Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

In the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird, single father Atticus tells his daughter Scout that sometimes you never really know what a person's life is like until you "walk a mile in their shoes." Thanks to author Kathryn Erskine, readers now have the opportunity to experience the world of a child with Asperger's syndrome through the eyes of a fictional character who is living with it.

Caitlin Smith is a fifth-grader who sees the world in black and white. To her mind, colors are vague and confusing, like trying to figure out the comments, feelings, and intentions of others--the basic condition of persons suffering from Asperger's syndrome. Caitlin is trying to deal with this affliction in the aftermath of a school shooting in her small Virginia community. Her older brother, Devon, a candidate for Eagle Scout, was one of the victims, along with a middle school teacher named Mrs. Schneider. Caitlin's own mom had died several years before, so that just leaves Caitlin and her father to try and piece their lives back together. Caitlin is already seeing the school counselor, Mrs. Brook, to learn how to interpret verbal and nonverbal signals from others, which are so confusing to her logical and literal way of thinking. What Mrs. Brook is trying to teach Caitlin is to feel empathy for others, to understand things from their point of view, and to try and figure out what they may actually be saying, feeling, or wanting. Caitlin grapples with making new friends on the elementary school playground, but she doesn't understand why Josh, a classmate and a bully, is so full of anger. Nor does she realize why a first-grader named Michael is always so sad and alone. Even more challenging at home is trying to communicate with her father who seems to break down crying every time she mentions anything about her dead brother Devon.

Told largely in dialogue and from Caitlin's point of view, readers will quickly come to comprehend how difficult and frustrating things must be for people who have Asperger's syndrome, and for those who interact with them on a regular basis. I found this book informative, enlightening, and very moving, and I must admit there were a few tears shed along the way. I highly recommend it to educators who want to vicariously get to know the world of a child with Asperger's, but also to anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of friendship and communication better. After reading this gem of a novel, you'll get it...really GET IT.

Mockingbird is available at Stone MS Library. I expect it to be popular with students because of its many short chapters, small page size, and large font, which will make reading it very easy. I also anticipate starred reviews and awards for this book in the coming months because of the excellent writing and universal themes.