Teen & Young Adult Books

By Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated June 27, 2025
The following young adult books feature characters who are blind or visually impaired, or who are affected by someone experiencing vision loss. These stories, ranging from realistic fiction to fantasy, provide readers with insight into the challenges and strengths of navigating life without sight. If you have suggestions for additional titles, please let me know! 
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​Adventure & Fantasy

  • Auxier, Jonathan. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. (2012, Amulet Paperbacks – Reprint Edition). A fast-paced fantasy about Peter Nimble, a blind orphan and master thief who discovers a mysterious box containing magical eyes. This leads him on an unforgettable adventure to save a hidden kingdom and discover his destiny.
  • Shaberman, Ben. Retina Boy. ​(2019). Born without retinas and with glowing aquamarine eyes, Retina Boy is a talented teen guitarist whose girlfriend, Marcy, uses a wheelchair. Together, they become an unlikely duo tasked with saving Earth and a distant planet inhabited by blind beings.
  • Sedgwick, Marcus. She is Not Invisible. (2015, Square Fish – Reprint Edition) – Grades 7–12. Laureth Peak is a blind teen with a knack for finding patterns and connections. When her father disappears, she and her younger brother travel to New York City to find him—using her intellect and determination to navigate a world she cannot see.

Realistic Fiction

  • Butler, Beverly. Light a Single Candle. ​(1970, Archway Paperback). After losing her sight at age 14, Cathy must learn to adapt to blindness, train with a guide dog, and face the social challenges of returning to a public high school.
  • Cummings, Priscilla. Blindsided. (2011, Puffin Books – Reprint Edition). When 14-year-old Natalie learns she will soon go blind, she must transfer to a school for the blind. As she learns Braille and cane skills, she holds onto hope for a miracle—and discovers strength she didn’t know she had.
  • Curtis, Marci Lyn. One Thing. (2017, Disney-Hyperion – Reprint Edition). Maggie, a blind teen with a rebellious streak, is struggling to cope after losing her sight six months earlier. When she mysteriously regains limited vision, she’s forced to reevaluate her life, relationships, and what she truly values.
  • DeWoskin, Rachel. Blind. ​(2016, Speak – Reprint Edition). After a fireworks accident leaves her blind, Emma must re-learn how to live while confronting a classmate’s death. This moving story of resilience and identity explores what makes life worth living.
  • Ellen, Laura. Blind Spot. (2012, HMH Books for Young Readers). Roz, a teen with macular degeneration, navigates high school life while hiding her vision loss. Told in first-person, this is a raw and honest depiction of disability and self-acceptance.
  • Henry, April. Girl Stolen. (2012, Square Fish – Reprint Edition). Cheyenne Wilder, a blind teen with pneumonia, is accidentally kidnapped when a car is stolen. As her captors realize her father is wealthy, her life hangs in the balance. A gripping survival thriller.
  • Hill, Donna W. The Heart of Applebutter Hill. (2013, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform). A shy 14-year-old named Abigail, who is gradually losing her sight, uncovers a secret about her school with the help of her guide dog and best friend. Blending mystery and fantasy with real-life themes.
  • Ingold, Jeanette. The Window. (2003, Harcourt Trade Publishers) – Grades 6–9. After an accident that blinds her and kills her mother, Mandy moves in with relatives in Texas. There, she begins to rebuild her life and uncover long-buried family secrets.
  • Lindstrom, Eric. Not If I See You First. (2016, Poppy – Reprint Edition). Parker Grant lives by her own rules—including never letting anyone treat her differently because she’s blind. But when someone from her past returns, she learns that some rules might be worth breaking.
  • McNicoll, Sylvia. A Different Kind of Beauty. (2003, Fitzhenry & Whiteside). Kyle, a 16-year-old adjusting to recent blindness caused by diabetes, meets Elizabeth, who is raising a guide dog puppy. Their growing friendship helps them both face their fears and find confidence.

​Mystery & Suspense

  • Comby, Cristelle. Blind Chess. (2015, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform). Blind professor-turned-private-investigator Ashford Egan seeks justice after his friend is shot. Teaming up with unlikely allies, he navigates the criminal underworld of London in a gritty mystery-thriller.
  • LaBan, Elizabeth. The Tragedy Paper. (2014, Ember – Reprint Edition) – Grades 7–9. Tim Macbeth, a new transfer student with albinism and low vision, falls for the school’s most popular girl. Told through a mix of present-day narrative and audio journal entries, this is a poignant coming-of-age story.
  • Moore, Peter G. Blind Sighted. (2002, Viking Juvenile) – Grades 7–9. Kirk, a 15-year-old loner, finds purpose in reading to a blind young woman. Through their friendship, he gains self-confidence and begins to reengage with the world around him.

Historical Fiction & Biography

  • Miller, Sarah. Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller. (2010, Atheneum Books for Young Readers – Reprint Edition). A fictionalized first-person account of Annie Sullivan, partially blind herself, as she begins her work with Helen Keller. A powerful story of perseverance, teaching, and trust.

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