The Rules of Survival

The Rules of Survival
By: Nancy Werlin

Summary:
This book is a long letter from an oldest brother, Matthew to his youngest sister, Emmy. It is a story of where she came from, and her early years with her abusive mother. It is very honest and unforgiving, despite the horrors he describes. The book describes the crazy conniving “fun” their mother wanted to have all the time. She was negligent with her children and did not really understand how to care for them (nor did she seem to care to care most of the time). Ultimately, Matthew garners help from one of his mother’s many ex-boyfriends and his Aunt (who lived in the apartment below them their whole lives). The struggle to break free from their mother’s grasp is a very compelling book with a hopeful ending.

Teachability:
This book is definitely one I would bring to teach for class. There is nothing so horrendous that I would feel uncomfortable talking about it in class, but it is very intense and can bring about lots of discussion and compel students’ interest. It has a male protagonist which would help draw in the guys in the class, but he is extremely close to his sister to keep the girls’ interest as well. The story is also told through very short chapters with very simple but descriptive titles for each. I think this makes it easier to teach, and easier for students to get through as it does not seem as cumbersome. There are glimpses of hope for the future, so students will not get bogged down with the sadness of the present state of the children’s lives. I would definitely recommend this book for any class, and really any middle school grade as well. It is very readable and does not have too many tough vocabulary. The narrator writes in a very conversational tone, so it will be easy for kids to follow.