it. I twisted my lips to the side to see if that would help me think better. I imagined my training wheels perfectly balanced above the ground. Jonas and Irma stood on either side of the blue-whale teeter-totter.

I spun my bike around.

“I knew you’d chicken out,” Dan yelled.

I stopped again. I couldn’t do it.

Jonas waved his arm at Dan. “Can you come help us spot Lauren?”

“Me?” Dan asked.

“Yeah,” Jonas said. “You look strong. We could use some help.”

Dan scrunched up his face and didn’t move. I could feel the waves building in the ocean again.

“I’ll help,” Ravi said, moving toward the ramp.

“No, I’ll do it,” Dan said, speeding toward Jonas.

Jonas smiled. “You can both help.” He turned back to me. “Ready?”

I turned to face the teeter-totter. Irma flapped her wings. Jonas quacked. Ravi smiled. Dan put his hands out, ready to spot me. I rode fast toward the ramp. For a second, I felt like I was floating. Neither training wheel was touching the ground.

I rode up the ramp. I stalled at the top, but Irma and Dan pushed me back to the center, then Jonas pushed me forward, and before I knew it, I was on the other side.

The instructors cheered. Jonas cheered. Irma cheered and hugged me. Ravi gave me a thumbs-up.

I rode over and stopped in front of Dan. I remembered my manners. “Thank you for helping me.”

Dan mumbled something.

I leaned over my bike handles. “Pardon?”

“You’re welcome.”

His face didn’t look like Ms. Lagorio’s “happy” card, but he wasn’t saying mean things to me either. I decided to let his words stick to me.

“Let’s do it again!” Irma said. She rode her bike to the back of the line.

I looked down at my training wheels. Did I want to try the loop again?

Yes!

I rode over to Irma. I flapped my wings and quacked. “My dad was right,” I said. “There’s more than one way to be brave. But sometimes you have to think like a duck.”

Author’s Note

Lauren, like millions of children around the world, lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She experiences the world differently than some people—it is difficult for her to read people’s facial expressions, to adapt to change, and to express what she needs. These differences make life challenging for her, but they are also part of what makes her unique and interesting. We need people like Lauren in our world. We also need people like Irma and like Lauren’s parents, who all love and appreciate her for who she is.

Much thanks to Gail Winskill and the team at Pajama Press for publishing Duck Days despite the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rebecca Bender, as always, your illustrations bring the book to life. Sarah Harvey, it was wonderful to work with you again! Hugs to my amazing circle of writers: Mary MacDonald, Rebecca Wood Barrett, Sue Oakey, Libby McKeever, Stella Harvey, and Katherine Fawcett. And love to Heather, Doug, Connor, Annie, Lucy, Johanne, Duane, Ben, and Julia.

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