But Caitlin is wired differently, cannot give or receive consolation as others do, and she had always depended on Devon for guidance on just about everything (how to interpret facial cues, what’s appropriate behavior in certain situations, etc.). A talented artist, she sees the world and processes events differently, with her literal mind, black and white thinking, impaired emotional reciprocity and poor social skills.Įveryone has his/her own of way of grieving, and the journey to healing is usually assuaged by the comfort of others and the ability to share the anger, fear, sadness, and deep sense of loss. Ten-year-old Caitlin is trying to cope with the loss of her beloved brother Devon, who was killed in a school shooting in their small Virginia town - hard enough for any motherless child, but uniquely challenging and complicated for one who has Asperger’s. I simply couldn’t let another day go by without expressing my enthusiasm and full-out love for this incredibly moving literary gem.

It was released just about a month ago following lots of Newberyish buzz, but because of the Poetry Month Potluck, I was unable to serve soup on its official pub date. Today we’re celebrating one of the finest, most praise-worthy middle grade novels of the year, Kathryn Erskine’s Mockingbird (Philomel, 2010)! until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” ~ Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird) “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.

Mockingbird kathryn erskine book review