Mockingbird is a middle grade novel by Kathryn Erskine about a child with Asperger's trying to cope with the violent death of her brother due to a school shooting. Caitlyn is a believable character trying to deal with life by Looking At The Person and other tricks she learns from Mrs. Brook. In the course of the novel, Caitlyn learns about empathy and making friends, most notably with the young son of another shooting victim and a more tepid friendship with a relative of the shooter.
The story is entirely told by Caitlyn's perspective, which reveals some beauty as she tries to understand other people, their emotions, and works toward finding closure for herself and the people around her, especially her new friends who were also affected by the tragedy.
The ending is moderately satisfying, but this is worth a read for the perspective. Erskine does a magnificent job of seeing life through the lens of a child with Asperger's syndrome.
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