Rules by Cynthia Lord is a vivid portrayal of how 12-year-old Catherine lives with her younger brother David, who is autistic.  Catherine tries to give David a list of rules to live by, ranging from “A boy can take off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts” to “Sometimes people laugh when they like you.  But sometimes they laugh to hurt you.”  This summer, Catherine’s best friend is off visiting her father for the summer, so she is left alone.  She accompanies her brother to his occupational therapy and meets Jason, a boy in a wheelchair who uses cards to communicate.  Catherine begins to make new cards for Jason that are colorful and more expressive.  But she continues to worry about what people think about her brother and her new friendship.  When a girl moves in next door, Catherine hopes that she will be a great friend because she is pretty and completely normal. 

This is not only a great read, with a nice rhythm and easy style, but it is an important book that siblings of kids with special needs need to read.  The theme that different is simply different, not bad, is vital for kids to understand.  The fact that it is done with a sense of humor and that uniqueness can be laughed at and accepted makes this book far more than a didactic text on acceptance.  This is fun reading with a great message.  Share this with classrooms for a quality discussion.  Its short length makes it a perfect platform for classroom reading.