Seeing Things My Way by Alden R. Carter

Illustrated by Carol S. Carter. 32 p., Whitman, 1998.

A second-grade girl named Amanda explains that she has a vision impairment and tells its history. She describes both the ways she copes with it (using Close-Circuit Television to enlarge letters in books, learning Braille, regular medical checkups, physical therapy to address difficulty with balance that's due to limited depth perception) and the everyday things she enjoys (shopping for food with her mother and sisters, going to slumber parties, having her father read to her). Photographs illustrate the contrast between ordinary vision and Amanda's perception. Amanda tells about other kinds of visual impairments and the ways kids cope with them. Acknowledging that she doesn't like being vision-impaired, by admiring both famous and everyday people who have vision impairments, she remains genuinely optimistic. She also acknowledges her personal strength. Realistic, informative, and positive, this story can help both children who have vision impairments and to those who could benefit from understanding others' difficulties with seeing.

Ages: 4-9
Cultural Context: multicultural