Mockingbird

Mockingbird is a National Book Award Winner by Kathryn Erskine.

235 pages, Published in 2010 by Puffin Books in New York, New York, Paperback price: USA $6.99 / CAN $8.50, Hardcover price: $15.99, Ages 10 and up.

Summary

Good and strong and beautiful...

Ten-year-old Caitlin's world had always been black and white. Anything else was confusing; but her brother, Devon, helped her understand. Then tragedy struck, and now nothing makes sense. As a girl with Asperger's syndrome, Caitlin turns to what she does know - textbooks and dictionaries. And after reading the definition of closure, she realizes that this is what everyone needs. In her search for closure, she discovers that black and white are surrounded by shades of gray, ant that those are beautiful and necessary for healing.

First Sentence: "It looks like a one-winged bird crouching in the corner of our living room."

Pros

• "A strong and complex character study." -The Horn Book
• "A lovely, important book." -Children's Literature
• "Extraordinary...[A] moving and insightful materpiece." -Publishers Weekly

Cons

• "This is not an authentic view of Asperger’s." -Elizabeth Bird on blog.schoollibraryjournal.com
• "When I first picked this book up, I found it a tad hard to follow." -TiBookChatter on barnesandnoble.com
• "The book is attempting too much at one time." -Elizabeth Bird on blog.schoollibraryjournal.com

Personal Verdict

4 out of 5

 

Mockingbird is a deep and touching story, that, despite some minor flaws, is complex, insightful, and moving.

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6. Bystander by James Preller
7. Countdown by Deborah Wiles
8. The Orphan of Ellis Island by Elvira Woodruff
9. Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
10. Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

About the Author

Kathryn Erskine was born in the Netherlands and has lived in Israel, South Africa, Scotland, and Canada. She was a lawyer for fifteen years before turning to her first love - writing. Ms. Erskine now lives in Virginia with her husband, two children, and dog, Maxine.