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Rules by: Cynthia Lord: A Book That Has Changed My Life

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Rules by: Cynthia Lord: A Book That Has Changed My Life
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Rules
The book Rules by Cynthia Lord has had a major impact on my life since the first time I read it which was in 5th grade. This book is about a 12 year old girl named Catherine who is just looking for a normal life, but is very hard to find while dealing with a brother with autism and a family who revolves around his disability. Her whole life, she has been embarrassed by her brother’s disability and humiliating public habits. Their whole lives, Catherine has been teaching David rules such as “Keep your pants on in public,” and “no toys in the fish tank.” This book is very touching, and teaches readers to learn to accept people for who they are, despite their disabilities. Rachel and I have been best friends since first grade. We hang out a lot out of school like at the movies, the bowling alley, and out to dinner. When I was younger, I used to be pretty embarrassed about hanging out with her, because she can’t really do anything normal, due to her case of Cerebral Palsy. She has troubles walking, communicating, and she definitely stands out in the public. The worst thing was that every time we went to a public place, everyone would stare and kids would ask their moms and dads, “What’s wrong with her?” Ever since I read this book, I realized that there is really nothing to be embarrassed about. Rachel has improved so much since first grade, and there is nothing I love more than to call her my best friend. She has the sweetest personality, and is very good at making people happy. I love getting daily hugs from her in the hall way, and our long talks in advisory. I am so proud to be her best friend, and so proud of her. Because of this amazing story of acceptance, I have learned that there is much more to Rachel than just her disability, and she is truly an amazing, despite the way she walks, talks, and looks.

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