For my 5th grade book club we are reading Rules, by Cynthia Lord. We had a great second meeting because the kids actually read the pages I assigned. That's half the battle right there! I am excited about reading this book because of the wonderful plot. It is about a 12 year old girl and her 8 year old brother, who has autism. The story focuses on Catherine's relationship with David, her desire to protect him, her embarrassment about the things that he does, and her need to spend time with her parents—who are often more focused on David's needs. The reason the book is called Rules is because Catherine writes down rules for David, since he often doesn't understand the social rules of society. One rule is: "A boy can take of his shirt to swim, but not his shorts." Obviously, that is a good rule for David to know!I love the rule she has for herself: "Sometimes you've gotta work with what you've got." I totally understand that one. Like when my pancreas stopped working, I had to work with what I had really quick!
The students seem to be really enjoying the book so far and I hope when we are finished they will have gained more empathy for individuals with special needs. Life is tough enough when everything goes right. We need to help those who've gotta work with what they've got because sometimes what they've got, is one tough, never ending struggle.
(image retrieved from: http://www.cynthialord.com/rules.htm)
