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(Each week, the Loft staff (and teen staff) will choose stand-out reviews submitted by teens playing our summer reading game and publish them on the Loft Blog! Enjoy!)
Mockingbird was an emotional and heartfelt novel but also a novel
about community and life. I liked it very much because after I read it, I
felt that I needed to do something for my neighbors/neighborhood.
The main character of Mockingbird is Caitlyn, a 10 year old girl with
Aspergers syndrome. She has no friends and ever since her older
brother, Devon, was shot, everything is mixed up and confusing to her.
Caitlyn's counselor, Mrs. Brooke, advises her on making friends and
how it can change your life. Recess is the perfect place to meet people
and become friends, but Caitlyn doesn't like recess at all. The color,
noise and movement make her want to disappear. Then, Caitlyn switches
to recess with the 1st graders because of Mrs. Brooke's schedule. She
meets a boy named Michael and they become good friends. She shares gummy
worms and behavior stickers with him.
One day, Caitlyn hears the
news lady on TV say, "Isn't it good that we now have closure?" and wants
to know what that means. She looks it up in her beloved dictionary and
it says, "The state of experiencing an emotional conclusion to a
difficult life event such as the death of a loved one." Caitlyn is very
confused by the definition and starts her search for closure.
After many explanations and talks with Mrs. Brooke, Caitlyn knows how to
get to closure. Right before he was shot, Devon started a chest for his
Boy Scouts and never finished it. That's how she'll get to closure! By
finishing Devon's chest!
Mockingbird was a very touching novel. I learned about being a community
and fighting through hard times. I hope that when you read it, you will
agree with me! (Triana C., Nichols Middle School).
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