Rules (novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Cynthia Lord |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's Novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic Paperbacks |
| ISBN | 978-0439443838 |
| OCLC | 61109244-439-44382-1 |
| LC Class | PZ7.L87734 Rul 2006 |
Rules is a popular book written by Cynthia Lord. It was her very first novel. The book came out in 2006 and quickly became famous. In 2007, it won a special award called the Newbery Honor. It also won the Schneider Family Book Award in 2007 and the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award in 2009. This story is about a girl named Catherine and her family, focusing on her brother who has autism.
Story Summary
Catherine is a 12-year-old girl. She often helps her younger brother, David, who has autism. One day, she tries to get David ready for his occupational therapy, or OT. This is a type of therapy that helps people with daily tasks. David doesn't want to leave the house, which can be tricky.
Catherine sees moving trucks next door. She is excited to meet her new neighbor, who is also a 12-year-old girl. At OT, Catherine starts drawing a boy named Jason. Jason cannot talk, and he uses cards to communicate. Catherine gives him the drawing, and they become friends.
When Catherine finally sees her new neighbor, Kristi, David is screaming. Kristi asks if David is okay. Later, Catherine tries to meet Kristi properly, but Kristi is busy. At the next OT session, Catherine helps Jason make more of his speech cards. She sees Kristi talking to Ryan, a boy who is not very kind.
Catherine's mom plans a picnic to invite Kristi's family over. But Kristi is at her dad's house, so they don't meet. Catherine goes to OT again and gives Jason new cards. They talk, and Catherine agrees to make many more cards for him.
Kristi is finally invited to Catherine's house by her mom. They meet and talk for a long time. They even play basketball. This means Catherine misses her OT session. Jason sends Catherine a gift: carrots for her guinea pigs.
At the next OT, Catherine brings Jason more cards and a surprise. It's one of her guinea pigs! On the way home, Catherine buys supplies to make more word cards for Jason. When they get home, Kristi is with Ryan. Ryan teases David with an empty gum wrapper, which makes David upset.
The next week at OT, Jason asks Catherine to push his wheelchair very fast. He wants to know what it feels like to run. Catherine does it, and they have fun. The next morning, Catherine and Kristi go swimming. But Ryan shows up and convinces Kristi to leave with him instead of Catherine.
Kristi and Ryan invite Catherine to a community dance. Catherine says no, because she doesn't like to dance unless she's alone or in the dark. At OT, Catherine and Jason go for a walk. When Catherine sees Kristi, she hides so Kristi doesn't see her with Jason.
Jason invites Catherine to his birthday party. The party is on the same day as the dance. Catherine accepts, thinking it's a good excuse to skip the dance. Catherine helps Kristi make posters for the dance. Kristi is annoyed that Catherine won't go.
Catherine buys Jason a guitar for his birthday. Jason now has a wheelchair with a joystick, which helps him move around. At Jason's party, Catherine accidentally mentions the dance. Jason asks her to go with him, but Catherine hesitates. Jason realizes she might not want to go with him because he uses a wheelchair. He gets very angry.
Catherine finally convinces Jason to go to the dance. There, she sees Kristi. Kristi is rude about Jason being in a wheelchair. She is also upset that Catherine didn't tell her Jason was handicapped. Catherine and Jason dance together. Catherine realizes that Jason is her true friend, someone who accepts her and her friends for who they are.
Main Characters
- Catherine - She is the main character and is 12 years old. She is David's older sister. Catherine is very excited when Kristi moves in next door. At David's occupational therapy, she meets Jason and they become good friends. Catherine worries that Kristi will judge her because Jason uses a wheelchair. She tries to hide Jason's disability from Kristi. In the end, she learns that Jason is a true friend. Catherine spends a lot of her time helping David. She has two guinea pigs and loves to draw. She doesn't like to dance but enjoys swimming. She also makes word cards for Jason and writes rules for David.
- David - He is Catherine's 8-year-old brother. David has autism. He likes things to happen in a certain order. He also hears sounds much louder than others. David goes to OT every week and likes to drop toys in the fish tank. He doesn't like getting wet. Ryan often teases him. David's favorite place is the video store. When he does puzzles, he must start from the left. If things don't go as planned, he gets very upset. He only likes "yes" or "no" answers and will scream if he hears "maybe" or "I don't know."
- Kristi - She is Catherine's new neighbor. At first, Kristi seems very nice. She volunteers at the community center. However, when she meets Jason, she becomes rude. Kristi is friends with Ryan and is seen as "cool." She doesn't like swimming in the pond because it's muddy. Her parents are divorced, and she wishes they would get back together.
- Jason - He is a boy who uses a wheelchair and cannot talk. Catherine becomes friends with him at David's OT. Jason communicates by pointing to cards in his speech book. His mother used to push his wheelchair. Later, he gets a wheelchair with a joystick. Jason plays the piano and starts playing the guitar after Catherine buys him one. He also loves listening to music. He is able to convince Catherine to dance at the end of the book.
- Ryan - He is a bully in the story. Ryan often picks on Catherine and David. When Kristi moves in, he acts nicer to her, but he is still a rude person. He gives David an empty gum wrapper, knowing it will make David angry. He lets some kids wait for the bus at his house but leaves out Catherine and David.
- Catherine's Mom - She is a housewife and works from home. She cares deeply about David and Catherine. She is good at cooking, helping, and working. She tries to help David talk more but dislikes it when he uses words he's heard from others.
- Catherine's Dad - He is a pharmacist. He works at a pharmacy and often tries to work extra hours to earn more money. He takes David to the video store often. He is usually late, which makes David upset. He also enjoys gardening.
Important Ideas in the Story
This book explores several important ideas:
- Sometimes, even with good intentions, people might break rules.
- Everyone has their own challenges, not just those with special needs.
- We all try to fit in, but things don't always turn out how we expect.
- It's important to always support your family.
- Even the best people can find it hard to follow their own rules all the time.
How the Book Was Inspired
Cynthia Lord, the author, was inspired by her own children when she wrote Rules. She has a son and a daughter. She shared that the character of David is based loosely on her son, who has autism. The character of Catherine is a mix of herself and her daughter, who loves to draw.
Many of the characters and events in the book come from real experiences in Lord's life. For example, Jason's character was inspired by something she saw as a child. She watched a child in a wheelchair communicating with his mother.
At the end of the book, Cynthia Lord explains where the idea for Rules came from. She said her daughter, when she was about ten, asked why she never saw families like theirs in books or on TV. Lord looked for books with characters who had severe special needs. She found some, but many seemed very sad. She wanted to show that living with someone with a disability can be sad, but it can also be funny, inspiring, heartwarming, and frustrating. It's like loving anyone and living in any family.
