Children's Literature Featuring Characters who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

CHILDREN'S BOOKS

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Updated August 15, 2015

The following children's books are about people who are blind or visually impaired or are impacted by those with visual impairments. If there are other books you would like to see here, please let me know so I can add them.

A Picture Book of Helen Keller

Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Helen Keller (Picture Book Biography). Holiday House, 1992. Ages 6 and up. The biography of Helen Keller who became both blind and deaf. The story of her childhood, how Annie Sullivan taught her and the impact and achievements she made.

A Picture Book of Louis Braille

Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Louis Braille (Picture Book Biography). Holiday House, 1998. Ages 6 and up. Presents the life of the nineteenth-century Frenchman, accidentally blinded as a child. Later, he created the raised dot system of reading and writing used throughout the world by the blind.

She Touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer

Alexander, Sally Hobart. She touched the World: Laura Bridgman, Deaf-Blind Pioneer. Clarion Books, 2008. Ages 8 and up. The story of Laura Bridgman who, at the age of two, lost her sight, her hearing, and most of her senses of smell and taste. The biography shows how Laura paved the way for future generations of children with disabilities, making important advances in the way they would be educated.

Blueberry Eyes

Beatty, Monica Driscoll. Blueberry Eyes. Health Press, 1996. PreK and up. Blueberry Eyes is a book which addresses many aspects of eye treatment, such as wearing glasses, eye patches, or undergoing eye muscle surgery. The book also touches on many of the feelings that a child may experience about his or her eye treatment. Not only does it educate, but it reassures small patients and lets them identify with a heroine who is "just like me!"

Painting in the Dark

Burk, Rachelle. Painting in the Dark. Tumblehome learning inc, 2016. A biography of Esref Armagon, an artist who has been blind since birth. Esref began drawing at a young age to understand and feel connected with his world. The story describes the strategies Esref used along with determination to learn about color, create dimension and scale. Like many artists, Esref struggled to make an income before finding success. As he became known, researchers studied Esref and learned about how the brain can receive and learn through other senses. The story provides a realistic depiction of a persons struggle with adversity as well as success.

Seeing Things My Way

Carter, Alden. Seeing Things My Way. Whitman, Albert & Company, 1998. Amanda can't see very well. She had a tumor in her head when she was younger, and now there are blind spots when she looks at things. This book explains what it is like to be blind or visually impaired.

The Night Search

Chamberlin, Kate. The Night Search. Jason & Nordic, 1997. Heather, who is blind, resists using her cane until one night while camping her puppy wanders off. Heather trys to find her puppy. She finds a stick that helps, but she realizes that her white cane is a valuable helper.

Off to the Park!

Cheetham, Stephen. Off to the Park! Child's Play, 2014. This interactive book is adorable and perfect for young children with visual impairments. The words to describe the sounds a child may hear as they go on a walk are playful and varied throughout the book. The textures are varied and focus on materials a child may interact with on a walk (shoe laces, crosswalk button, grooves on a stick, a gravel surface, a squishy ball, linked chains of a swing, smooth slide, bumpy steps, rubber tire swing, and more). Although the book does not identify the character on a walk as a student with a visual impairment, the book was developed in consultation with children, families and organizations working with children who are blind and visually impaired.

See the Ocean

Condra, Estelle. See the Ocean. FBA powersetup, 2006. Nellie loves the ocean. Every year she travels with her family over the Black Mountains to their beach house. This story is about a young girl who is blind but sees the beauty of nature with her mind and heart.

The Black Book of Colors

Cottin, Menena. The Black Book of Colors. Groundwood Books, 2008. This book allows readers to imagine living without sight through illustrations done with raised lines and descriptions of colors based on imagery. Braille letters accompany the illustrations and a full braille alphabet offers sighted readers help reading along with their fingers.

Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind

Davidson, Margaret. Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind. Scholastic, 1991. The story of Louis Braille.

Brian's Bird

Davis, Patricia Anne. Brian's Bird. Shen's Book, 2000. This is the story of eight-year old Brian, a boy who is blind who learns how to take care of his new parakeet.

Luna and the Big Blur

Day, Shirley. Luna and the Big Blur: A Story for Children Who Wear Glasses. Luna is self conscious of how she looks in glasses. She decides not to wear hers and gets into funny mishaps. Students who resist wearing their glasses may relate to Luna's feelings of being different, while they are also reassured that it is okay to wear glasses.

The Hickory Chair

Fraustino, Lisa Rowe. The Hickory Chair. Scranton: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. Grades Pre-school-3. "From the day he was born, Louis, who is blind, had a close relationship with his grandmother. When she dies, the powerful bond lives on in his memories of their times together. Near the end of his own life, Louis finds a special gift his grandmother left him, and the story comes full circle."

Follow My Leader

Garfield, James B. Follow My Leader. Puffin, 1994. Ages 5 and up. After Jimmy is blinded in an accident with a firecracker, he has to relearn all the things he used to know. With the help of a determined therapist, he learns to read Braille and to use a cane. then he's given the chance to have a guide dog.

Jeremy's Dreidel

Gellman, Ellie. Jeremy's Dreidel. Kar-Ben, 2012. At the dreidel-making workshop, Jeremy's friends think he's molding a secret code on his clay dreidel. But he's really making a special gift for his father, who is blind.

White Cane Day

Grender, Kristin. White Cane Day. The Book Patch, 2015. This picture book was written by a TVI and O&M Instructor to explain White Cane Day and why we celebrate it. In addition to telling a story about the day, she includes information on why the white cane is important and how to follow the white cane laws. The message of the story is that Visual Impairments do not have to hold you back from success.

The Patch

Headley, Justina Chen. The Patch. Charlesbridge Publishing, 2007. K-2nd Grade. Beccas doctor discovers that she has a lazy eye and needs a patch and glasses to strengthen her eyesight. The five-year-old is worried that the other students will think she looks stupid so, her older brother lends her his favorite pirate costume to go with her purple glasses and bright pink patch. Becca pretends to be the Ballerina Pirate, Private Eye, and One-Eyed Monster before admitting the real reason for her patch.

Apt. 3

Keats, Ezra Jack. Apt. 3. East Rutherford, N.J.: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 1999. Grades Pre-school-3. Two brothers living in a dingy apartment building hear the mournful sound of a harmonica. Their search for the musician leads them to a new friend, a man who is blind who teaches them about life as well as music.

Lumber Camp Library

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie. Lumber Camp Library . Scranton: HarperCollins Children’s Book Group, 2002. Grades 2-5. Ruby wants to be a teacher when she grows up. But when her father is killed in a logging accident, she must quit school to help her mother care for her ten siblings. She is befriended by an older woman who is blind and shares her large collection of books. When Ruby begins teaching the lumberjacks to read, she realizes that she can still pursue her dream of being a teacher.

Naomi Knows It's Springtime

Kroll, Virginia. Naomi Knows It's Springtime. Boyds Mills Press, 1993. Naomi knows it's springtime by hearing the new sounds of the seasons, its feels and tastes.

Looking Out for Sarah

Lang, Glenna. Looking Out for Sarah. Watertown, Mass.: Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc., 2001. Grades Pre-school-3. A story about the life of Sarah, who is blind, and her guide dog Perry. The tale is told from Perry’s perspective, who accompanied Sarah on a walk from Boston to New York. The walk was intended to bring public attention to guide dogs and their role in enhancing the independence of people who are blind.

A Cane in Her Hand

Litchfield, Ada Bassett. A Cane in Her Hand. Concept Books. Albert Whitman & Company 1987. 4 and up. "A young girl finds ways to cope with her failing vision."

A Girl Named Helen Keller

Lundell, Margo. A Girl Named Helen Keller. Cartwheel, 1995. This book describes the early life of Helen Keller.

Through Grandpa's Eyes

MacLachlan, Patricia. Through Grandpa’s Eyes HarperCollins, 1983. Ages 4 and up. John visits his Grandpa who is blind. His grandfather shares with him the special way he sees and moves in the world.

Knots on a Counting Rope

Martin, Bill Jr. Knots on a Counting Rope. New York: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, 1993. Grades Pre-school-3. A campfire conversation between a Navajo boy who is blind and his grandfather. The grandfather retells the story of the night the boy was born, and together they recall the race the boy participated in with his horse. Although he doesn’t win, his grandfather tells him that he has “raced darkness and won.”

Listen for the Bus: David's Story

McMahon, Patricia. Listen for the Bus: David’s Story. Boyds Mills Press, 1995. A story of David, a kindergartner who is blind. The story touches on how he adapts to being blind and how his parents, teachers, and friends support him. Pictures show David participating in school, swinging, horseback riding, hammering, etc.

Lucy's Picture

Moon, Nicola. Lucy's Picture. Orchard Books, 2010. This is a story of Lucy who wants to make a picture for her grandpa, but she doesn't want to use the paints the rest of the children are using. Lucy's grandpa is blind, so Lucy wants to make him a very special picture with twigs, feather, velvet and sand so he can feel it with his fingers.

Buddy: The First Seeing Eye Dog

Moore, Eva. Buddy: The First Seeing Eye Dog (Hello Reader!, Level 4). Scholastic Inc., 1996. A story about the first Seeing Eye dog in America. The story follows the dog from training in Switzerland to home in America with Morris Frank, who was instrumental in starting the Seeing Eye in America in the 1930s.

Imagine Being Blind

O’Neill, Linda. Imagine Being Blind. Imagine series. Vero Beach, Fla.: Rourke Publishing, 2000. Grades 1-4. Introduces children to what it’s like to be blind and shows how people maintain their independence. Discusses braille, canes, guide dogs, and assistive technology.

I Can Tell by Touching

Otto, Carolyn. I Can Tell by Touching (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 1). Trophy Pr, 1994. Ages 3-6. A child experiences the world through touch..

Bettina the Bold

Page, Fiona. Bettina the Bold: A Blind Butterfly Discovers How to Make Friends. In the woods of Georgia, a Queen butterfly emerges from her chrysalis into a world of darkness. What she doesn't understand is that no matter how hard she tries, her eyes don't see. Bettina is blind

Keep Your Ear on the Ball

Petrillo, Genevieve. Keep Your Ear on the Ball. Davey, a boy who is blind, is very independent and capable of doing things on his own until he tries to play kickball. Nobody wants Davey to be on their team because he misses kicks and trampled the base keeper. The children are able to find a way to help Davey and realize that interdependence can be just as important and rewarding as independence.

The Secret Code

Rau, Dana Meachen. The Secret Code. Danbury, Conn.: Scholastic Library Publishing, 1998. Grades K-2. NLS: BR012369 Oscar, who is blind, shows his classmates how to read braille.

Mandy Sue Day

Ritz, Karen. Mandy Sue Day. Sandpiper, 2003. Ages 9 and up. A prose poem that tells how a girl who is blind uses her senses of taste, hearing, touch and smell to enjoy her day with her horse.

Sarah's Sleepover

Rodriguez, Bobbie. Sarah’s Sleepover. New York: Viking Children’s Books, 2000. Grades K-4. A group of five little girls have a sleepover at Sarah’s house. The lights go off unexpectedly while her parents are visiting their neighbors, and everybody except for Sarah panics. Because of her familiarity with the dark, she calms their fears, identifies scary noises, and leads them through the house to the telephone.

Rugby and Rosie

Rossiter, Nan Parson. Rugby and Rosie. Dutton, 1997. Rugby, the family's beloved Labrador retriever, finds himself unhappy with the new house guest, Rosie, a puppy brought home to be trained as a guide dog, but they soon become the closest of friends, until she has to leave to do the important work for which she is trained.

T.J.'s Story

Schulman, Arlene. T.J.'s Story: A Book about a Boy Who is Blind. Lerner, 1997. A book about anine year old boy who has been blind since birth. He describes various aspects of his life, including his reading braille, his use of a cane, and the games he plays with his friends and family.

Adventures of Abby Diamond

Smith-Armand, Kristie, Adventures of Abby Diamond. iUniverse, 2008. Abby Diamond is an eleven year old girl who loves to solve the mysteries that surround her and her three best friends. Being blind does not stop this girl detective from solving the mysterious cases that happen in her home and at school. Abby is smart, self reliant and ready to take on any problems that come her way along with her friends a.k.a The Three Musketeers. In this story, they discover a diary written in braille and learn about the mysteries of the Titanic and World War II.

Adventures of Abby Diamond

Smith-Armand, Kristie, Adventures of Abby Diamond: Out of Sight. iUniverse, 2009. Abby Diamond is an eleven year old girl who loves to solve the mysteries that surround her and her three best friends. Being blind does not stop this girl detective from solving the mysterious cases that happen in her home and at school. Abby is smart, self reliant and ready to take on any problems that come her way along with her friends a.k.a The Three Musketeers. In this story, they discovers the mysteries of anonymous Braille notes, a missing parent, a haunted doll, neighborhood break-ins, but most of all, finding the true meaning of happiness in any situation.

Rainbow Joe and Me

Strom, Maria Diaz. Rainbow Joe and Me . Lee & Low Books, 1999. Eloise is a young artist who loves to mix colors. She tells her neighbor, Rainbow Joe, how she combines colors. He explains that even though he is blind he can imagine colors and make them sing.

Lily McDot So Much More

Tackett, Ron. Lily McDot So Much More. 2016. This is a story told by Lily about all the different things that make her unique. At the end of the story, she reveals that in addition to all of the other things that make her Lily, she also happens to be blind. The book is designed to be accessible to children with low vision and is printed in 36 pt font black on white. It is also spaced to allow for the addition of braille.

Crystal Moonlight

Waldman, David Kenneth. Crystal Moonlight. Rebecca House, 1990. Gale asks, "Why am I blind?" This books message is that seeing is not done by our eyes alone. One can also see with one's heart.

Living with Blindness

Westcott, Patsy. Living with Blindness. Austin: Raintree Publishers, 1999. Grades 1-5. This book explains how the eye works, some of the causes of blindness, and how the world looks to those with various types of visual impairment. The text briefly introduces braille, assistive technology, and mobility aids used by people who are blind.

First Grade King

Williams, Karen Lynn. First Grade King. Clarion Books, 1992. This book tells the story of first grader, Joey King who is dealing with a class bully. He gets support from his classmate, Madeline, who is visually impaired. Joey learns that people aren't always what they seem and bravery is a noble but complicated art.

The Seeing Stick

Yolen, Jane. The Seeing Stick. Running Press Kids, Reprint edition 2009. 3 and up. Hwei Min, the only daughter of the emperor of China, has been blind since birth. Her father offers a reward to anyone who can find a cure for the little girl. No one from magicians to physicians can help her. Then, one day a wise old man with a mysterious seeing stick visits the princess. He teaches Hwei Min that there is more than one way to see the world.

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TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

$50.00

Written specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), this book consists of over 400 research-based activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level.

The core activities listed in the Activity section can be adapted to each thematic unit. These include:

Object Characteristic Activities
Quantity & Number Concepts
Time Concept Activities
Environment & Job Awareness Activities
Listening Skills Activities
Reading Foundation Activities
Reading Fluency Activities
Braille Basics Activities
Writing Activities
Tactual Efficiency Activities
Developing Skillful Hands Activities
Visual Efficiency Activities
Optical Device Instruction Activities
Recipe Activities

In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.

Unique Concepts within the Units include:

Self Advocacy Activities (e.g. advocating for safe classroom, presenting to class on visual impairment, requesting help and more)
Social Skills Activities (e.g. Being bullied or teased, giving and receiving compliments, body language, "I" messages when upset and more)
Recreation & Leisure Activities (e.g. exploring interest areas, getting involved in clubs and sports, playing games, and more)
O&M Support Activities (e.g. Suggestions for community based experiences, dog guide information, locations in the school, bioptics, ride sharing, traffic signs, and more)
Independent Living Skill Activities (e.g. chores, being responsible, using tools, recipe suggestions, hygiene, staying healthy, labeling foods and products, and more)
Sensory Efficiency Activities (e.g. unique sensory experiences related to the unit, unique optical device activities, and more)
Compensatory Activities (e.g. organizing materials, study habits, and many unique concepts related to the unit)
Career & Vocational Activities (e.g. job awareness, completing applications, job task suggestions, and more)

Although the intended audience of this resource is fellow Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, special education teachers may find these activities beneficial to the students in their classrooms as the activities are multisensory and include life skills and concepts needed by all students. This resource, however, is not intended to take the place of a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI). Readers are advised to consult their own TVI’s regarding instruction in the ECC and the unique visual needs of the student’s served in their programs.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf download. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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Visual Efficiency & Magnifier Fluency Grab & Go ECC Supplements

$20.00

This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a supplement to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

Digital pdf download: 210 pages

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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TVI Guide to the ECC and Visual Motor & Magnifier ECC Grab & Go Bundle

$60.00

Buy together at a reduced price!

The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), andconsists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussionfor instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level.

The core activities listed in the Activity section can be adapted to each thematic unit. These include:

· Object Characteristic Activities

· Quantity & Number Concepts

· Time Concept Activities

· Environment & Job Awareness Activities

· Listening Skills Activities

· Reading Foundation Activities

· Reading Fluency Activities

· Braille Basics Activities

· Writing Activities

· Tactual Efficiency Activities

· Developing Skillful Hands Activities

· Visual Efficiency Activities

· Optical Device Instruction Activities

· Recipe Activities

Unique Concepts within the Units include:

· Self Advocacy Activities (e.g. advocating for safe classroom, presenting to class on visual impairment, requesting help and more)

· Social Skills Activities (e.g. Being bullied or teased, giving and receiving compliments, body language, "I" messages when upset and more)

· Recreation & Leisure Activities (e.g. exploring interest areas, getting involved in clubs and sports, playing games, and more)

· O&M Support Activities (e.g. Suggestions for community based experiences, dog guide information, locations in the school, bioptics, ride sharing, traffic signs, and more)

· Independent Living Skill Activities (e.g. chores, being responsible, using tools, recipe suggestions, hygiene, staying healthy, labeling foods and products, and more)

· Sensory Efficiency Activities (e.g. unique sensory experiences related to the unit, unique optical device activities, and more)

· Compensatory Activities (e.g. organizing materials, study habits, and many unique concepts related to the unit)

· Career & Vocational Activities (e.g. job awareness, completing applications, job task suggestions, and more)

TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details

Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements

The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

Digital pdf download: 210 pages

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

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Thematic Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & Go Supplement

$25.00

The Thematic Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. All are presented in contracted UEB braille. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These fun activities will help students refine their braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, a Duxbury print file is also included should you choose to produce the braille using a braille embosser. Modify as needed for your student, translate, and emboss. Although these word lists and passages were specifically created to document and increase braille reading and writing fluency, they may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.

Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf downloads. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download links. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number.

Product details

Digital pdf download: 327-page print and simulated braille worksheets with corresponding Duxbury files

Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Author: Carmen Willings

Language: English

Shop

TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC + Thematic Braille Fluency & Maintenance Grab & Go Bundle

$65.00

Buy together at a reduced price!

The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities

and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level.