A Trip Down Childhood Lane

Inside the Mind of Young Charlie

A Trip Down Childhood Lane takes you deeper into the formative years of Charlie, a girl whose mind works in ways few around her truly understand.

From the guilt of eating the last piece of chocolate to the painstaking ritual of cutting clothing tags before school, Charlie’s childhood is a mix of heightened emotions, meticulous routines, and moments of unexpected connection. She’s the friend who quietly sits beside a boy battling a brain tumor, the student who knows every answer in math class but hides in the bathroom to escape the chaos of lunch. She finds joy in her perfectly arranged Garfield collection, comfort in familiar scripts and songs, and friendship in unexpected places—protecting those who, like her, stand just outside the crowd.

Through vivid, sensory moments, this short story invites readers into Charlie’s world—one of deep feeling, fierce loyalty, and a constant search for a place where she can simply be herself.

Part of the Wired Differently series, this fictional help book is told through Charlie’s lived experiences, offering a heartfelt look into the realities of discovering neurodivergence, autism, and ADHD.