A Case Study:
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Quality: Rules by Cynthia Lord is a very well written novel for middle grades. It is engaging and really takes you into 12-year-old Catherine’s perspective. She has an autistic younger brother named David.
This book has won some awards to include the Newbery Honor Award and the Schneider Family Book Award. Although this book is listed as books that address disability, it specifically addresses challenges with families who has a family member who is autistic. With that perspective in mind, it presents these challenges by illustrating the issues Catherine faces. It presents in instances such as having to watch her brother more often than she likes and having to educate him on the rules that are social norms that David has problems with. Hence, the title of the book and the first page listing these said rules. Most of the chapters open with each of these rules and really takes you into the heart of the matter through the progression of the story.
Language/Speech: There are no derogatory terms that I can see in language and speech, but passive aggressive actions done by several characters in response to David’s condition such as Ryan, the neighbor kid who makes fun of David and Catherine’s internal struggles frustrations with David and her parents.
Character Development: You see Catherine’s character development and how it changed from the beginning of the story. She was anxious and worries about how people will see David and how this embarrasses her so. Therefore, she concocted so many rules for David. As the story progresses, you see how Catherine grows as a person and how her attitudes and beliefs changes when she bonds and connects with Jason, another boy with disabilities in a wheelchair in the waiting room of her brother’s therapist office. She helps him communicate as she constructs more personalized pictures for his communication book. When the new girl, Kristi, moves in next door, she tries to keep her brother and Jason hidden from her so that she would be accepted by Kristi. But to Catherine’s dismay, it becomes unavoidable and fruitless. By accepting Jason and inviting him to the dance that Kristi invited her to, despite what other people may think of her, Catherine overcomes her fear. Through this action, Catherine grows more accepting of her brother David as well. David has always sought Catherine’s approval by trying to abide by her rules and remains steadfast in his speech and actions to the best of his ability. Throughout the story, Catherine’s parents struggle to keep up with their shortcomings with a child with autism by seemingly passing the buck among each other in the family. Therefore, her parents seem distant and far removed from Catherine’s emotional needs. In the end, however, because Catherine was able to come full circle with her own struggles, the family became closer.
Cultural Background: Once again, this book is through Catherine’s perspective, not David’s nor Jason’s which may offend some people with disabilities because it constantly seeks conformity by abiding by societal rules and this story does not show agency through David; however, a little from Jason as he is able to express his feelings.
Lifestyle: This story is set in the 90s in a small seaside town in Maine. I chuckled at the cassette being constantly unwound, a notable problem that existed with cassette tapes. There was a mention of 90s popstar Avril Lavigne and an antiquated communication book that has been probably replaced by newer technologies like a tablet or iPad or the like. Having said that, the attitudes about autism and people with disabilities have also changed through education and enlightenment of the struggles and agency of people with disabilities.
References:
Lord, Cynthia. Rules. New York: Scholastic Press, 2006.
Top 5 Books List
I chose books with a variety of cultures, perspectives, and disabilities.
The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland
“As a child in a small rural village in Sierra Leone, Mariatu Kamara lived peacefully surrounded by family and friends. Rumors of rebel attacks were no more than a distant worry. But when 12-year-old Mariatu set out for a neighboring village, she never arrived. Heavily armed rebel soldiers, many no older than children themselves, attacked and tortured Mariatu. During this brutal act of senseless violence they cut off both her hands. Stumbling through the countryside, Mariatu miraculously survived. The sweet taste of a mango, her first food after the attack, reaffirmed her desire to live, but the challenge of clutching the fruit in her bloodied arms reinforced the grim new reality that stood before her. With no parents or living adult to support her and living in a refugee camp, she turned to begging in the streets of Freetown. As told to her by Mariatu, journalist Susan McClelland has written the heartbreaking true story of the brutal attack, its aftermath and Mariatu’s eventual arrival in Toronto where she began to pull together the pieces of her broken life with courage, astonishing resilience and hope.” – Amazon Description: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1554511585/ref=as_li_tf_il?imprToken=fiNe5d7LmRLYwiX5RFBeaA&slotNum=0&ie=UTF8&tag=boorio-20&linkCode=w61&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=1554511585 (Links to an external site.)
I believe this book is an interesting addition to the collection because it is a memoir about Mariatu’s tragic experience of having her hands cut off after being captured by the rebel attackers in Sierra Leone. It is also an immigrant experience as told through the eyes of disability with little to no support from family,
It is a story of survival and resilience.
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman
“Padma Venkatraman’s inspiring story of a young girl’s struggle to regain her passion and find a new peace is told lyrically through verse that captures the beauty and mystery of India and the ancient bharatanatyam dance form. This is a stunning novel about spiritual awakening, the power of art, and above all, the courage and resilience of the human spirit.
Veda, a classical dance prodigy in India, lives and breathes dance—so when an accident leaves her a below-knee amputee, her dreams are shattered. For a girl who’s grown used to receiving applause for her dance prowess and flexibility, adjusting to a prosthetic leg is painful and humbling. But Veda refuses to let her disability rob her of her dreams, and she starts all over again, taking beginner classes with the youngest dancers. Then Veda meets Govinda, a young man who approaches dance as a spiritual pursuit. As their relationship deepens, Veda reconnects with the world around her, and begins to discover who she is and what dance truly means to her.” Amazon Description https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0147514401/ref=as_li_tf_il?imprToken=nE8CtXZL9-3yWheNXGCVSw&slotNum=33&ie=UTF8&tag=boorio-20&linkCode=w61&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0147514401 (Links to an external site.)
This book is told in verse and it tells a story of young, Indian girl, named Veda who was a dance prodigy involved in an accident that leaves her an amputee. This is another story about resilience and how to redefine yourself after tragedy and how to see creative expression as a spiritual pursuit.
A Mango-Shaped Face by Wendy Mass
“Thirteen-year-old Mia Winchell is far from ordinary: she suffers from a rare condition called synesthesia, the mingling of perceptions whereby a person can see sounds, smell colors, or taste shapes. But because she has kept it a secret from everyone, she appears to be the most normal kid in her family. Her younger brother Zack keeps a chart of all the McDonald’s hamburgers he’s eaten in his lifetime. Her older sister Beth dyes her hair a different color every week and might be a witch.
When trouble in the school finally convinces Mia to reveal her secret, she feels like a freak; and as she embarks on an intense journey of self-discovery, her family and friends have trouble relating to her. By the time she realizes she has isolated herself from all the people who care about her, it is almost too late. Mia has to lose something very special in order to understand and appreciate her special gift in this coming-of-age novel.” Amazon Description: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316058254/ref=as_li_tf_il?imprToken=nE8CtXZL9-3yWheNXGCVSw&slotNum=19&ie=UTF8&tag=boorio-20&linkCode=w61&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0316058254 (Links to an external site.)
I selected this novel because of the condition that the main character has: synesthesia. A little-known condition that enables certain people to see, hear and read color. It is also a coming of age middle grade/YA novel.
Two Girls Staring at the Ceiling by Lucy Frank
“This novel-in-verse—at once literary and emotionally gripping—follows the unfolding friendship between two very different teenage girls who share a hospital room and an illness.
Chess, the narrator, is sick, but with what exactly, she isn’t sure. And to make matters worse, she must share a hospital room with Shannon, her polar opposite. Where Chess is polite, Shannon is rude. Where Chess tolerates pain silently, Shannon screams bloody murder. Where Chess seems to be getting slowly better, Shannon seems to be getting worse. How these teenagers become friends, helping each other come to terms with their illness, makes for a dramatic and deeply moving read.” Amazon Description: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307979741/ref=as_li_tf_il?imprToken=nE8CtXZL9-3yWheNXGCVSw&slotNum=35&ie=UTF8&tag=boorio-20&linkCode=w61&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0307979741 (Links to an external site.)
I chose this novel because it as another novel told in verse about two girls who share a hospital room and are hospitalized for Crohn’s Disease. This is a story about exact opposites who share a similar disease. One who has been dealing with the disease for a long time and the other who is newly diagnosed.
Pinned by Sharon G. Flake
“Autumn and Adonis have nothing in common and everything in common. Autumn is outgoing and has lots of friends. Adonis is shy and not so eager to connect with people. But even with their differences, the two have one thing in common–they’re each dealing with a handicap. For Autumn, who has a learning disability, reading is a painful struggle that makes it hard to focus in class. But as her school’s most aggressive team wrestler, Autumn can take down any problem. Adonis is confined to a wheelchair. He has no legs. He can’t walk or dance. But he’s a strong reader who loves books. Even so, Adonis has a secret he knows someone like Autumn can heal.
In time, Autumn and Adonis are forced to see that our greatest weaknesses can turn into the assets that forever change us and those we love.
Told in alternating voices, Takedown explores issues of self-discovery, friendship, and what it means to be different.” Amazon Description: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545057337/ref=as_li_tf_il?imprToken=nE8CtXZL9-3yWheNXGCVSw&slotNum=27&ie=UTF8&tag=boorio-20&linkCode=w61&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0545057337 (Links to an external site.)
I absolutely adore the premise of this novel. A girl who is a wrestler at school? That alone won my heart. It is also told in alternating voice/perspective from Autumn and Adonis dealing with their own challenges but are each other’s champion.
- Latino/Caribbean-American Literature for Youth
- African-American Literature for Youth
- Filipino American Literature for Youth (Asian/Pacific-American)
- Native/First Nations/American Indian Literature for Youth
- Diverse Experiences Literature for Youth
- A Multicultural Literature Activity Plan
By the Stacks 