Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

The novel Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine is a beautiful story about a young girl named Caitlin who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and has a unique outlook on life. Her brother has recently died and she begins her search for closure while trying her best to find someone who will be her friend. 

Mockingbird is a book that I think everyone should read because it explores the beauty of life and the human soul, and teaches about what it means to be human.  At the very least, I think that every teacher should read it, especially those working with challenging needs students.The story impacted me in a big way and inspired me to be a better person, not to be judgemental of others, and to be thankful for all that life has to offer.

The novel is presented in such a way that I felt as if could see inside Caitlin's mind and know how she thought and made sense of the world. It really opened my eyes to see how someone with Asperger's syndrome thinks, and how it's very logical and not that much different from anyone else. The use of capital letters in the middle of sentences, especially for idiomatic expressions and for words that Caitlin thought were important (like "Heart"), was very effective in conveying how she was thinking. The style is conversational which makes the book easy to read and I could relate to many of the things that Caitlin was going through, whether it be the loss of a loved one, being bullied at school, having a hobby, or making a new friend. The book was both a mirror to my world and a window to the outside world because while I could relate in a way to what Caitlin was going through, I was educated on what it was like to have Asperger's syndrome, something I might not have been aware of if I had not read this book.

In the book, Caitlin has trouble reading facial expressions, so her guidance counselor tries to help her by showing her a Facial Expressions Chart everyday so that she can practice reading people's emotions. I took this idea from the book and made my own Facial Expressions Chart to show how I felt at various parts of the novel.

(click picture for a closer look)

I felt happy when Caitlin became friends with Michael, when Caitlin and her Dad begin to finish her brother's Eagle Scout Project, when Caitlin goes to see Michael's play, and at the end when Caitlin is given a standing ovation for donating her brother's project to his school.

I felt sad when I found out how Caitlin's brother died, when her dad would constantly cry, when I found out what happened to Michael's mom, and whenever Caitlin and her Dad would listen to the news.

I felt irritated when the guidance counselor paired Josh with Michael for reading buddies instead of putting him with Caitlin, and when the gym teacher commented "why do I get all the autistic kids" in front of the students.

I felt confused at the beginning of the novel when I wasn't sure what was going on and I didn't know Caitlin had Asperger's.

I felt uneasy when Caitlin would go through her "Tantrum Rage Meltdowns", when she would do things that were socially unacceptable, and when the other children in her class would make fun of and exclude her.

I felt inspired throughout the whole novel as Caitlin constantly overcame conflict and struggles, and how she finally found closure not only for herself, but for her Dad, Michael and the community. I was also inspired by how much Caitlin grew from the beginning to the end and how she was finally able to experience empathy and be a friend to others.

Mockingbird is chocked full of amazing and wonderful messages that gave me a new insight on life. I had a difficult time putting into words how I felt after reading the book because it stirred up a lot of different thoughts and feelings, but one quote from the book sums up how I responded to the book as a whole:

"Maybe we can make something good and strong and beautiful come out of this"

This book helped me realize that no matter how bad life can get, no matter how much people suffer, any situation can be made in something "good and strong and beautiful."