Rules by Cynthia Lord

Newly awarded a Newbery Honor!

From the practical "No toys in the fish tank" to the intuitional "Late doesn't mean not coming" to the specific "Keep your pants on! Unless Mom, Dad, or the doctor tells you to take them off," twelve year old Catherine's life is full of rules. It has to be, in order to have some order to her life with her eight year old autistic brother David. David finds the only way to express himself is by quoting portions of the book Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel. When a new girl Kristi moves into the house next store, Catherine sees this as an opportunity to have what she's always wished for. Her growing friendship with a wheelchair bound Jason however has her questioning how she feels about disabilities and what constitutes a normal life.


Readers who love Rules by Cynthia Lord as much as I do should also try Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, about a 14-year old boy whose younger brother is fighting lukemia.

AMY