Review: Rules, by Cynthia Lord

Catherine, the main character of Cynthia Lord's Rules, copes with having an autistic brother by drawing and by keeping a book of rules that he must follow, such as "Keep your pants on in public" and "No toys in the fish tank." These rules help her brother, David, keep a sense of order, even when he can't help but violate the fish tank rule. The rules also keep Catherine sane - even though David doesn't seem soothed by the rule, "Late doesn't mean not coming," whenever her dad is late to come home, it is at least a way to respond rationally to his behavior. In terms of plot and character development, Rules has clear markings of a YA novel, but in its treatment of those who are disabled, it is much more mature and real. This novel is at times funny, but it is also wise.

Catherine is frustrated that her brother makes it difficult to establish friendships with other kids, and she is also frustrated that her parents' work life sometimes means she needs to babysit David. She daydreams about the new girl moving in next door and imagines them flashing Morse code to one another with a flashlight and going to the pond for a swim - just them. The girl next door doesn't turn out to be quite what Catherine wants - but she is a nice girl. The nice thing about Rules is that Lord avoids creating stereotypical characters. Kristi, the new girl next door, could have been a stereotypical mean girl because she befriends Ryan, who Catherine makes out to be a bully. But Catherine is not exactly a reliable narrator. What she sees as bullying might just be innocent fun - David seems to enjoy it when Ryan teases him, and there's nothing mean-spirited about it. 

Catherine befriends a boy in a wheelchair, Jason, at her brother's therapist's waiting room. Jason can't talk, so he points to word cards on a tray attached to his wheelchair. Their meet cute is when Catherine draws him without his permission and his mother becomes upset. But it turns out that Jason doesn't actually mind that Catherine drew him. He quickly befriends Catherine, and she draws new word cards for Jason to extend his vocabulary, feeling he needs words like "Awesome!" and "Stinks a big one!" The scenes when Catherine brainstorms new words and how to put them in picture form are an English teacher's dream come true: What are important words for somebody to have in their vocabulary if they can't speak? And then, what are different ways a word can be used? There's one part where Catherine uses the word murky, referring to her feelings, but the best way she can describe it is by telling a story about diving to the bottom of a pond and pulling out the murky bottom. There are plenty of moments in Rules like this that give the reader pause to think.

Many stories that focus on the "Other" tend to sentimentalize that "Other." But Lord does not make David or Jason any more sympathetic than she does Catherine. Their actions and behaviors are realistic. The book does coast through the last quarter or so, having conflicts right out of many other YA stories, but that's a pretty small detail considering the book's brisk pace and target audience. So, while I admired much of Lord's novel, I didn't fall in love with the whole, but I am happy to have had the opportunity to read it.