YOUNG READER BOOKS
By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com The following books center on characters that 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. |
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Do You Remember the Color Blue
Alexander, Sally Hobart. Do You Remember the Color Blue: And Other Questions Kids Ask About Blindness. East Rutherford, N.J.: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 2002. Grades 4-7. This book provides honest and informative answers to the questions that children ask about blindness. Addresses guide dogs, why people who are blind wear dark glasses, relationships, the attitudes of others, and more.
Teacher's Pet 
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Teacher's Pet (Vet Volunteers, Name: Maggie). Maggie is adjusting to middle school and it becomes easier when she find that her biology teacher, who is blind, can learn a few things from her about working with his guide dog.
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
Auxier, Jonathan. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. 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.
Things Not Seen
Clements, Andrew. Things Not Seen. East Rutherford, N.J.: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 2002. Grades 5-9. Fifteen-year-old Bobby wakes up invisible one day. His parents don’t deal with this development well, so Bobby sets off for the library to find his own solution. He befriends Alicia, a girl who is blind, who becomes a partner in the adventure, and helps him find a way to deal with his dilemma.
Water at the Blue Earth
Creel, Ann H. Water at the Blue Earth. Boulder: Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1998. Grades 5-9. "Wren Taylor, the daughter of an 1850s pioneer family in New Mexico territory, befriends Luther, a Ute boy who is blind. When war breaks out between the settlers and the Ute, Wren must decide where her loyalties lie."
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan
Denenberg, Barry. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan. Dear America Series. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2002. Grades 4-9. In 1932, Bess is blinded in a sledding accident at the age of twelve. She becomes a student at Perkins School for the Blind, where she finds new friendship, independence, and self-confidence.
Annerton Pit
Dickinson, Peter. Annerton Pit. When Martin and Jake's grandfather fails to return from a ghost-hunting expedition, the boys set off for Newcastle in search of him. Their investigations take them to Annerton Pit. Told from the point of view of the main character, who is blind.
Blind Spot
Ellen, Laura. Blind Spot. HMH Books for Young Readers. 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
Seeing Lessons
Hermann, Spring. Seeing Lessons: The Story of Abigail Carter and America’s First School for Blind People. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1998. Grades 4-7. "Ten-year-old Abigail Carter’s life changes forever when she and her sister go to Boston to be the first students at Perkins, the first school for the blind in America. She is determined to prove that people who are blind can live fulfilling, independent lives."
The Heart of Applebutter Hill
Hill, Donna W. The Heart of Applebutter Hill. 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."
A Different Kind of Beauty
McNicoll, Sylvia. A Different Kind of Beauty. 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. 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. 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.
The World at His Fingertips
O'Connor, Barbara. The World at His Fingertips. Carolrhoda Books, 1997. In this book the author goes into simple details about how Louis Braille came to invent the braille alphabet.
Wild Horse Summer
Ryden, Hope. Wild Horse Summer. Boston: Clarion Books, 1997. Grades 4-6. Alison, a twelve-year-old from Chicago, is nervous about spending the summer on a ranch in Wyoming. She learns to ride, and her cousin Kelly, who is blind, helps her to overcome her fears and anxieties.
Who Was Helen Keller
Thompson, Gare. Who Was Helen Keller. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003. This book tells the story of Helen Keller. This illustrated biography is perfect for young middle-grade readers. It includes line drawings and sidebars on related topics such as Louis Braille.
Being Blind
White, Peter. Being Blind. Think About Series. North Mankato, Minn.: Smart Apple Media, 1999. Grades 2-5. Peter White, who is blind, explains what blindness is, how it is caused, and ways in which some vision problems can be helped.
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About
Hi! I'm Carmen Willings. Welcome to my website! I developed this web resource to support fellow TVI's and to educate those new to the field of visual impairments in how to best support students who are blind or visually impaired. Read More
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