Tish Gayle of The Blue Marble Children’s Bookstore in Ft. Thomas, Ky., shares her thoughts about a spring 2010 novel.
Through literature for children and young adults, we’ve been introduced to characters who have worked their way remarkably well through personal hardships: Nazia, the 14-year-old housecleaner despised by society in Beneath My Mother’s Feet by Amjed Qamar; teenaged Bobby struggling to raise his child in Angela Johnson’s First Part Last; and Josie, the seventh-grader coping with cerebral palsy in Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer.
In Kathryn Erskine’s extraordinary Mockingbird (Philomel, Apr. 2010), we meet 10-year-old Caitlin, aka Scout, a talented artist diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a condition which involves a variety of social and emotional challenges. Complicating her already stressful peer and familial relationships is the unexpected death of her compassionate older brother. By remembering his words of wisdom in times of need, and with the help of her school counselor, Caitlin realizes the importance of connecting and working with others and developing and maintaining relationships despite the hard work it often requires.
Much more than a story about a determined girl dealing with a disability, Erskine’s moving and insightful masterpiece delivers a compelling message for all—that striving to understand others is a beginning point for addressing the incivility and hostility present in today’s world.
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Philomel, $15.99 Apr. 2010 ISBN 978-0-399-25264-8
