Elle McNicoll, «A kind of spark»: On days like this, I spend lunchtime in the library. I feel the other children in the class watching me as we tuck in our chairs and leave the room, the school bell screeching so loudly. Loud noises make my head spin, they feel like a drill against a sensitive nerve. I walk through the corridors, practicing my breathing and keeping my eyes straight ahead. People talk so loudly to their friends, who are right next to them. They get too close, they push and clamour, and it makes my neck hot and my heart too quick. But, when I finally get to the library, it's all quiet. There is so much space. There is one window open to let in a little fresh air. There is no loud talking allowed. The books are all categorised and labelled in their proper places. And Mr Allison is at his desk. "Addie!" He has curly dark hair and big glasses, and he is tall and skinny for a man. He wears old jumpers. If I were to use my thesaurus to describe Mr Allison, I would say he was kindly. But I like to just say that he is nice. Because he is. My brain is very visual. I see everything in specific pictures, and when people use the word "nice", I think of Mr Allison, the librarian. "I have just the thing for you!" I like that he never asks boring questions. He doesn't ask how my holidays were or how my sisters are doing. He just gets straight to talking about books. "Here we go." He walks over to one of the reading tables and puts a large hardback book down in front of me. I feel all the horrid feelings from earlier disappear. "Sharks!" I flip it open immediately and stroke the first glossy page. I told Mr Allison last year that I love sharks. That they are the most interesting thing to me, even more than the ancient Egyptians and the dinosaurs. He remembered. "It's a sort of encyclopedia," he tells me, as I sit down with the book. "An encyclopedia is a book that tells you a lot about one subject, or one area of study. This one is all about sharks." I nod, somewhat dazed from excitement. "I suspect you know everything that's in there already though," he says, and he laughs after he says it so I know that he's joking.