Rules by Cynthia Lord

2008-2009 WAW Award Nominee for Grades 6-8

August 18, 2008

David needs rules, and his sister Catherine has made a list of rules for him to follow, such as:

Say "excuse me" after you burp.
Don' t stand in front of the TV when other people are watching it.
No toys in the fish tank.
Flush.
A boy can take off his shirt, but not his shorts.
Late doesn't mean not coming.

These rules may seem like common sense, but David is autistic and doesn't quite understand the reasoning and application of rules in Catherine's world. In some ways, having an autistic brother makes Catherine seem worrisome and overly-sensitive, especially when it comes to making new friends with Kristi and Jason. Will they accept her, or judge her based on her brother's behavior?

This book has been designated as a Newbery Honor book and received the Schneider Family Book Award.