The Reason I Jump

One Boy's Voice from the Silence of Autism

By: Naoki Higashida, David Mitchell - translator, Keiko Yoshida - translator

Narrated by: David Mitchell, Thomas Judd

Written by Naoki Higishida when he was only 13, this remarkable book explains the often baffling behaviour of autistic children and shows the way they think and feel - about the people around them, time and beauty, noise, and themselves.

Naoki abundantly proves that autistic people do possess imagination, humour and empathy, but also makes clear, with great poignancy, how badly they need our compassion, patience and understanding.

David Mitchell and his wife have translated Naoki's book so that it might help others dealing with autism, and generally illuminate a little-understood condition. Like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, it gives us an exceptional chance to enter the mind of another and see the world from a strange and fascinating perspective.

©2007 Naoki Higashida; translation © 2013 KA Yoshida and David Mitchell (P)2013 Hodder & Stoughton