Mockingbird

(mok’ing – burd)

By: Kathyrn Erskine

Published by Philomel Books, 2010

Reading Level: Lexile 1250

Independent Read, 5.6

 

 

Moving, Inspiring, Tragic, Heartbreaking, Beautiful

Caitlin is a ten year old girl caught in the middle of trying to find closure for not only herself and father for the death of their brother and son Devon, but also for the entire community! A tragic event happened at that middle school which Devon was a student of, that left the entire community saddened by the tragic events wondering why. Caitlin see’s everything as black and white and to her, colors just confuse everything. But how is Caitlin, a young girl with Asperger’s syndrome, supposed to know how to find closure for everyone including herself when she doesn’t even know how to show empathy.

Key Vocabulary –

Caitlin is a very intelligent girl who is often looking up words in the dictionary. Any new word she comes across, she immediately looks for her dictionary. Within this story, there are a variety of words which are explained within the context. The form of her vocabulary is what’s interesting. For example: CHAMbers, AORta, eLIMinate, CLOsure, effusive. Have your student’s look these words up in the dictionary and find out what similarities between the words in the dictionary are and how Caitlin writes the words within the story. 

Teaching Suggestions:

Before Reading – Show this picture (http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdY6dzQAsIH1FO4ak84LD-zMp-F5QZ1wAcgD0iJ8QkK3sAgl2M) to the students and to write down what they think this picture is about. Give them a couple minutes and walk around to be sure each student is writing something down. Then give a brief, not gruesome, visual picture through words what happened at Virginia Tech in 2007 (which is what inspired in this book). Then move into instruction on what Asperger’s Syndrome is since Caitlin whom is the one telling the story has. Your students have to learn how a person with Asperger’s acts before reading this book to fully understand why she behaves the way she does throughout the book.

During reading: Have your students fill out a character analysis of Caitlin. The questions ask about her physical appearance, her roles (whether at home or in the classroom), problems/challenges, and major accomplishments.

After Reading: Question your students, “What has the author taught us throughout the book?” Give some examples: empathy, friendships, closure, how to work with people are who different, everyone has a unique strength to contribute to our world or groups projects. Have your student write a 1 -1/2 page of how the author has taught one of the above examples. Students are to use quotes from the book to support their thoughts.

Electronic Resources –

FurtherInstruction: Teacher Vision provides you with a Mockingbird Discussion Guide to ‘examine the complex social and emotional issues in the story of a young girl with Asperger’s syndrome dealing with the tragic loss of her brother.” The Guide also provides research ideas and activities.

Asperger's: A Site that will explain what Asperger's is and the symtoms so that your students are able to understand.

 

"This will grab you by the heart and throat, give you a good shake, and then set you cheering for the human spirit. If it doesn't become a classic, there's something wrong with all of us."

- Jim Trelease