Rules by Cynthia Lord

Rules by Cynthia Lord

This Newbery Honor Book is a heartfelt and witty story about feeling different and finding acceptance -- beyond the rules.

Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life, which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public" -- in order to head off David's embarrassing behaviors.

But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?

Cynthia Lord is the author of the critically praised Half a Chance, A Handful of Stars, and Because of the Rabbit, as well as the Newbery Honor Book and Schneider Family Book Award winner Rules. She is the author of the Shelter Pet Squad chapter book series and made her picture-book debut with Hot Rod Hamster, which won multiple honors, including the Parents' Choice Award. Her family and she live in Maine. Her website is cynthialord.com.