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by Joshua Andrew Stauffer (Author)
Meet Zoe Richards, the new kid at West End Elementary. She enjoys spending lunchtime with her two new friends, Felix and Victoria. But there's this other kid named Joshua who always sits by himself. Zoe wonders if she should make friends with him. Felix says Joshua is a cool guy, but Victoria thinks Joshua is weird. What should Zoe do?
Growing up on the autism spectrum, I had a very difficult time making friends. My social skills were weak, and I had very little in common with other kids. But what if there was a person who was patient and kind enough to be my friend, even if I was different? Zoe Richards is the kind of person that I wished I would have had for a friend. This is a fictional story combined with memories of my own childhood experiences. I gave Joshua my real name because he represents autism the way I, the author, experienced it. I hope that this book inspires people everywhere to be kind to one another, regardless of how different or unusual we may be.
