Today was our second book club meeting. I would say it went smoother then the first because we were all more on the same page as how to facilitate the meeting and what to expect.
This meeting was focus on the content of chapters 11-20 of Mockingbird.
In these chapters Caitlin becomes hyper focused on researching facts about the heart, after we find out she knows Devon got shoot in the heart and is aware of gory details, also recalls what the doctor said "there's nothing we could do".
Caitlin loves to read and is at an above average reading level, she says "books are easy, they don't have feelings". After her research she climbs into Devon's unfinished chest and start to mimic functions of the heart from inside the chest.
She also becomes hyper focused with "finding closure" and wants to try to "figure it out". She goes into Devon's room for the first time, into her "safe spot/cozy corner", she expereinces the feeling of memories and finds a list Devon left of thigns he had not finished before the shooting.
She decides she needs to finish this list, and that maybe it would bring her closure, which she is still unsure about.
Meanwhile she is in a position where trying to make friends and working diligiantly at it during recess. We see the begining of her beliving she developed a "friendship" and experiences jealousey over a book buddy siuation. Her social worker is also trying to expose her to empathy. She is very overwhelemed, also trying to chomprehend her father's feelings which ties in with empathy.
During our book club meeting we focused on the key points she is dealing with such as juggeling feelings of grief, jeaslousy, empathy, pressure of making friends and finding closure.
We analyzed these feelings through Caitlin's unique perspective due to her autism.
I believe that a great deal of this book reinforces the idea of communication through behaviors in children with autism, and how we as teachers must learn to read the attempt at communication (which is something I will remember to mention at our next book club meeting).
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