Mockingbird

Author:  Kathryn Erskine                                      
http://www.kathyerskine.com/Kathryn_Erskine/Home.html

About the Author:

Kathryn Erskine was born in the Netherlands, as a child her family moved to other countries; Israel, South Africa, Scotland, New Foundland Canada, and finally settling in Virginia.  During her stays in each place she gained many new experiences that she could take with her.  Kathryn was a lawyer for fifteen years before she began her writing career, which was her first love.  She lives in Virginia with her husband, two children, and dog, Maxine. 

Genre: Fiction
Grade Level: 4-6

Theme:
The theme of this book is autism, and seein the world different than others.

Synopsis:

This book is about an eleven year old girl with Asperger’s Syndrome, but does not know she has it.  In her world everything is black and white.  Her older brother, Devon, used to help her with anything in between.  Devon was shot and killed in his school, which devastates his father.  After Caitlin reads the definition of the word closure, she realizes she needs to find it.  She thinks that closure is an object and along her journey of finding it, she realizes the world is not just black and white; it’s full of colors too.

Pre Reading Activity:

Questions:
What do you think this book is about based on the cover?

Activity:

Have students predict what the book is about, and create a chart with all the predictions made.

Post Reading Activity:
Questions:

Does it sound easy for someone to understand the world around them if they have Asperger's Syndrome?

Activity:
Have the students write an essay about what it must be like if no one understands them.  Explain how they could tell someone what they need if the person couldn’t understand.

Reflection:

I loved this book!  I could not put it down once I started reading it.  It shows what a person with Aspergers thinks and feels, while the world is moving all around them they are in their own world.  I think this book would be great to read with students, so they can begin to understand someone who is different and how they may be thinking.