Mockingbird

Caitlin is a 10 year old girl that has Asperger's syndrome*, and who normally does not understand things without the help of her older brother Devon, but that all changes when their is a shooting that takes place in his school, and sadly, he doesn't make it out alive. Now Caitlin has to figure things out with only the help of her textbooks and dictionaries, unless she opens up and decides to converse with her school counselor Mrs. Brook or her father, maybe even the kids lurking around the school playground.

I foresee that the protagonist (Caitlin) will open up to her guidance counselor and her father in order to understand things that Devon helped her understand. It may be a difficult task , but unless they do not try to help her constantly, their won't be any progress in helping Caitlin open up to her own kind.

           “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” 
                                                                       ― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax


I also foresee that Caitlin will soon figure out how to deal with emotions and how to understand them. Even though it may be hard understanding things when you have Asperger's syndrome, you can only learn by trying hard and studying what you know countless times, such as how emotions function or what they are and how they work. Only then will she understand that she can interact with other kids her age if she knows how to  use her emotions and how others use them around her.

The scene that stood out to me the most in this book was Chapter 11: The day Our Life Fell Apart. This chapter explains what happened to not only Devon, but the reactions to his father and Caitlin also. This scene stood out to me the most, because I not only understood the pain that both Caitlin and her father, I felt it too. I also believe that this scene connects to the world because their are many families who lost a loved one that could not be saved. I have never experienced such, only people who were part of the family that I wasn't well acquainted with.

     All in all, I understand the pain Caitlin feels, even though she doesn't project her emotions at all.


* Asperger's syndrome: autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Having trouble with social interaction and intense obsession of interest and activities. Usually the child has a higher than average intellectual ability.