Teen & Young Adult Books Featuring Characters who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

Auxier, Jonathan. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. Amulet Paperbacks; reprint edition (2012). Teen & Young Adult. This is a story of a ten-year-old thief who is also an orphan who is blind. He steals a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes and the adventure begins.

Light a Single Candle

Butler, Beverly. Archway Paperback (1970). When Cathy lost her sight at the age of fourteen, she faced a very different way of life. It took courage and alertness to explore a new, uncharted world where her other senses had to take over the work of her eyes. But adjusting to blindness was often easier than handling the reactions of people. One friend now avoided her. Another smothered Cathy with too much kindness. Then came the thrill of independence after completing a tough training course with Trudy, her wonderful guide dog. With her new freedom of movement, Cathy accepted the challenge of going back to public high school.

Blind Chess

Comby, Cristelle. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2015). Professor-turned-PI Ashford Egan owes everything to Alexandra Neve. So when his kind-hearted colleague is shot and slips into a coma, he vows to take revenge. But even using every trick she taught him, a sightless investigator may be no match for London’s most ruthless criminal kingpin. Desperate to leave no stone unturned, Egan teams up with cops and criminals alike. But someone is hiding their true allegiance, and the professor fears he’s being played for a pawn. With Neve’s life hanging in the balance, Egan’s terrified even Scotland Yard could be caught in a crooked game.

Cummings, Priscilla. Puffin Books; reprinted edition (2011). Fourteen-year-old Natalie O'Reilly's world is turned upside down with the news that she will soon go blind. As if this weren't shocking enough, she is forced to face the fact that she must now attend a school for the blind to learn Braille and how to use a cane. As Natalie tackles the skills that will help her to survive in a sighted world, she inwardly hopes for a miracle that will save her sight. But will that miracle come, or will she need to learn to embrace her new life?

The One Thing

Curtis, Marci Lyn. Disney-Hyperion; reprint edition (2017). Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal. Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional-soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.

Blind

DeWoskin, Rachel. Speak; reprint edition (2016). When Emma Sasha Silver loses her eyesight in a nightmare accident, she must relearn everything from walking across the street to recognizing her own sisters to imagining colors. One of seven children, Emma used to be the invisible kid, but now it seems everyone is watching her. And just as she’s about to start high school and try to recover her friendships and former life, one of her classmates is found dead in an apparent suicide. Fifteen and blind, Emma has to untangle what happened and why—in order to see for herself what makes life worth living.

Blind Spot

Ellen, Laura. Blind Spot. HMH Books for Young Readers (2012). Blind Spot is a realistic portrayal of a girl, Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration. This book is written in the first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else

Girl, Stolen

Henry, April. Square Fish; Reprint edition (2012). Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes―now there's a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn't know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

The Heart of Applebutter Hill

Hill, Donna W. The Heart of Applebutter Hill. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2013). Teen and Young Adult. The heroine of The Heart of Applebutter Hill is a 14-year-old, shy songwriter, who is losing her sight. Abigail has a guide dog named Curly Connor, and she is just starting to learn about Braille and assistive technology. The reader witnesses her struggles and triumphs as the story unfolds.

The Window

Ingold, Jeanette. The Window. Orlando: Harcourt Trade Publishers, 2003. Grades 6-9. "Fifteen years old and blinded by the accident that killed her mother, Mandy has just moved to Texas to live with relatives she has never met. She explores the mystery of her family history and learns about her own strengths and resilience as she makes a new life for herself."

The Tragedy Paper

LaBan, Elizabeth. Ember, reprint edition (2014). Grades 7-9. It follows the story of Tim Macbeth, a seventeen-year-old with albinism and a recent transfer to the prestigious Irving School, where the motto is “Enter here to be and find a friend.” A friend is the last thing Tim expects or wants—he just hopes to get through his senior year unnoticed. Yet, despite his efforts to blend into the background, he finds himself falling for the quintessential “It” girl, Vanessa Sheller, girlfriend of Irving’s most popular boy. To Tim's surprise, Vanessa is into him, too, but she can kiss her social status goodbye if anyone ever finds out. Tim and Vanessa begin a clandestine romance, but looming over them is the Tragedy Paper, Irving’s version of a senior year thesis, assigned by the school’s least forgiving teacher.

Not If I See You First

Lindstrom, Eric. Poppy; reprint edition (2016). Parker Grant doesn't need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That's why she created the Rules: Don't treat her any differently just because she's blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart. When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there's only one way to react--shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that's right, her eyes don't work but her legs still do), doling out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn't cried since her dad's death three months ago. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened--both with Scott, and her dad--the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken.

A Different Kind of Beauty

McNicoll, Sylvia. A Different Kind of Beauty. Fitzhenry & Whiteside (2003). Teen & Young Adult. A story of Kyle, a 16 year old who is recently blinded due to diabetes and struggling with the adjustments and Elizabeth who is raising a future guide dog.

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller

Miller, Sarah. Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller. Atheneum Books for Young Readers; reprint edition (2010). Teen & Young Adult. This is the story, told in first person, of Annie Sullivan, an orphan who is partially blind who takes the job of teaching Helen Keller.

Blind Sighted

Moore, Peter G. Blind Sighted. Viking Juvenile (2002). Grade Level: 7-9. A story of fifteen year old Kirk who is a loner who struggles making friends and with school. He takes a job reading to a young woman who is blind who makes him feel good about himself.

She Is Not Invisible

Sedgwick, Marcus. Square Fish; reprint edition (2015). Grade Level: 7-12. Laureth Peak's father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers―a skill at which she's remarkably talented. Her secret: She is blind.
But when her father goes missing, Laureth and her seven-year-old brother, Benjamin, are thrust into a mystery that takes them to New York City, where surviving will take all her skill at spotting the amazing, shocking, and sometimes dangerous connections in a world full of darkness.

Retina Boy

Shaberman, Ben. (2019). Young Adult. Researchers were mystified by the boy from Des Moines born without retinas. Strangers and friends were mesmerized by his luminescent, aquamarine eyes.Retina Boy grew up to be a carefree teenager. He played amazing lead guitar in an awesome, classic rock cover band. His girlfriend, Marcy, though unable to walk, was the smartest kid in their school. They were a perfect pair - she was his eyes, and he was her legs. Never did Retina Boy imagine he was from another planet, and that he and Marcy would be called upon to save the Earth and an alien world of blind inhabitants on the brink of environmental collapse.

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TVI's Guide Complete Set Bundle + BONUS Resources

$125.00 $100.00

Buy together at a reduced price and get BONUS resources!

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

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. 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.

In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included:

· TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist

· TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist

For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page.

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.

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page.

Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:

· Digital pdf download: 210 pages

· Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

· Author: Carmen Willings

· Language: English

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

The Thematic Keyboarding & 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. 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 word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page

Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details:

· Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets

· Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

· Author: Carmen Willings

· Language: English

Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement

The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide.

Additional Use:

Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code.

For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page

Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details:

· Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource

· Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

· Author: Carmen Willings

· Language: English

BONUS!

Lotto Cards

The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC.

On My Way File Folder Cards

Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27.

NEW! Access to TVI's Guide Bonus Membership Pages

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Webinar Complete Set

$200.00 $120.00

Although physically attending workshops and conferences allows you to network, teachers are not always permitted to take professional leave or travel to attend conferences. It is for that reason that I have put together this bundle of 8 on-demand webinars along with accompanying resources. Earn CE credits from the comfort of your home or office! Each webinar is 1 hour, and a 1 hour CE is available with each, for a total of 8 CE’s. I love special offers and I know you do as well! Purchase the complete set of webinars and receive this significant discount of 40% off!

This special offer provides individual access to the following webinar pages and resources. Learn more about each webinar by following the links to each product page.

Includes:

Recorded PowerPoint Shows
Transcripts
Presentation handouts
Printables & Links to Resources discussed in presentations

Request a Certificate of Completion

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Braille Stacked Washer Slide Necklaces

$30.00

This updatedstacked washer necklace design is handcrafted from decoupaging metal washers with printed paper and sealing it to ensure it is water resistant. Design area on stacked zinc washers are coated with dimensional glaze which dries hard with a shiny finish. For this reason, no two pieces will be identical. The braille pendent is hand embossed in UEB braille on an aluminum plate. Each necklace is made of a 18" waxed cotton cord with a lobster claw closure. Pendants are 1 1/2" on slides so you can use them on another chain or collar necklace of your choice.

Want a different word? Select the pendant of your choice and customize it with the word of your choice! Words must be four braille cells or less ~ no profanity please!

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