Mockingbird

It isn't very often that I read a book that actually makes me cry. Mockingbird had me crying on several different occasions. The story's narrator is a young girl named Caitlin, who as Asperger's syndrome. When her brother is killed in a school shooting she is trying to make sense of her world, and to find closure. The book begins after the shooting, but the characters pain is still very fresh. This is beautifully written, and it is not at all surprising that it won this year's National Book Award. Check it out!

From School Library Journal
From inside Caitlin's head, readers see the very personal aftermath of a middle school shooting that took the life of the older brother she adored. Caitlin is a bright fifth grader and a gifted artist. She also has Asperger's syndrome, and her brother, Devon, was the one who helped her interpret the world. Now she has only her father, a widower who is grieving anew and whose ability to relate to his daughter is limited. A compassionate school counselor works with her, trying to teach her the social skills that are so difficult for her. Through her own efforts and her therapy sessions, she begins to come to terms with her loss and makes her first, tentative steps toward friendship.