Ten-year-old Caitlyn hates recess, with all its noise and chaos. Her counselor, Mrs. Brook, helps her to understand the reasons behind her discomfort and offers advice about how to cope with her Asberger’s Syndrome, make friends, and deal with her grief over her older brother’s death in a recent school shooting.Monday, May 3, 2010
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
Ten-year-old Caitlyn hates recess, with all its noise and chaos. Her counselor, Mrs. Brook, helps her to understand the reasons behind her discomfort and offers advice about how to cope with her Asberger’s Syndrome, make friends, and deal with her grief over her older brother’s death in a recent school shooting.
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This book is a REALLY strong candidate for the Newbery award! Caitlin, the 5th grade protagonist of the story, totally came alive for me. I don’t remember what she looks like, but I completely got into her mind and heart. When she struggled, I struggled with her. When she learned the importance of empathy, I re-learned it. And when I finished reading it, I couldn’t wait to share it with Mrs. Davis (there’s a counselor in the story) and Mrs. McNeer (she likes books with strong characters). The author created a character that I won't forget for a long time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the main character of Mockingbird is a fifth grader, this story might actually be enjoyed more by older students. The idea for the novel came to the author after the random killing of students at Virgina Tech in 2007. Although violence is not described in the story, readers learn that a school shooting has occurred and might be disturbed to think about it.
Readers who liked The London Eye Mystery and The Curious Incident of the Dog should like Mockingbird.
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ReplyDeleteMockingbird was one of the best books I've ever read. The main character is a fifth grader who needs to find closure after her brother is shot by one of her classmate's cousins, so she is really struggling to get her dad and even more, herself to try and find a way to get closure.
ReplyDeleteShe works at finding out what closure really is, and she finds in herself she has been seeing the world as black and white instead of all the colors it really is. I strongly recommend this book, but it might be disturbing and depressing for some readers.