Mockingbird

Content Warning: The Chapter 30 and 31 Summaries, as well as the Chapters 22-31 Analysis, discuss ableist bullying. The Chapter 21 and 29 Summaries reference a school shooting.

Caitlin’s father announces they will be attending a fundraiser at the middle school, which hopes to raise money for a memorial to the shooting victims. Caitlin misunderstands and tries to get out of going to a “fun raiser” (132), but her father insists.

When they arrive, the cafeteria is crowded. Caitlin tries to remember what Mrs. Brook told her about making eye contact when you meet people. Caitlin meets lots of people, but she never quite manages to come off as friendly. Although Caitlin searches for Michael, her father wants her to meet Mr. Walters, the middle school art teacher. He is sketching people to help raise money. He offers to sketch Caitlin as a gift to her father, but Caitlin dismisses the idea, saying her father knows what she looks like. Mr. Walters tells her that a sketch reveals the personality as well as the person’s face. When he sketches her father, Caitlin can see the drawing indeed captures the sadness her father feels. When Mr. Walters encourages her, Caitlin takes a stab at drawing the art teacher.