Alison Reads

Catherine is 12 and is tired of having to deal with her 8-year-old brother’s autism. She loves him, but she doesn’t like being embarrassed by his behavior. She takes it upon herself to make him a list of rules to live by, because he won’t learn them any other way. At the speech therapist’s office Catherine meets Jason, a 15-year-old with cerebral palsy, and they become friends. Catherine hopes to make friends with the new girl her age next door, but she is disappointed. A sensitive lesson in looking beyond superficial appearances. Recommended for grades 5-8.