Mockingbird in Mock Newbery 2026

Apr 17, 2011 Mark rated it it was amazing

Shelves: engl-492-spring-2013, coming-of-age, engl-492-spring-2012, family, death-and-dying, engl-492-spring-2011, re-read, young-adult-literature, characters-with-disabilities, autism-spectrum-disorder

This book doesn't lose its beauty or heart for me, no matter how many times I read it. It still gets me, every time.

"'How did you get to be so smart?'

I shrug. 'I'm really working hard on finesse.'

Then he takes my hands in his and I don't even pull them away because he is looking at my cuts closely and I would want to do that too if I saw cuts on somebody's hands so I let him look.

'Do you still really want to do this?'

I don't know if he means to keep cutting the oak tree or work on the chest but This book doesn't lose its beauty or heart for me, no matter how many times I read it. It still gets me, every time.

"'How did you get to be so smart?'

I shrug. 'I'm really working hard on finesse.'

Then he takes my hands in his and I don't even pull them away because he is looking at my cuts closely and I would want to do that too if I saw cuts on somebody's hands so I let him look.

'Do you still really want to do this?'

I don't know if he means to keep cutting the oak tree or work on the chest but I say, 'Yes,' just in case he means the chest.

'You think this will bring us Closure?'

I shake my head. 'No. I know it will.'

He blows a little air out of his nose and nods. He lets go of my hands and does one more big sigh. 'Maybe we can make something good and strong and beautiful come out of this.'

Good and strong and beautiful. I like those words. They sound like Devon. I want to build something good and strong and beautiful."

I'm surprised that I never wrote a review for this before, but apparently I read it last summer, when I was away from Goodreads, so consider this a catch-up. This novel is told from the perspective of Caitlin, a 5th grader with Asperger's, who has just lost her older brother to a random school shooting. In addition, her mother has died of cancer years before, so now it's just her and her father in the house, and her father is taking the loss extremely hard. Caitlin, however, is struggling to understand the changes that have suddenly taken place in her life, and in addition to having to make it through each day with her condition, she now also has to face the prospect of life without Devon, the only other person who truly understood her, and who made it possible for her to face the world. With the help of a school counselor, some new friends, and her father, Caitlin attempts to find Closure to the events that took Devon out of her life.

I love the narrative voice in this novel, respect the way Erskine treats a character with Asperger's, and appreciate the fact that the book makes me cry. Every time. I think this is a gorgeous book, that does tug at the heartstrings, but with the situations Caitlin is in, it's hard not to have moments like that. There are tremendous lessons in this novel, about empathy, friendships, and generally dealing with people who are different than us. It would be a fantastic novel to teach, and not just for the lessons about disabilities. Larger lessons can easily be drawn from this one. It's a fantastic book, and one of my favorites that I put on my YA syllabus for this semester. I just hope the rest of the class liked it, also. ...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Kris rated it it was amazing

I confess this book was so painful and upset me so much I had to put it down. I did not intend to finish it. Mockingbird tells the heartbreaking story of a 10-year-old girl with Asperger’s Syndrome. Her brother, one of the few people who “gets her,” is killed in a school shooting. Caitlin’s father is not only dealing with the loss of his son, but of his wife who died a few years before. Caitlin feels both losses acutly but has trouble expressing her feelings. As a mother of a child on the Autism ...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Susie rated it really liked it

I think this is a book that will stay with me for quite some time. It took some careful planning and imagination to weave together this story and "To Kill a Mockingbird", and I really appreciate the author's craft. While I have read books with characters with autism before, Erskine does a great job showing us what goes on in Caitlin's mind. It's somewhat ironic that often she sees things plainly/literally for what they are. It's also important to note that an innocent first grader makes some ast ...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Karen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: jfic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 09, 2011 Sandy rated it really liked it

adolescent lit. Combines author's interest in school shooting tragedies and the experience of a child with Aspergers.
...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Tracey added it

Shelves: read-in-2011

Excellent story and a quick read. Can't wait to suggest it to some of my voracious readers. ...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Sheather rated it liked it

Shelves: childrens-books, 2011

Such a sad premise - a little girl with Asperger's syndrome is coping with the shooting death of her older brother. I liked this story, but didn't love it. ...more

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Nov 30, 2010 Nancy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: childrens-ya-books, autism-spectrum, disabilities

I think this is a fantastic book. Erskine creates a realistic character in Caitlin, a fifth-grade girl with Asperger's Syndrome who has just lost her older brother to a school shooting. Caitlin's character gives the reader perspective on what it might be like for a young person with Asperger's to try to navigate the confusing world. Beyond that, the story explores what it means to be a friend and how different people can find closure after tragic events. Mockingbird is a touching, insightful boo ...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Pamela rated it really liked it

Caitlin's mom has died of cancer two years previously, and now her brother has been shot and killed at his middle school by a fellow student. Told in first-person by Caitlin, a fifth-grade girl with Aspergers, this story is a quick read but one that let's you really get into this character's head. It clearly shows how misunderstandings can lead to anger and meanness, and offers insights into how a young person with Asperger's sees the world and people around her. It would make a good class read- ...more

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Jul 29, 2010 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: realistic

Mockingbird is written from the perspective of a fifth-grader with Asperger Syndrome whose brother was killed in a school shooting. Recommended by Allen County Library's Mock Newbery site: http://acplmocknewbery.blogspot.com/

Reading this made me feel like I really got to know someone with Aspergers. Solid, moving story. ...more

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