Mockingbird is a sweet, gentle story of tragedy and closure as experienced by an autistic child. Drawing on the themes of To Kill a Mockinbird, Caitlin struggles to overcome her own personal tragedy while continuing to attempt to navigate through a world she doesn’t understand and which doesn’t understand her.

As the reader looks into Caitlin’s heart, bits of understanding begin to develop that become greater than the sum of their parts. This is more than a book about autism, and it’s more than a book about school shootings or senseless violence. It’s a book about looking outside ourselves, developing greater empathy, and healing wounded souls–before they end up hurting others. It’s a book about insight and working hard to understand–even when it seems impossible to do so.

Finally, Mockingbird is about giving up our fears and learning to live life. I feel a little freer after reading this book, and a little better prepared to reach out to those that don’t think or act like me. Beautifully done!

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Scholastic

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  1 religious exclamation.

Violence/Gore:  A character bloodies her hand twice; a character is killed by a gunshot wound (this takes place prior to the book’s action) with minor details about the doctor’s attempt to save his life.

 Sex/Nudity:  None

Mature Subject Matter:

School shooting, death of family members, bullying.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None