When you have a brother with autism, it’s hard to feel like a normal kid. This is what Catherine, a twelve year old girl from Maine, believes about her life. She thinks that her life and the life of her family is centered around her younger brother’s disability. Catherine spends hours every week creating rules for David to follow and reminding him of these rules. If he follows her rules, it will save her a little embarrassment. But the summer Catherine meets two new friends, Jason and Kristi, everything changes. This summer Catherine questions what “normal” really means.
After reading this book with my class, I would have my students write a journal entry or a paper on the following question. Have you ever felt like your life is not normal? If possible, I want the students to relate the Catherine with their own personal experiences. If not, I want the students to put themselves in Catherine’s shoes. How would you feel if your life was like Catherine’s life? After students write, the class would collaborate on what Catherine learned in this book. What changed her mind about her life and her brother David?
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