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Years ago I was flying back to Seattle by myself and had a layover in Memphis. Before the plane landed my ears became horribly clogged and no amount of chomping on gum or swallowing could pop them. By the time I deboarded the plane I couldn’t hear anything; not the announcements being made in the airport or the excited squeals of kids who were happy to finally stretch their legs or the cashier who patiently attempted to communicate with me using hand signals. It was terrifying to suddenly be deaf, to lose one of the senses I rely on so heavily, and to not know when my hearing would return.
Years ago I was flying back to Seattle by myself and had a layover in Memphis. Before the plane landed my ears became horribly clogged and no amount of chomping on gum or swallowing could pop them. By the time I deboarded the plane I couldn’t hear anything; not the announcements being made in the airport or the excited squeals of kids who were happy to finally stretch their legs or the cashier who patiently attempted to communicate with me using hand signals. It was terrifying to suddenly be deaf, to lose one of the senses I rely on so heavily, and to not know when my hearing would return.
Welcome to episode 3 of the Happy Reading podcast, which focuses on books that have a main character who is blind. I’m your host, Sarah Threlkeld, an elementary librarian, former middle school reading teacher, and middle-aged lady who is lucky enough to not need glasses. Today I am recommending three middle grade titles and a picture book biography that give readers a glimpse into the lives of blind children. Three of the characters were born blind and one of them became blind due to an accident; all of them are independent and don’t let visual impairment get in the way of living happy, fulfilled lives.
I am a dog person. There was almost always a dog in my house growing up and I'm currently the mom of a very Muppety Terrier named Jefferson who likes to sleep on my head. It makes sense, then, that I enjoy stories about dogs. If you haven't read Because of Winn Dixie yet, pause this podcast immediately and go track down a copy. Unfortunately, a lot of books about dogs are major tearjerkers, with the canine inevitably dying at the end, and I become a blubbering mess, surrounded by balled up tissues, trying unsuccessfully to read through my tears. This was exactly what happened with Maxi’s Secrets by Lynn Plourde. The author is kind enough to let the reader know in the first few lines that Maxi, a fluffy, white Great Pyrenees puppy, doesn't survive. That doesn't make her death any less emotional or devastating, but at least I could mentally prepare myself (and make sure I had a box of Kleenex nearby).
Timiny, the narrator of the story, is starting 5th grade at a new middle school in a small town in Maine. He is extremely short for his age and, as a result, very insecure. He uses self deprecating humor to mask his insecurity and finds solace in the company of his new puppy Maxi. The curious, cuddly ball of fluff turns out to be deaf, which only endears her even more to Timiny, and he becomes determined to figure out how to train Maxi and help her live a normal puppy life. Maxi also ends up teaching Timiny many important lessons; lessons about friendship, bravery, and the dangers of judging someone before you know their story. She also helps him bond with his next door neighbor, Abby, who has been blind since birth. Abby is spunky, independent, and doesn't put up with Timiny’s woe-is-me attitude. She is, by far, my favorite character in the book. Here’s an excerpt from the first time Timiny hangs out at Abby’s house:
excerpt - pages 72-73
I admit it, I often judge books by their covers and, based on the cover of my public library’s copy of The Seeing Summer by Jeannette Eyerly, I was not excited about reading it. I’ll post a picture on my website so you can witness the horror for yourself. Luckily, the book was leaps and bounds better than the dreadful cover and I found myself hoping for pockets of time when I could sneak in another chapter or two. Having an 8 month old really eats into my reading time.
The book was published in 1981, so a lot of references will go over kids’ heads and some of the language feels outdated, but the story itself moves quickly, has a suspenseful bit towards the end, and gives readers a fascinating glimpse into the life of a blind girl living in suburbia. Jenny, who just moved into the house next door to Carey’s, was born blind and refuses to use that as an excuse for not being able to participate in everyday activities. She walks alone to the store, goes running in the park, and plays a cutthroat game of Kings’ Corners. At first, Carey is extremely disappointed that her neighbor is blind, believing Jenny won’t be able to do anything fun and will need help with every little thing. After some scolding from Jenny and demonstrations of her independence, the two girls become practically inseparable, much to the concern of Carey’s housekeeper, who thinks Jenny must be watched like a hawk at all times to prevent accidents. Then, the one time Carey does leave her friend so she can run a quick errand, the unthinkable happens - Jenny disappears. What in the world happened to her? Will Carey be able to safely track down her best friend or will her search only lead to more danger? Here’s an excerpt of the moment Carey realizes Jenny is gone.
Excerpt - page 103
A few months before my due date my husband and I took a babymoon to Las Vegas, eager to enjoy what would be our last trip together for quite awhile without our daughter along for the ride. Unfortunately, my husband got extremely sick our first day there and we ended up spending the majority of our time in Sin City in our hotel room. He slept a lot and groaned about ear pain, while I read the pile of books I'd packed. One of those books, which was so good I burned through it in one sitting, was A Blind Guide to Stinkville by Beth Vrabel.
Alice, the main character, has albinism and, as a result, has limited vision. Her blurry perception of the world never bothered her until her family moved to Sinkville, South Carolina, which Alice refers to as Stinkville because of the noxious odor emitted by the town paper mill. All of a sudden Alice’s impairment is seen as a big deal, with people staring at her, talking about her, and treating her like she is incapable of achieving anything on her own. As you can imagine, this does not make Alice happy. To top it all off, her older brother acts annoyed by everything she does, her father works constantly, and her mother won't leave the house because she's struggling with depression. When her parents look into sending Alice to a school for the blind, the spunky 12 year-old takes a stand and proves that, while being visually impaired affects her life in a multitude of ways, it doesn't define who she is. A Blind Guide to Stinkville is an uplifting, inspiring and hilarious book about self-discovery that will be devoured by fans of realistic middle grade fiction. Here's an excerpt from chapter one when Alice visits the Sinkville library for the first time:
Excerpt - page 5
The last book I’m recommending, Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille by Jen Bryant, may be a picture book biography, but I think it will appeal to upper elementary and middle school students because the content is so fascinating. In fact, I had a 5th grader check it out last week and she was glued to it until her teacher came to pick up her class. The only thing I knew about Louis Braille before reading this book was he had created the system of raised dots used by many blind people to read. I had assumed he had been born blind, but he actually lost his sight when he was five years old. Louis was an extremely curious child and the one thing Louis was desperate to do was read, but there weren’t any books available to him in his hometown. He ended up attending a school for the blind in Paris, but even that school didn’t have books for him. So, how in the world, at only 15 years old, did Louis think up the Braille system? You’ll have to read Six Dots to find out.
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Happy Reading podcast! I hope you discovered a title or two that you are itching to get your hands on or recommend to the middle grade readers in your life. If you happen to also be a fan of young adult fiction, you’re bound to enjoy Blindsided by Priscilla Cummings and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, which has a ridiculously entertaining visually impaired character named Isaac in it. If you know of other middle grade titles that fit this episode’s theme, I'd love to hear about them! You can find me on Twitter at @happyrdng, email me at happyrdng@gmail.com, or leave a message on my blog at happyrdng.blogspot.com. You’ll also find a transcript of each episode at my website, along with links to all of the books I recommend. You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, so you never miss an episode, and you can find every episode on SoundCloud. I hope the books mentioned in today’s podcast help you see the world in a new way. Until next time, happy reading!
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