Rules

Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who has autism. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (for example: it's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of words to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Sometimes Catherine wonders what the real definition of normal is. Catherine feels her parents don't need her and don't really care about her. She has a really hard time understanding that her parents also have to go to work.