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    Mockingbird
    Mockingbird
    Mockingbird
    Audiobook4 hours

    Mockingbird

    Written by Kathryn Erskine

    Narrated by Angela Jayne Rogers

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In Mockingbird-a poignant gem by acclaimed author Kathryn Erskine-a talented young artist struggles to overcome a disability. Diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, 10-year-old Caitlin faces a range of social and emotional challenges. The unexpected death of her caring brother makes matters even worse, but will the memory of his words of wisdom and the help of a compassionate counselor be enough to enable her to connect with others? "Erskine's moving and insightful masterpiece delivers a compelling message for all."-Publishers Weekly
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 15, 2010
    ISBN9781449824747
    Mockingbird
    Author

    Kathryn Erskine

    Kathryn Erskine is the author of several acclaimed books for young adults and children, including the National Book Award–winning middle grade novel Mockingbird. She lives in Virginia. Visit her website at www.kathrynerskine.com.

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    Reviews for Mockingbird

    4.5/5

    852 ratings162 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Reason for Reading: I have Asperger's and when I saw a book that featured a female protagonist with Asperger's I was elated and HAD to read the book.I came away from this book very satisfied. As a female with Asperger's I felt that Caitlin was portrayed realistically. There can be wide differences in how males and females present and I think the author managed to bring those out in Caitlin, though the intense plot does put Caitlin in a situation above and beyond normal everyday life.A small town has been devastated. The local junior high was hit by two gun wielding students who managed to kill one teacher and two students before the police shot one perpetrator and apprehended the other. One of the students who was shot is Caitlin's older brother, Devon. Their mother had died many years ago when Caitlin was a baby and Devon had really become her rock. He was a great big brother. He treated her well and knew how to deal with her as a person with Asperger's almost naturally. He'd tell her not to do stuff 'cause it wasn't cool or that people didn't like it when she did this or that and why and his advice helped her. Now Caitlin's world revolves around seeing a councilor daily at school, coping with her father's sudden crying sessions and missing Devon in her own way. People want her to be more emotional and show more empathy (traits those with Asperger's do not always appear to show) and Caitlin finally finds the word "CLOsure" and knows that is what both she and her father need.The plot itself is well done. A small community coping with this horrible violence that has entered its once thought serene boundaries. The author shows the effect not only on the family of those murdered and the staff and students at the school, but staff at other schools, neighbours, and a boy who was the cousin of one of the killers. There is fear, disbelief, and togetherness but no anger as they bond to help the community as one, heal. Very-well done.As to the Asperger's, from the author's note she does not outright say but it seems clear that either she or a loved one has an 'aspie' child and she is writing from experience. Caitlin is well presented as a female with Asperger's. The typical picture the public has of someone with AS is a science, math, computer geek and this is not wrong. These are often very strong interests in males (which doesn't mean some females will too) but typically females show their 'geekiness' in words and books. They are writers, bookworms, grammar police, etc. Caitlin here is an excellent student with great writing skills and a fascination with the dictionary, who keeps lists of words with the accentuated part in caps. Typical female AS behaviour. Caitlin has some meltdowns, fortunately the author doesn't over do them, as has been done in other books I've read. Girls are less likely to have seriously noticeable meltdowns and hyperactivity making the typical age of diagnoses around 16 rather 8 as in boys. Caitlin's two least favourite subjects at school are recess and PE. This really endeared her to me as those were my most hated subjects as well. There is this anxiety feeling you get in the pit of your stomach as an aspie and Caitlin associates this with recess so whenever she gets this feeling she will say she is feeling recessy or has the recess feeling. This beautifully describes an everyday symptom of Asperger's.The main aspect the author emphasizes here though is the AS person's lack of ability to show emotion or empathy. I think Erskine does manage to show that while we do not show emotion it does not mean we do not feel emotion. Two very different points to keep in mind. Empathy is something that Caitlin herself struggles with and tries to understand and the whole book is a process for her in finding out how to show she has this to others and to understand herself, that she does. While many Asperger's people may lack emotion or empathy, I think the majority of us agree that we lack the ability to SHOW it, rather than that we do not feel the emotions or know how to feel them. I would also like to add my own bit of advice: Never *force* an Asperger's person to look you in the eye, it is akin to torture.Anyway, I felt a lot of sympatico with Caitlin and the author in her ability to show a positive female character with Asperger's. My only negative is that *I* personally do not agree with the the medical methods being used to treat Caitlin.
    • 4/5
      It was different having a GIRL with Asperger's as the main character. All other books I've read have featured boys. I liked seeing the world through her eyes - it helped me understand how people with this syndrome view the world. Even though she was dealing with a terrible tragedy in her life, there were many light hearted, even funny moments in the book as well.
    • 5/5
      this book is a very sad story because of the little girl named Caitlin and she has Asperger and she lost her brother at a tragic school shooting.
    • 4/5
      Mockingbird was a kinda weird book, but yet very passionate. Mockingbird is about a girl named Caitlin. Caitlin used to depend on her brother Devon for everything. To tell her how to act, what was normal, and things not to do. But now that Devon got killed in a shooting, she feels lost. Life has always been difficult for Caitlin because she has Aspergera. After the loss of her brother, she is even more lost hard and confusing as ever. Caitlins dad is trying to hang on, and a lot of people at Devons school were affected by his death. There are so many things that Caitlin doesnt understand. She cant make any friends, or understand how people are feeling. Caitlin wants Devon back, but she will settle for closure. She tries to find out what closure is, when finally, she meets a friend. She figures out closure and loves it. She made some friends along the way too. This book mite help you or a loved one find closure.
    • 5/5
      This Willow Book nominee is also the 100th book logged to my LibraryThing catalogue since beginning my leave last July. This is the powerful story of Caitlin, a ten year old with Asperger's syndrome, as she and her father come to closure after the loss of Caitlin's brother, Devon, to a tragic school shooting. This first person narrative takes readers into the inner thoughts of Caitlin, helping readers to better understand grief and the "special"ness of all people.
    • 5/5
      I loved Caitlin, who has Asperger's and has an interesting way of seeing the world. She's trying to find closure after her brother is killed and no one can seem to find the answer for her.
    • 5/5
      Excelent subject to share and everybody must read about it, we are same humans just different way to experience life
    • 5/5
      This chapter book was so beautiful and I very much cried at the end. The main character of Mockingbird has Asberger's and the story centers around her struggle with the sudden death of her brother. I loved how this book put you in the head of someone who deals with condition, creating wonderful empathy in the reader and illuminating the reader as to what living with Asberger's may be like. Because much of this book takes place at school and the main character is about 10 years old, this book would be really good for 5th and 6th graders who have a classmate with this sort of condition in their class.
    • 3/5
      Here's a different one for middle readers: a story about the impact of a school shooting on a father and his daughter with Asperger's syndrome after the teenage son is killed. It's also viewing the world and grief through Caitlin's eyes. Her perspective is black and white, always taking things literally; she struggles to understand the gray and sometimes she comes off as insensitive. This would seem like a book that tries to do too much--a school shooting, community grief and Asperger's--but it works particularly well in helping readers see the perspective of someone who may be very different from them.
    • 4/5
      I loved this little book! What an unexpected surprise.

      Mockingbird is told in the voice of Caitlin, a young girl with Aspergers, moving on with life after her brother is killed in a middle school shooting. She is working to understand her father's feelings, being accepted at school, and living life without her older brother. I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes, and often found myself completely understanding her point of view. Like the book says, we all fall somewhere on the autistic spectrum. I may be a little closer to Caitlin than other people, and that's ok.

      If you like getting inside a character's head who might cause you to view the world a little differently, it's definitely worth the read. So good!
    • 5/5
      A wonderful book! Two hard subjects to broach, so many moments of understanding and points of tenderness.
    • 5/5
      This is such a beautiful story, and a worthy companion to Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, a favourite of mine which the central character refers to often. Caitlin Smith is a ten year old girl with Asperger's who loses her elder brother to a school shooting before the book opens. The first person narration is honest, humorous in places and also heartbreakingly poignant - I actually teared up in places! I would never have chosen a book about a child on the spectrum but for the Mockingbird connection, but now I'm so glad that I did. I love her coping mechanisms, like preferring books and films to people, but also appreciated her struggle with emotions and empathy - Caitlin's view of the world is very literal, which adults struggle with and other children openly mock. I really felt for her when trying to make friends in the school cafeteria.The characters are very similar to Lee's, which was a bonus for me - widowed father Harry is openly struggling to balance his deep grief over losing Devon, his son, with meeting Caitlin's very particular needs, and we learn from Caitlin what a calming and caring influence Devon was in her life. Finding 'Closure' in completing the Scouts project that Devon and his father were working on before his death is a beautiful touch.I just can't recommend this short novel enough and I will definitely read the story again and again!
    • 5/5
      In this book a young girl, diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, has a hard time coping with the death of her brother. With this she has a hard time socializing and communicating with others making it hard to have friends. I gave this book a five star rating because it can teach kids that not everyone is the same and people are going through things that we may not be able to see. In this book the young girl was good at art, so others have to realize that not everyone is good at the same things. Everyone has different talents and we have to realize not everyone is the same.
    • 5/5
      We tend to not understand what we cannot see. This book really allows the reader to walk in the shoes of the character, Caitlin, who has a disorder that cannot be seen (Aspergers). The reader gets a front row seat of Caitlin's thoughts which allows the reader to have empathy for Caitlin. I believe this book would be great to read in a 4th or 5th grade class.
    • 5/5
      Reading Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine gave me a new perspective on life from someone who sees the world differently than me. My heart went out to Caitlin because her older brother was gone and she had many struggles to overcome. It isn’t always easy to see where other people are coming from, but now that I have read this book I hope I will make life easier to understand for the people I know who have been diagnosed with Asperger’s or autism. Sometimes someone else’s behavior may seem strange to us, but maybe our behavior seems strange to them! A lot of the points that Caitlin makes in the book made sense to me, especially the confusing language people use to describe death (loss, lost, gone, etc.). I really learned a lot from reading this book and I am so glad I picked it up. I laughed out loud and cried while reading it! I would recommend this book to anyone in 5th grade and up. 4th graders could enjoy the book, too- but there are some parts in the book that briefly talk about the school shooting that killed Caitlin’s brother and even though they are not very graphic it could make some kids worry. A great book for kids to read with an adult! If you know someone with autism or Asperger’s Syndrome then this is the perfect book for you to read. Don’t wait any longer- go out and get this book!


    • 5/5
      Mockingbird is a sweet story of grief and the process of finding closure, no easy task for anyone, let alone ten year old Caitlin who's big brother has always helped her navigate the world. Caitlin is on the autism spectrum and has always relied heavily on her brother Devon to help her, but when he dies in a school shooting, Caitlin and her grieving father face the world after The Day Our Life Fell Apart. With the help of a school counselor, a new friend, and an unfinished project, Caitlin Works At It to find closure for herself, her father, and a town in mourning.This is a beautifully written story, told from Caitlin's perspective, allowing us to experience first hand the struggles she faces daily in understanding people and the world around her. As she comes to terms with empathy, loss, and closure, you'll find yourself moved as well.
    • 5/5
      This story is about an 11 year-old girl named Cailtin who has lost her brother in a school shooting. Caitlin has Asperger's Syndrome and has difficulty processing his death, often referring to her brother as "Devon who is dead". She prefer's things to be "black and white" instead of colorful, reasoning that colors blend too much and you can never predict what will come out. She refers to orange and yellow getting blended together and you never know if you'll get school bus yellow or sunset yellow. She has a tough time making friends and her school counselor decides to switch her recess period to the younger kids. She meets Michael, a first grader, and they become friends. You later find out that Michael's mother was one of the teacher's killed in the shooting. You also find out that school bully Josh is the cousin of one of the shooters. Her entire school district and town is still reeling from the terrible shooting and Caitlin is trying to find "closure" with the help of her counselor. Mockingbird is told through Caitlin's perspective, so you get an idea of what goes on in her head and understand her reasoning behind certain habits. Listening to the book on tape version also enhanced the experience for me, the voice actress did a great job with the narration and you could understand the hurt that Caitlin and her father were feeling. I'm going to be honest, I cried at the end of this book and I'm not someone who cries easily. I think this book is great for anyone, adults or kids, who is interested in learning about how kids with Asperger's function. "To Kill A Mockingbird" plays heavily into this book so Erskine's novel really gets you walking a mile in Caitlin's shoes.
    • 4/5
      Really good book; told from the perspective of a young girl with Asperger's syndrome.
    • 5/5
      It can be very hard to put yourself into someone else's shoes when those shoes are so different from yours. Mockingbird tells the story of Caitlin, a ten year old with Asperger's Syndrome, who is learning to live in a world that she often doesn't understand. That world includes the death of her brother, Devon, who was killed in a school shooting. Caitlin often looked to her brother to know what to do in social situations, and now she doesn't have his support. Luckily, Caitlin has other supportive people in her life, including Mrs. Brook, her school counselor, who helps her change her view of the world from black and white to see the shades in between. The greatest strength of this book is the author's ability to allow the reader inside Caitlin's world to see what it might be like to have Asperger's Syndrome. The longer we have the opportunity to sit in her skin, so to speak, the more empathy, compassion, and understanding we can have for Caitlin, and others on the autism spectrum.
    • 5/5
      I totally understand why this book won the National Book Award. It is amazing. Caitlyn, the protagonist, has Asperger's Syndrome. Erskine has done a remarkable job in crafting a more than believable voice for Caitlyn, and chronicling her triumphs and struggles. This story of how a young girl helps her father and community find closure after a tragic school shooting is magical. Traces of To Kill A Mockingbird help to anchor the theme, and to enrich the story.This would be a terrific book for looking at students with challenges or differences such as Asperger's. This book would appeal to readers who like a character with a strong voice and a strong intelligence. This would be a good choice for a unit on school violence also.
    • 4/5
      Poignant story of Caitlin who has lost her brother Devon, her only ally, to violence. To complicate things, Caitlin suffers from autism and her father refuses to discuss or acknowledge his own depression and suppression of his son’s death to the point that it is detrimental to them both. Caitlin attempts to grieve in her own way, but unable to effectively come to terms due to her disability. She find redemption in a her first friendship with the son of a teacher who was also killed. Michael who is much younger helps Caitlin understand her own feelings and they aide each other in finding closure.
    • 5/5
      This was a sad and lovely book.We are reading as Caitlin Smith, a 5th grade girl with Asberger's syndrome, tells us about her life. Her older brother Devin was the only person who really understood her and could relate to her, but he is now dead. He was killed in a school shooting. Caitlin is trying to cope, to reach some closure, but her single father is no help, as he can barely get through the day himself. She relies on her visits with the guidance counselor at school, and to an her new (and only) friend Michael, a first grader who thinks she is nice.The book is not plot driven, but relies on our chance to look into the mind of a child with Asberger's, and understand how they think and see the world.
    • 5/5
      Maybe 4.5 stars. I loved that the main character had something to deal with besides just her Asperger's - after all, we all do face multiple challenges. I loved the way the mood went from intense and almost depressing to joyful and triumphant. I loved the references in re' the title. I'm not sure a 5th-grade girl who cuddles the Dictionary would say water came from her eyes" instead of 'tears,' and there are a few other minor potential quibbles in that the Asperger's doesn't seem quite accurate - but I'm not an expert so I'm not sure. Still, intense, lovely, and recommended."
    • 4/5
      I love it when you read a book that really touches you and "Mockingbird" did this for me. Caitlin is a young Asperger's sufferer who is struggling with the shocking death of her beloved, older brother. She finds it hard to deal with her own feelings, understand the emotions of others and find closure. I love Caitlin, and as a narrator she has a moving, beautiful voice. She is often painfully honest and can behave inappropriately, but she determined and quirky, and her unique perspective on life is absolutely intriguing. A truly wonderful novel.
    • 5/5
      What a fantastic book -- a very moving look at loss from a unique perspective. Erskine's take on her neuroatypical narrator is sensitive and extremely engaging.
    • 4/5
      Caitlin is a ten-year-old girl with Asperger’s syndrome. She used to rely on her older brother Devon to explain to her how the world worked, but Devon and two others were recently killed during a shooting spree at Devon’s middle school in Virginia. Caitlin’s mother had died of cancer seven years before. Now all that is left of the family besides Caitlin is the dad, who is hardly functioning himself ever since, as Caitlin calls it, The Day our Life Fell Apart.Caitlin excels intellectually and can relate to the world when there are rigid boundaries of black and white, but has difficulty understanding emotions and nuance. She doesn’t know how to fix the pain that is debilitating them so much. She hears a woman on the news talking about the community needing closure, and she decides this is what she and her dad need. But how does one get it?Evaluation: This powerful and poignant book explores in depth grief in the aftermath of senseless violence. It also takes us on a remarkable journey inside the head of someone with Asperger’s. Erskine doesn’t romanticize Caitlin; she shows both her strengths and limitations, and the difficulties others experience dealing with a child who cannot interact with the world the way most children do. Nevertheless, Caitlin is brave and resourceful, and becomes an unforgettable heroine.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed _Mockingbird_ by Kathryn Erskine! Although centered around loss in the wake of a school shooting, _Mockingbird_ is a story of personal growth and tolerance. Erskine beautifully captures some of the thought patterns associated with Asperger's and presents them in a way that allows for learning and empathy. I would recommend this book to students grades 6 and up.
    • 5/5
      This was a quick read, for me. Loved it, though. It was intense and very sweet!
    • 5/5
      Caitlin, 10 yr old girl, constantly refers to the event that "changed their lives". Her older brother was shot and killed at a middle school. Years before her mother died of cancer. And like these events were not enough her Dad had a very tough time dealing with the murder of his son, Devon. Caitlin has a different point of view about various things. She doesn't see the world like everyone else and she struggles being different at school. She cannot relate to other kids her age and create tension amongst them. Caitlin has Asperger's syndrome. She graciously question s many things happening at school and at her home. And yet she doesn't seem to get the answers she wants and needs. Great story and same time hard to read because events that occurred in recent years, but still great to have a starting point.Topics to discuss: autism (special education), violence, gun, death, closure, grief, cancer, illness, bullying, single parent, counseling,
    • 3/5
      Young girl with Asperger's syndrome dealing with the death of her brother in a school shooting. Caitlin seeks closure for her family, her community, and herself. Connections to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird - character parallels and themes of innocence.