy named Jason and starts having a strong relationship with him.
Even though I found this book enjoyable there where a couple downfalls. I found the book to be a little bit slow as if the author was just trying to drag it out. Another thing I did not like about the book was that it seemed like the author just cut it off. It seemed as if she had trouble writing the end of the book. Nothing exciting happened at the end and there were no changes in what the characters where doing. I found this to be unappealing.
Looking past the negative points I found this book to be suspenseful and I was always wanting to know what was going to happen next. I often found myself thinking what new drama is going to happen? I found it interesting to read about how a child with autism would act and how it impacts the family. I also found it cute how David and Catherine would relate everything they talked about to the story "The toad and the frog". For example when David would do something wrong he would recite a line from the book, or say "I am sorry frog". Another aspect of the book I liked was that it made me think about what I would do if I was in that situation.
I would recommend this book to any girl who has a sibling with autism. I think it would be easy for them to relate to. I would also recommend this book to someone in junior high; I am a freshmen in high school and I found this book a little bit under my reading level. There was no challenging vocabulary words and the book was pretty short.
This book was just about the life in a 12 year old girl so I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking for comedy, horror, or mystery. I also would not recommend this book to any boys. I think they would find it boring.

As a mom of special needs kids, I loved this book! It's from the perspective of a typical sister, which is a nice perspective. The book also shows how loving the sister can be, which is a wonderful change from most books, on any subject. A lesson from the book can be that no matter how frustrated you are, you can still be nice.

I thought this book was very well written. The book Rules is about a 12 year old girl, Catherine who has a little brother, David with autism. Throughout the book Catherine learns how to take care of her brother. Catherine makes rules for her brother since he doesn't understand things very well. For example, one of her Rules is "Don't put toys in the fish tank" and "Don't take your pants off in public". The thing I liked most about this book was seeing how people treat those with a disability. I would defiantly recommend this book to children ages 10-13. Either gender doesn't matter because it's just a great book overall.

I read this aloud to my two boys, 10 and 8, and they really, really enjoyed it, despite the main character being a girl. They were fascinated by the character of Jason and Catherine's struggles to deal with her mixed feelings about him, her brother, and life in general. It led to many good discussions and the story really drew them in. Very good writing too. We would welcome more from Cynthia Lord.

i got this at my school library. most books just bore me to death there.Then, i found rules. 70 pages through first day. it made a huge impact on me on how others have to deal with. i did get teary eyes. please get this book. i hope you like the story about catherine's life.

Rules is a great read, especially for middle school students. Cynthia Lord tackles the issues surrounding autism with sincerity and humor. In the novel, Catherine, the main character, tries to help her brother be "normal" by giving him rules for normal behavior. Although David knows the rules, he isn't always able to follow them, which results in some pretty interesting situations. Through David, Catherine meets Jason, a non-verbal parapalegic. Catherine learns that communicating with Jason can take some effort, but it is worthwhile as the two develop a close friendship. At the beginning of the novel, all Catherine wants is a "normal family," but through David and Jason she learns that normal isn't what she wants at all and that differences are what make us all unique and special. Rules is a great novel for teaching kids to understand one another's differences and to use these opportunites to learn from one another. Middle school students will be able to relate to the characters and gain an understanding about autism and other disabilites, while at the same time laughing hysterically at David's unique quirks.

This is a fabulous book that people of all ages will enjoy. I was thrilled to share it with my daughter whose awareness of the issues people in general and children in particular with handicaps face. Her compassion was increased and the book spawned some wonderful discussions. My only problem with the book was the depiction of the Speech-Language Pathologist... however I understand it was a tool to further the relationship between children (gang up against the adult). Great job and kudos to the author for the insightful book!

As an avid reader, the daughter of a writer, and the older sister of an autistic teenage boy, I have waited a long time for a novel as good as this one. The writing is excellent, the story really resonates, and the writer is able to create characters that can teach without ever sounding preachy. This author clearly knows both the challenges and the unique rewards that autistic children and their families encounter. Putting the subject matter aside, this is an excellent read; the fact that it treats this difficult subject with so much care and warmth--and realism--is an added bonus. I hope this book makes it onto many a person's reading list.

It's not often that you find a novel that describes a friendship between siblings and kids with special needs (in this case autism and cerebral palsy). Written from a siblings perspective, Catherine describes her endless visits to therapy with her autistic brother. She befriends a non-verbal boy who uses pictures and symbols to communicate. As she learns to communicate with him, we gain insights into how teen thoughts and topics translate into visuals. Highly recommended for parents as well as teachers of adolescents with special needs. A quick and enjoyable read.

As the mother of two children - one with autism and one typical, I really enjoyed reading a story from the typical child's perspective. I know my daughter's life has been profoundly affected by her brother and I thought this book touched on a lot about the unique relationship these siblings have.

I thought the book Rules was a very good book. I enjoyed this book because it's interesting to learn about other peoples thoughts about people who have a disability or who are just different. In this book Catherine, a 12 year old girl has a little brother David who has autism. Throughout the book Catherine makes Rules for David to understand better and to know what to do and what not to do. Catherine learns how to take care of David by herself so he doesn't always ruin things for her. I would defiantly recommend this book for children ages 10-13. Either gender doesn't matter it's a great book.

I really enjoyed the book Rules. I think it is an honest look at how siblings feel about one another especially if one sibling has a disability. I think this book is a great read for young children because it delivers a great message that having an autistic brother can be hard, yet the reader leaves with a sense of the love Catherine feels for her brother. I recommend this book to my 5th grade students. So far they all have enjoyed reading the book. Some background knowledge may be needed as the book doesn't fully explain autism and there may be some misconceptions about why David acts the way he does.

I think this book was really good and that it inspires people to make sure to be just as kind to those who are different then you. Cynthia Lord is a great author and gets in depth with detail. I would recommend this book to 8-12+ year olds. I loved this emotional, inspiring book to many people.

This is a great book for children in middle school to read. Cynthia Lord shows the reality of what it is like to live with disabilities and how everyone is affected by one. At an age where children are sure to tease others for being different, this book allows the reader to realize the diversity and how special everyone really is.

i read this book in class and the more i read the book the more it became a natural thing to turn the page and the more it became harder to put it down i even got in trouble for putting the book down. it's about accepting each others differences and maybe instead of saying that one has a weird behavior think about your behavior and what your doing

A compelling story full of positive messages. However, the main character, a young girl who spends most of her time taking care of her autistic brother, at one point decides she does not want to go to a dance with her friend, a disabled boy. When she says she doesn't want to go, the boy friend becomes angry and she feels guilty enough to change her mind about attending with him. There is a dangerous message embedded in this idea: that a girl who says no might be guilty of shallowness or acting selfishly.

"Rules" is a heart warming book. Catherine, the main character, has an autistic brother David and she makes up rules for him like chew with your mouth full and no toys in the fish tank. Catherine goes through friendship issues and her parents not listening to her. In the end, Catherine accepts David and herself for who they are.

Rules is a great book about a teenage girl with an autistic brother. All she wants is a friend. One of her next door neighbors moves and a new girl moves in. She thinks that she is going to have a good friend. This is a book about emotions and friendship.
Rules

A compelling story full of positive messages. However, the main character, a young girl who spends most of her time taking care of her autistic brother, at one point decides she does not want to go to a dance with her friend, a disabled boy. When she says she doesn't want to go, the boy friend becomes angry and she feels guilty enough to change her mind about attending with him. There is a dangerous message embedded in this idea: that a girl who says no might be guilty of shallowness or acting selfishly.

"Rules" is a heart warming book. Catherine, the main character, has an autistic brother David and she makes up rules for him like chew with your mouth full and no toys in the fish tank. Catherine goes through friendship issues and her parents not listening to her. In the end, Catherine accepts David and herself for who they are.

Rules is a great book about a teenage girl with an autistic brother. All she wants is a friend. One of her next door neighbors moves and a new girl moves in. She thinks that she is going to have a good friend. This is a book about emotions and friendship.
Rules

Everyone should read this book. A teacher, a parent, a ten-year old, a fifteen-year old. Remember that everyone is different and that's what makes life good and complete. We learn from all people...and people learn from watching us, too.

This book is very boring. I had to read this book in class and I thiugh tit sounded kind of like wonder. But its a typical boring 12 y/o girl who is annoyed about the way her brother id and hates how her family revolves around him. It was supposed to be a really meaningful book but it took her an entire 14 chapters to finally except her brother. If your a person who likes action (like me) then this is not the book for you, but if you want something to read to easily get a report done then this book is very simple.

I thought Rules was a great book! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a easy to read but interesting book. This book tell a story of a young girl with a little brother with autism. Catrine, the main character, has to make a rule system for her little brother David to help him act normal. The rule system also helps keep Davids not embarrassing Catrines in front of her friends and helps keep his pants on in public. All in all I think think this would be a fun read for almost anyone.

I read the book Rules in my 6th grade reading class, adn I loved it! Rules had it's ups and downs, but in the end it wa an all-around great book. Friendship, love, sadness and honesty fill this book. I enjoyed reaading Catherine's (main character) confusing and, at times, hard story. There were parts that also showed her good times too. I really recommend this book to other students.
Tiffany C.

Catherine is a twelve year old girl whose little brother, David, has autism. On one hand she is fiercely protective of him but on the other, she is mortified when he does embarrassing things that could potentially mess up her relationships. She doesn't give her friends nearly enough credit in understanding about David, but she's been burned in the past. To help David be less embarassing, Catherine writes him rules about day-to-day life. No toys in the fish tank. It's ok to yell on the playground, but not during dinner. Over time, a lot of these rules are obviously more for Catherine than for David.

Catherine's best friend is away is away for the summer and there's a new family moving in next door. Catherine has high hopes for her friendship with Kristi, but, like real life, not everything goes as she wished it would--and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

When Catherine accompanies David to therapy, she meets Jason, who is in a wheel chair and can't talk. Jason has a book of cards with pictures and words that he points to in order to communicate. Catherine starts drawing him more cards, including nebulous concepts like "murky" and "unfair". Catherine again tries to balance fitting in with her "normal" friends and classmates, and her friendship with Jason. Jason was a really interesting character that continued to surprise me, and I wish we saw even more of him.

One of my favorite parts of this book were when Catherine was trying to figure out what to draw for abstract ideas. My other favorite part was the struggle Catherine had in trying to be understanding of David, but feeling overshadowed by him in the family dynamic and needing her parents to sometimes focus exclusively on her. I think it was a very real, if not pretty, look at what it means to be in a family with someone who requires so much attention and energy.

I also liked how, when David couldn't put his thoughts and feelings into words, would quote extensively from the Frog and Toad books by Lobel. It was heartbreaking and hilarious.

My main quibble is with the ending-- it was overly tidy and neat while at the same time not really solving anything. It tarnished the rest of the wonderful book for me.

A book for siblings and family members of children with special needs! The story takes an older sister from feeling left out at times and sometimes resentful to full realization of how important her love, affection, and attention are for her special needs (autistic) brother. Great discussion questions at the end. Rules (Paperback Teachers Edition)

kids can connect with the characters and understand their struggles.great for young readers who have trouble associating their lives with that inside the book.FANTASTIC!

(this is coming from a kid)

:) :) :) :) :) :) :)

I thought this book was fabulous. It was great to read a book about a child with autism that didn't focus only on the child's disability but on who they are as people. Great complexity of emotions and very true to life!

This book is very great. I love this book it makes me want to watch a movie of it but sadly they dont. See this is how books should be then all that other stuff. But other words this book is AMAZING I can read this book in my sleep. LOVE THIS BOOK.

This was a wonderful story for any one who has ever felt different; or known anyone who was different. The characters were very real for a person with autism. The boy was not just a cookie cutter character he has feelings and is a whole person.

Rules is a great book! I read it in my 6th grade reading class. If you enjoy reading books about friendships, love, and loyalty, then you'll enjoy this book. I highly recommend this book. It taught me that everyone is special in their own way.
Tiffany C.

This senstive book brings to light the search for "what is normal". A measure of humor allows the reader to relate to the main character with empathy and love, yet provokes reflection on how we see those around us.

I hightly recommend this for ten year olds and up.

This was a perfect book. The characters were complex, the tension strong, and both the humor and the bittersweet realization of things that can't be changed were dead on. Not a single word was out of place. I'm so happy to see that it's just been awarded a Newbery Honor. This one well deserves it!

This was a wonderful book. I am an education major and will be getting my special education certificate. I am so glad that a got to read this book before I graduate. I think that anyone that may ever be around children with special needs should read this book.

Like most other twelve-year-old girls, Catherine just wants to fit in. But that's hard with a younger brother who screams at loud noises, takes off his pants in public, and speaks in "borrowed words" from books and movies. Catherine loves her brother, but she secretly wishes she could reach inside his head and "fix" the autistic parts of his brain. Then she wouldn't have a hard time making friends with the ultra-cool girl next door, Kristi. And maybe she wouldn't have to worry about introducing Kristi to her friend, Jason, who has to move with a wheelchair and speak with the help of a conversation book. Will she work up the courage to accept Jason and her brother the way they are?

Rules is a charming novel about a young woman coping with her brother's disability. Unfortunately, Lord doesn't seem very attuned to the way twelve-year-olds think and act. Some of the material was dated by the time the book was published--even though the book was published in 2006, Catherine listens to Avril Lavigne and her little brother uses a cassette tape player. The character, Kristi, is also confused. The reader is left to wonder whether Kristi is sympathetic, judgmental, or just plain clueless. Overall, Rules is a good read, but perhaps not up to normal Newbery honoree standards.

I loved this book. Often I start a book and read it over a few days to my children. I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. I loved the book. Well done. I would recommend it to any reader.

Hmmm...., what can I write about this book. Great character's, intelligent details, honest theme, STEREOTYPICAL!!!!! This book is an attempt at revealing the beauty of disabled children, yet it comes off as a book about a girl who is embarrassed about her autistic brother. That's understandable, but when you write a story on such a delicate and easily misinterpreted theme, you have to be careful. This story greatly reminds me of "Julep O'Toole, Middle Child". It seems that the only way authors can get across some beautiful theme, is by making their stereotype characters realize how they act and feel is wrong. I couldn't relate to the character, or picture what was going on. I felt like I was reading a letter from some distant relative I had never heard of. This story was written in a hurry, stereotypically, and the author should have added some more descriptions. A must NOT read.

All the characters are idiots, and nothing was solved in the book. There is no message or good part and the characters have no feeling and are dumb cowards.
In other words, I do not recommend you to buy this book.

This book wasn't terrible but far away from good. It was reptive and quite frankly boring. I've heard lot's of people loved it but I just couldn't get into it. This book did make you think a little bit,but I think this book either strikes you the wronge way or the right way. I do not reccomend this book.

This was an unrealistic book. "Catherine" sarts with a K.that would be like if i spelled rules as rellz!

Anyway, " Catherine" 's perents should be making the rules for david- because she is making dumb rules that are goingvto confuse her brother! im pretty sure she's the one with autism!

Pros:
Can't think of any, this book is terrible, DO NOT EVER buy it.

Cons:
There is no story, the book is about rules, why would anybody want to read that?
It is basically someone giving a lecture/droning on and on about rules and to this or that.
There is nothing interesting that happens, it's not interesting.

If you do decide to go ahead and read it it's not going to be my fault when you say "Why did I waste my time reading this book"? Then you are gong to remember this review and realize I was right.

My opinion of this book was not very good. It was extremely slow getting to the climax of the book. It took 200 pages just to get to the dance. They started talking about the dance in the middle of the book, like on page 75-100. I did not think that there was a real point to the book other than to tell you that it is hard to have a sibling with a disability. The book was also pretty boring. I can normally read a book speedily, but this book took longer because it didn't really engage me in the story. Also nothing really happened other then the main events. The whole book was basically Catherine goes to OT, next day she plays with Kristi, next day she makes words for Jason, goes and swims at pond with Kristi, makes posters for dance, then goes to Jason's party then to the dance. Even the main events were briefly described. I would probably not recommend buying or reading this book.

I had to read this book in school. It is by far the worst book I ever read! It is so boring! Nothing happens! Cathereine goes to OT then goes to Kristi's house then she makes cards for Jason. blah blah blah etc etc ... Its so repetitive and boring. I cant belive this book has awards! If i could i would give this book ZERO stars! DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!! IT IS SO BORING!!!!! If you want a good book, get the Percy Jackson series. Its really good and wont bore you to death. If you want a good book, i recomend the Percy Jackson series. Its very good and things actually happen that are exiting! I am just saying this book is very boring.