Noah knew he was different. He could see things that others couldn't, like the patterns in the dust that floated down on sunbeams. He could smell the green tang of the ants in the grass. He could feel when a big storm was coming before the leaves on the trees started to tremble. Noah liked to find out how things worked, where they came from, and where they went. When he couldn't understand, it hurt his head and heart. His room was overflowing with books of every shape and size on every subject he could imagine. Noah loved books more than he loved toys. His favorite were about science, especially the weather. They taught him why rain clouds looked so angry, why the air buzzed before lightning struck, and why his skin turned darker in the summer sun. Yet search as he might, none of the books could tell him what he really wanted to know. He knew where the wind came from-- but where did the wind go? His mother was usually more helpful than his books, but she didn't know either. "Why don't you try finding the answer for yourself?" Noah sat quietly with his back to the trunk of his biggest tree and waited for the wind to come. Before the leaves on the trees started to tremble, Noah felt a stirring deep inside. He stood, his face to the sky, and felt the whooshing wind build and blow his hair into his eyes. Noah took a deep breath. He was ready to chase the wind. He followed the wind as it whistled down his street, blustering around buses and bicycles and whipping wrappers from the gutter. He chased the wind as it glided over fountains, under bridges, and between people on the sidewalk. He raced the wind as it picked up speed, building with the breeze from the beach and the heat from the highway, growing into a gale that lifted Noah off his feet. Each stream of air became a different color, and Noah was lifted high above the clouds. He floated on a blue billowing breeze as the winds whirled and twirled around him in a never-ending ribbon of rainbow. The wind never stopped moving for a second. Until eventually, slowly, the blue breeze sank to the ground and Noah could feel the familiar grass underneath his feet. With a brush of Noah's cheek for good-bye, the wind was gone. Noah sat still until the sun sank below the tops of the trees and his mother called him in for dinner. "Where have you been?" she asked. Noah gave her one of his most loving smiles and said, "I found out where the wind goes." A Note to Readers Noah is a boy who sees the world differently. He's sensitive and perceptive, and he asks questions many of us never consider. When he can't find the answers to his questions, his head and his heart hurt. Children who see the world differently, children whose instincts are different, sometimes struggle. They might not realize they see the world differently, much less understand how. They often don't know what to do in social situations and are uncomfortable. Without a strong and accepting friendship group, they can become lonely. It's the job of the grownups who care for and teach these children to help them feel good about their differences, and for all children to understand that being different is ok. In Noah Chases the Wind , my hope is that children who see the world differently--sensitive children and children on the autism spectrum--will recognize a part of themselves in Noah. Sharing our stories helps show everyone that different is ok. Excerpted from Noah Chases the Wind by Michelle Worthington All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
