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The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism Paperback – March 22 2016

by Naoki Higashida (Author), KA Yoshida (Translator), David Mitchell (Translator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 11,054 ratings
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A story never before told and a memoir to help change our understanding of the world around us, 13-year-old Naoki Higashida's astonishing, empathetic book takes us into the mind of a boy with severe autism. With an introduction by David Mitchell, author of the global phenomenon, Cloud Atlas, and translated by his wife, KA Yoshida.
     Naoki Higashida was only a middle-schooler when he began to write The Reason I Jump. Autistic and with very low verbal fluency, Naoki used an alphabet grid to painstakingly spell out his answers to the questions he imagines others most often wonder about him: why do you talk so loud? Is it true you hate being touched? Would you like to be normal? The result is an inspiring, attitude-transforming book that will be embraced by anyone interested in understanding their fellow human beings, and by parents, caregivers, teachers, and friends of autistic children. Naoki examines issues as diverse and complex as self-harm, perceptions of time and beauty, and the challenges of communication, and in doing so, discredits the popular belief that autistic people are anti-social loners who lack empathy.
     This book is mesmerizing proof that inside an autistic body is a mind as subtle, curious, and caring as anyone else's.
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  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 22 2016
  4. Dimensions
    13.21 x 1.32 x 20.22 cm
  5. ISBN-10
    0345807820
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0345807823
  7. See all details
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Review

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
 
“[The Reason I Jump] brings the fascinating quirks of the autistic mind to life.... Naoki brings us into a sometimes nightmarish world of being trapped inside a mind and body that won’t respond as it should.... The definitive account of living with autism.” Daily Express
 
“The Reason I Jump...offers sometimes tormented, sometimes joyous, insights into autism’s locked-in universe.... Higashida’s child’s-eye view of autism is as much a winsome work of the imagination as it is a user’s manual for parents, carers and teachers. In its quirky humour and courage, it resembles Albert Espinosa’s Spanish bestseller, The Yellow World, which captured the inner world of childhood cancer. This book gives us autism from the inside, as we have never seen it.... Its explanation, advice and, most poignantly, its guilt...offers readers eloquent access into an almost entirely unknown world.... Descriptions of panic, distress and the isolation that autistic children feel as a result of the greater world’s ignorance of their condition are counterbalanced by the most astonishing glimpses of autism’s exhilaration. These are the most vivid and mesmerising moments of the book.” The Independent 
 
“The Reason I Jump pushes beyond the notion of autism as a disability, and reveals it as simply a different way of being, and of seeing. Naoki Higashida shines a light on the autistic landscape from the inside.” BBC 
 
“A 13-year-old Japanese author illuminates his autism from within, making a connection with those who find the condition frustrating, mysterious or impenetrable. For the renowned novelist David Mitchell, who provides the introduction and collaborated on the translation, this book is ‘a revelatory godsend.’... [Higashida] shows remarkable empathy and imagination.... Anyone struggling to understand autism will be grateful for the book and translation.” Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Naoki Higashida was born in 1992 and was diagnosed with autism at the age of five. He graduated from high school in 2011 and lives in Kimitsu, Japan. He is an advocate, motivational speaker and the author of several books of fiction and non-fiction.

KA Yoshida was born in Yamaguchi, Japan, majored in English Poetry at Notre Dame Seishin University, and now lives in Ireland with her husband, David Mitchell, and their two children.

David Mitchell's works include the international bestseller The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet; Black Swan Green; and Cloud Atlas, which was a Man Booker Prize finalist and made into a major movie released in 2012.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage Canada (March 22 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345807820
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345807823
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 172 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.21 x 1.32 x 20.22 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 11,054 ratings

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  1. Naoki Higashida

    Naoki Higashida

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  2. David Mitchell

    David Mitchell

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    Born in 1969, David Mitchell grew up in Worcestershire. After graduating from Kent University, he taught English in Japan, where he wrote his first novel, GHOSTWRITTEN. Published in 1999, it was awarded the Mail on Sunday John Llewellyn Rhys Prize and shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. His second novel, NUMBER9DREAM, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and in 2003, David Mitchell was selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists. His third novel, CLOUD ATLAS, was shortlisted for six awards including the Man Booker Prize, and adapted for film in 2012. It was followed by BLACK SWAN GREEN, shortlisted for the Costa Novel of the Year Award, and THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET, which was a No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, and THE BONE CLOCKS which won the World Fantasy Best Novel Award. All three were longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. David Mitchell’s seventh novel is SLADE HOUSE (Sceptre, 2015).

    In 2013, THE REASON I JUMP: ONE BOY'S VOICE FROM THE SILENCE OF AUTISM by Naoki Higashida was published by Sceptre in a translation from the Japanese by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida and became a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller. Its successor, FALL DOWN SEVEN TIMES, GET UP EIGHT: A YOUNG MAN’S VOICE FROM THE SILENCE OF AUTISM, was published in 2017, and was also a Sunday Times bestseller.

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
11,054 global ratings

Top reviews from Canada

Nickey Rautenberg Norrish
5.0 out of 5 stars Purchase, immediately.
Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
I cannot stress enough how much this book has impacted me. I am the mom of a two year old daughter; we are currently looking into a potential autism diagnosis with. This book spoke to me so deeply. Even with my child being a girl, being very young, and without an official diagnosis, the parallels between the author and my daughter are undeniable. It made me feel like I am having a much needed conversation with her. I immediately purchased copies for family members and insist that everyone in her support group read it or listen to it. A complete mindset and perspective changer. All professionals in this field should take the time to engage with this book. I am so grateful to everyone who made this book happen. It will forever be a piece of my toolkit in navigating this space. As much as I am an everyday Amazon shopper, I RARELY leave reviews. The way this book has made me evaluate my outlook on my daughter and our circumstance left me wanting to ensure all other parents struggling to navigate know that this book exists, and is worth the purchase.
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Angelica Jiang
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s amazing
Reviewed in Canada on November 6, 2023
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I recommend to every Education assistant.
It’s amazing book to learn deeply about autism
One person found this helpful
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Madelin
4.0 out of 5 stars Great but u can tell it was written in 2006
Reviewed in Canada on April 26, 2024
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The book was a great way to get the inside scope on what it’s like to be autistic, I’m autistic myself and just found out my son who is two is also! We celebrated for him 💕 even through I am autistic, no two autistic experiences are the same so it’s always interesting to hear other stories! I just wish there was more autistic definitions in there but this was written by a 14 year old in the early 2000’s so I wouldn’t expect there to be mention of RSD, executive disfunction, and Stimming. The book touches on those things without explain that it’s rsd or things like that, jumping is a stim, so we talk about stims but there wasn’t like education for the reader if that makes sense
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars a must read!
Reviewed in Canada on July 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
This was a great book about autism, I have a brother who is autistic and though I have lived with him my whole life, I still find I struggled with understanding why he did things or said things, this book helped with the insight needed and now I recognise certain behaviors and I am able to understand how he is feeling and how to deal with it better. A definite must read for anyone who has someone in their family with autism it even works with people who have autism. My brother has mild autism but he still has tantrums and can always explain how he is feeling when he is involved with life and different activities, this book was really great to understand what my brother is really thinking and how he deals with things.
6 people found this helpful
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Ericka V
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2023
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What a great book!! A must have for sure.
One person found this helpful
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Robin J. Baker
3.0 out of 5 stars I struggled with it
Reviewed in Canada on February 20, 2014
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I know the history behind this book but I don't have Autism in my family to contend with personally.
Still, I thought the book was important and needed a voice..

This is a book that will require a few reads. There is nuance everywhere.
For the parents, and family who need to understand the condition, this is worthwhile. There is so little out there to read. A single voice is important. This is an important book.

I will re-read it to try to understand. I am an medical 1st responder.
The more I know, the better I can help, and the better the outcome.
So I am going to re-read this.
4 people found this helpful
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Sarah Abdullatif
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend book for everyone
Reviewed in Canada on August 24, 2020
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I highly recommend parents, teachers, who is ever know autistic children to read this book. I am a parent who has autistic child I found this book taught me a lot about my child emotions and how she would thinks. I sent some quote from the book to my friend and she got excited to read it too.
3 people found this helpful
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Lian
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational
Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2013
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I heard about the book from Jon Stewart, and I bought it because I have never known anyone who has autism. This book really describes the struggle the author goes through when his symptoms are acting up, and it is fascinating to read and educate myself about autism.

This boy has such an imagination and creativity, and the piece at the end is thought-provoking. Love it.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Zhané
5.0 out of 5 stars Hopeful and Reassuring
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2024
Verified Purchase
I work as an occupational therapist for a DDD contracted company and as I read I pictured so many of my clients. I think it's important to remember, that this is only one person's perspective, but that doesn't mean his views aren't relatable to others. This book was incredibly moving and I know that this story broadened perspective and will improve the quality of my therapy services.
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Arrived on time in perfect condition
5.0 out of 5 stars Very personal book on living with autism
Reviewed in Germany on March 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
I loved this book as it helped me better understand my autistic adult son in a different way. Very moving and thought provoking, I’ve shared it with everyone who is interested in understanding my son better. Thanks to the author for his courage!
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Miss Daffy
5.0 out of 5 stars Gave us a much better insight to our children's behaviours.
Reviewed in Spain on December 2, 2022
Verified Purchase
Brilliant. I'd recommend for anyone who has autistic people in their lives.
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Marco
5.0 out of 5 stars The must read book for anyone with a child that doesn't talk
Reviewed in Italy on August 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
I cried in recognition, thankful that I had guessed right, while reading this book on more than one occasion.

The hardest thing for a parent or friend of any non-speaking friend, whether autistic, or incapable of communicating for whatever reason, is to be present. By that, I mean, simply to be somehow in touch with the person. I see so many times groups of people completely ignoring the disabled person in their midst, but even when it is your son or sister or mother, once communication through speech goes, then it is hard to be present for them.

Being present is the difference between a parent, not ignoring, but being busy with other things, their minds far away, while the child sits and plays or sits and stares at them, as opposed to a parent who is looking at them and interacting with them. And hey! I am guilty, we are all necessarily guilty of doing other things, but what is important here is the extra effort and imagination necessary to find a way to be with our disabled children. Indeed, as I write this, I hear my son speaking out loud, not to me but out loud, and that means he wants me to come to him.
So I have to go, but read this book as it will help you. It helps to understand more moments where you can laugh together, inspires you to make jokes that your loved one will understand, and and and

Read it...I am off
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Juliana Loss
5.0 out of 5 stars Uma leitura poderosa
Reviewed in Brazil on April 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Que livro esclarecedor! Incrível ter a oportunidade de conhecer um pouco sobre um mundo a parte do que vivo no dia a dia. É uma benção poder que quer brar paradigmas.
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