60 pages • 2 hours read
Clare VanderpoolNavigating Early
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Socio-Historical Context: Autism and Early Auden
Navigating Early is narrated by Jack Baker, the story’s protagonist, as he goes on a quest with his friend, Early Auden. However, at one point in the story, Jack notes how he is simply joining Early on the latter’s quest; the novel’s plot frequently confirms Early’s worldview, and the title can be read as Jack’s attempts to understand his friend.
Early is described as having odd mannerisms by the other boys at school: He occasionally has seizures, is fairly aloof and asocial, and does things as he pleases, such as living in the workshop by himself and attending only the classes he wants to. He displays extraordinary genius in certain areas, such as his mathematical calculations, workmanship, and superior ability to draw connections and form deductions. However, he is also seen struggling in other aspects of his life, especially owing to his fixed perspectives and difficulties in tolerating opinions other than his own. He walks out of classes when he disagrees with the teacher, and he gets extremely upset, responding emotionally and physically when Jack questions Early’s unlikely beliefs, such as his belief that his brother is still alive or his insistence that 
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