Now, I was reading a book this past summer called Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. I would say that this is a book suited for 6th-graders and up.
This book is set in 2007 – modern times. I think this whole post could be a spoiler – so reader beware. As a person with many labels myself, I would recommend this, but parents, I warn you, this has bullying.
This book is about how an 11-year-old girl, Caitlin, with Asperger’s, who is learning to cope with life and her fellow students (or bullies). It also shows how her father is coping, as well.
Not quite understanding the world around her, other students don’t want to be around her. Seeing this, she distances herself even more from the class. The label “disabled” is stuck to her; having tantrums in class doesn’t help her either.
The school therapist is also a prominent figure in the book. Insisting that Caitlin makes a friend, she even accompanies her outside during recess. Ultimately Caitlin befriends a boy who happens to have many similarities as her in his personal life. I hope I have not given away the spoiler for this book, but parents think “Columbine,” and you should have a pretty good guess as to another topic revealed in this book.
“In Caitlin’s world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That’s the stuff Caitlin’s older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon’s dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger’s, she doesn’t know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white – the world is full of colors – messy and beautiful.” From back cover.
I enjoyed this book and think most children should read this, if for no other reason than to see life from a different point of view.
| Although we do not use Reading Levels, we are providing them for your convenience. | |||
| A/R: 3.6 | Reading Level: W | Lexile: 630 | DRA: 60 |
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