Rules

Lord, C. (2008).  Rules.  NY:  Scholastic.

Catherine is an average twelve year old girl from Maine, who has a brother with autism.  Her life tends to revolve around her brother's need.  She feels as though she is always trying to teach him the rules of life, such as chew with your mouth closed.  As a new neighbor moves next door and Catherine meets a paraplegic boy, she discovers that maybe the rules also apply to her.  She doesn't really know what "normal" is and changes her perspective of differences among people.    This is a Newberry Award Winning realistic fiction story.  The author gives a true glimpse of what life is like for a family who has someone with a disability, how they cope and find their own sense of normalcy.  The plot is life like and readers can easily relate to this story and the theme of acceptance.