When it was time for me to read a new book, I was not sure what to pick. I had to choose one that was engaging and pretty short since I didn’t have much time to read before my next blog post. I searched through the bookshelf in my basement and found Rules by Cynthia Lord. I remember buying it a year ago, but never actually reading it. The cover of Rules drew me in. It shows a fish in water with a rubber toy floating on the surface. Some recurring themes I’ve noticed in this novel are acceptance, diversity, and honesty. Using these themes, Cynthia Lord tells the story of how Catherine, a twelve-year old girl desperate to fit in with her new neighbor, juggles caring for her autistic brother, David, and befriending a boy with a disability named Jason. This story dives into feeling different and finding acceptance in a sensitive and candid way.
After the first couple pages, readers learn that Catherine spends a lot of time teaching David various rules in order to head off some of his “embarrassing” behaviors. One engaging aspect of the book is the way Cynthia Lord intertwines David’s rules in the story. Her writing style uses foreshadowing significantly. Each chapter is titled with a rule that foreshadows the events in it. For example, one of the chapters starts with “No Toys in the Fish Tank.” Later in the chapter, David drops another toy in the fish tank. I’ve also noticed that the rules get more complex as the story goes on. For example, the first one is simply “Follow the Rules,” and one of the last is “Solving One Problem Can Create Another.” Without this format, the novel would not be as meaningful.
The format of rules foreshadowing events is crucial in understanding the story and thought process of Catherine. It helps readers realize that she longs for a “normal” life with cool friends, and believes David is getting in the way of having that. This is why she is so adamant in giving her brother an abundance of rules and making him follow them. In reality, she learns that she herself needs to change and accept others in order to fit in. While reading, it was saddening to see David have to follow so many rules. However, I understand Catherine’s motives and she later is not so worried about how others perceive her family. It becomes clear that for any of Catherine’s friends to accept David, she first has to accept him and the fact that her family is unique in a beautiful way.
Overall, this book teaches lessons of acceptance through the act of caring and loving. Although it was an easy read and not as complex as books I would usually take on, I believe it is an important story and can be useful for all ages. Especially with everything going on in our world today, everyone needs to find acceptance for diversity and care for others. Cynthia Lord dives into these topics in a careful and understanding way. No matter who you are, I know you will appreciate the characters and moral of Rules.
This seems like a very enjoyable book to if you want a short but sweet read. I remember in 3rd grade another group of students presented this book, although I didn't think much of it then. Now I realize that we should all be able to learn a thing or two from reading this book.
ReplyDeleteWow! This book sounds really good. I think its really interesting how people get so caught up in trying to fit in that they don't realize the harm they could be causing to themselves or others. I love reading a simple book once in a while. I will definitely check this book out!
ReplyDeleteI think I've read this book before. I liked how the author uses David's rules for the title of each chapter. It's a simple but very important story about choosing priorities.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very interesting book. The way the author mixed in David's rules to make the chapters is very intriguing. I don't mind that the book is a "simple read," if the book is interesting I'll read it!
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a really interesting book! It does seem very sweet, with important themes and I think it would be an enjoyable read. I think I will check this out sometime!
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