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Cover of Follow My Leader

Follow My Leader

by James B. Garfield · 1957

BlindDogsFictionFriendshipGuide dogsPeople with disabilitiesLegendsseeing-eye dog

A young boy blinded in an accident learns to overcome his disability with the help of a seeing eye dog. Jimmy and the guys were playing around. Mike decides to light a giant firecracker. Jimmy yells for him not to and, reacting instinctively to the voice, Mike throws the firecracker at Jimmy. Jimmy ends up totally blind and feels helpless and isolated from his old friends. While he's knocking around, literally, with his red and white cane, his mother puts him on a list for a seeing-eye dog. He's never really wanted a dog at all and what good is a dog when he can't see to run and play with one? Though he doesn't know it yet, life takes a turn for the better and he is accepted to the program. The first step is traveling to the school and meeting Leader, his "new eyes". He is still bitter till one of the other students says yeah it's bad getting blinded but how would you feel going through life knowing you blinded someone else? So we get a look at how Mike is feeling after the accident, too. Can they ever be friends again? Along with Jimmy we learn how to use a cane, how to count money, cross streets, match clothes and navigate. You learn to slowly get out in the world again. And then

Writing a summary for young readers…

For young readers

Book data: Open Library