Bob Seney on Books: July, 2011
Mockingbird
I am always on the lookout for novels that address twice exceptionality (and not just for this column). I also
keep my eye on the major award winner lists. So you can imagine my delight when I find titles that meet both criteria! Out of My Mind (2010, Atheneum) by Sharon M. Draper, reviewed in the March issue of 2e Newsletter, is one such example. It has won at least three awards! And now we have Mockingbird (2010, Philomel) by Kathryn Erskine.
Mockingbirdis truly an amazing novel. The adjectives used in the reviews are really quite exuberant and, in my opinion, the book deserves these rich accolades. I would consider Mockingbird to be important and significant even if it hadn’t won all these honors: the prestigious 2010 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, 2011 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, and a Goodreaders’ 2010 Choice Award for Middle School and Children’s Literature. Not surprising at all!
The novel’s main character is Caitlin, a gifted artist and a remarkable, bright ten-year-old girl whose world is all black and white. For her, everything is either good or bad. Anything else is confusing. Catlin lives in this world with her own special, literal logic. She has Asperger Syndrome.
Devon, Caitlin’s older brother, has always been her buffer to the larger world, her guide and her support. Then, tragically, Devon is shot and killed at the middle school. This tragedy affects the whole community, and each of the novel’s significant characters is attempting to deal with the death of this remarkable young man. When Caitlin continually hears about closure from all those around her, she turns to her “best” friend, her dictionary, and decides that closure is what she and her Dad both need. (Caitlin’s mother has died before the story begins.)
The novel, then, is the story of Caitlin’s quest to find and to bring closure to others. This becomes an amazing trip as she seeks to deal with her loss and her father’s deep grief. Important in this quest is her compassionate, sympathetic, and understanding school counselor, Mrs. Brooks, who helps Caitlin learn to deal with the world; to develop social skills that are most difficult for her; and to “mind her manners,” a bit which provides humor. In addition, Caitlin struggles with the fact that there are few in her life “Who Get It” or “Look at The Person.” The novel will help you understand both phrases and why they are in capital letters.
In the Author’s Notes, Erskine says “…I hope that readers will see that, by getting inside someone’s head, really understanding that person, so many misunderstandings and problems can be avoided — misunderstandings and problems that can lead to mounting frustration and, sometimes, even violence.” One of the amazing aspects of this novel is that we do get inside Caitlin’s head, and this does move us to a greater understanding and acceptance of Asperger’s.
For me, perhaps, the most remarkable aspect of this novel is how Erskine has portrayed the thought processes of an individual with Asperger’s. Caitlin’s world view is sometimes so much more positive than what is really out there. Then, too, we find that her extremely literal interpretations unveil the contradictions and hypocrisy in the so-called “real” world. “The longer readers spend in [Caitlin’s] world,” says Faith Brautigam in School Library Journal, “the more understandable her entirely literal and dispassionate interpretations are.”
Mockingbirdis another one of those novels that makes me want to tell too much! But I will not deny you the opportunity, the wonder, and the beauty of discovery in your own reading. However, I must mention that there are several significant “symbols” that enrich this novel. The first, and perhaps most significant, is Devon’s unfinished chest that he was building with his father. It plays an important role in several ways — but enough said, Bob. Then there are colors. As mentioned earlier, Caitlin’s world is all black and white. She even draws and paints only in black and white. At the very end of the novel, Mr. Wallace (Who Gets It!) gives her a sketch book and a box of colored pencils. Caitlin’s acceptance of these colors marks a turning point, both in her life and in the novel. The third set of significant “symbols” are the many literary allusions to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel originally published in 1960. Among other things, Devon’s nickname for Caitlin was Scout.
I enjoyed Mockingbird so very much and on so many different levels, and I’m in good company. Booklist called it “a fine addition to the recent group of books with autistic narrators”; Horn Book described it as “a strong and complex character study”; and School Library Journal claims it to be “a valuable book.”
Mockingbird not only helps us to understand Caitlin’s world, but the world of Asperger’s and the struggles we all have in the loss of someone we love. I have already started my second read of this amazing and important little novel.
Happy Reading!
Retired from teaching in the Masters of Gifted Studies Program at Mississippi University for Women, Bob Seney is now Professor Emeritus. At conferences, he often presents a session titled “What’s New in Young Adult Literature.” Reach him at bseney@muw.edu.
For a list of books reviewed or mentioned in past issues of 2e Newsletter, go to the books section of our website.