Kathryn Erskine

Ten-year-old Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to understand emotions, show empathy, and make friends at school, while at home she seeks closure by working on a project with her father.

Nine-year-old Julian almost died when he was born, and he believes that he has a special connection to the universe because of that. He wants to make his two moms and his sister (who turned into a black hole of discontentment when she turned fourteen) happy because he's convinced that soon he'll die and travel to the dog star--but now they've moved to Maine and he resolves to also use his "uni-sense" ability to help Mr. X, their neighbor, who's in...

When twelve-year-old Frederick "Red" Porter's father dies in 1972, his mother wants to sell their automobile repair shop and move her two sons back to Ohio, but Red's desperate to stop the sale even if it means unearthing some dark family secrets in a Virginia rife with racial tensions.

"Friends can help us understand the world and ourselves, opening our eyes to unique cultures and ideas. In a story that travels the globe, it's easy to see how the world is a community made up of people who are more similar than we are different" --

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?