Rules

                   Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. 

Rules is a story about a girl, Catherine, who wishes she has a normal life but instead she has a brother with a mental disability. She feels like everything revolves around her brother David, and she feels left out. Catherine goes with her brother to occupational therapy and while there she makes a friend, Jason, who is severely handicapped but is able to communicate with a picture book. Her and Jason become close but Catherine is afraid that her new friend Kristi would judge her for being friends with the mentally handicapped. Catherine must decide if her friendship with Jason is worth the trouble or will she lose her friendship with Kristi. 

I loved the book Rules because I felt that Catherine was struggling to figure out how to handle her life with a brother who has disabilities. I believe that families who have a child with a disability struggle to find a even ground with their other children. Catherine felt neglected in some ways because her parents were always consumed with David's life. Catherine could also be portrayed as being jealous of David. Young children who have siblings like David could possibly relate to Catherine and her struggles. I'm just glad Catherine decided to accept her brother and her friend, Jason, for who they were and love them all the same.