Written by Naoki Higashida, an incredibly intelligent, self-aware, and charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, this unique memoir reveals how the autistic mind thinks, feels, perceives, and responds in ways most of us can only imagine. Parents and family members who never thought they could enter the mind of their autistic loved ones finally have a way to penetrate the curious, wonderful, and complex world inside.

Using an alphabet grid to painstakingly build words, sentences, and ideas that he can't speak aloud, Naoki answers even the most sensitive questions people want to know. Questions like: "Why do people with autism speak loudly and strangely?" "Why do you line up your toy cars and blocks?" "Why don’t you make eye contact when speaking?" and "What is the reason you jump?" (Naoki's answer: "When I jump, it feels like my feelings soar up to the sky.") With honesty and a generous heart, Naoki shares his unique perspective on not just autism but life itself. His insight—into the puzzle of words, the wonder of laughter, the elusiveness of memory—is so extraordinary, so strange, and so powerful that you'll never look at the world the same way again.