A Kind of Spark

Addie Darrow is an 11-year-old girl with autism. One day, her teacher, Ms. Murphy, lambasts her publicly for her messy handwriting, accusing her of being lazy. She also rips up a story that Addie wrote for class.

Upset by this injustice, Addie takes comfort in her pocket thesaurus, a gift from her older sister Keedie. After class, Addie rushes to the library, which is her sanctuary from the sensory overstimulation of the school corridors. She spends a great deal of time in the library and has struck up a friendship with the librarian, Mr. Allison. Now, he gives her a book on sharks that he has kept aside for her, knowing that sharks are one of Addie’s special interests. (She identifies with sharks because she feels that they are also misunderstood.)

Addie arrives home to find her father cooking dinner. He gives her a slightly different dish from the rest of the family—plain pasta—because her sensory challenges are triggered by certain foods. She sits quietly for a moment, and her father gives her space because he understands that she needs time to adjust to the transition of being at home.