자폐아 남동생을 둔 열두 살 소녀 캐서린이 장애아와 그 가족, 그리고 동생을 바라보는 세상의 편견 어린 시선 속에서 자신의 정체성을 찾아가는 성장소설이다. 또래보다 어른스러운 캐서린은 동생을 위해 애정어린 세세한 규칙을 만들어 주지만 사람들이 동생을 빤히 쳐다볼 때는 어린아이답게 상처를 받기도 한다.
캐서린은 평범한 아이가 되고 싶은 욕구와 동생 데이빗에 대한 사랑 때문에 겪는 당혹스러움 사이에서 갈등한다. '엄마를 껴안는 것은 괜찮지만 가게 점원을 껴안으면 안 된다.' 같은 규칙을 일일이 설명하며 동생을 돌보다가도 부모의 사랑을 독차지하는 동생 때문에 외롭다.
세밀한 상황과 심리 묘사, 가슴이 시리면서도 동시에 빙긋 웃게 만드는 유머로 빛나는 이 작품의 작가는 실제로도 자폐아를 둔 엄마로서, 자신의 경험을 생생하게 글 속에 살려 내었다. '보통' 혹은 '평범함'이란 무엇이며, 우정의 의미는 무엇인지 묻는 작품으로, 2007년 뉴베리 상 수상작이다.
Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Frustrated at life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal existence but her world is further complicated by a friendship with a young paraplegic.Having always tried to manage her autistic brother's embarrassing behavior, Catherine is excited about her new relationship with Jason and friendship with the girl next door, but when the pressures from home take their toll on her, Catherine acts out badly and so begins to consider reviewing and revising her own coping skills. A Newbery Honor Book & ALA Notable Book. Reprint. 50,000 first printing.Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public"---in order to head off David's embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a surprising, new sort-of friend, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal? |
