85 pages • 2 hours read
Kathryn ErskineMockingbird
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2010A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Introduction
Mockingbird
- Genre: Fiction; middle grade contemporary realistic
- Originally Published: 2010
- Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 630L; grades 5-7
- Structure/Length: 39 chapters; approx. 232 pages; approx. 4 hours, 20 minutes on audio
- Protagonist and Central Conflict: Fifth grader Caitlin has Asperger’s syndrome and relies on her brother Devon to help to understand and communicate. When Devon is killed in a school shooting, Caitlin struggles to come to terms with a world that she does not understand.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: gun violence; school shooting; neurodiversity
Kathryn Erskine, Author
- Bio: Born in the Netherlands; growing up, lived in Israel, South Africa, and Scotland; currently lives in Virginia; a practicing attorney for 15 years before turning to her first love, writing; offers writing workshops to young readers; has a daughter with Asperger’s
- Other Works: The Absolute Value of Mike (2012); Seeing Red (2013); Mama Africa (2017); The Incredible Magic of Being (2018); All of Us (2021)
- Awards for Mockingbird: National Book Award for Young People’s Literature; The Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award; ALA’s Children’s Notable Book; ALA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults
CENTRAL THEMES, noted throughout this Teaching Unit:
- The End of Innocence
- The Power of Empathy
- The Need for Closure
- The Dynamics of Grief
STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:
- Gain insight into how children with autism, specifically Asperger’s syndrome, adjust to events and interact with friends and family.
