Building a Library

We have a lot of books in our house. A LOT. I would guess upwards of 2000 by this point, and yes, they do threaten to take over on a regular basis. Bean has plenty of books of her own, many bought by me in a fit of nostalgia and anticipation of reading before bedtime. Certainly I do that now, in fact, we are halfway through the first Harry Potter and she really likes it. One of the positives about having a blind child is that they aren't so wedded to pictures; she really seems to engage aurally, at least when she's not in a manic causing trouble before bedtime mood. However, of course we want her to gain independence as she can in reading, and yes, this is where Braille comes in. She's too young to really 'read' Braille yet, but she has been well exposed to it and is really quite interested in the funny bumps.

Enter Seedlings. This company sells Braille books for children, everything from the preschool classics up to non-fiction useful for middle schoolers and their ubiquitous science and history reports. There are also nifty things like Braille-ized magnetic letters or numbers, workbooks for parents, etc. I have bought her two books thus far, and can't say enough good things about this organization. Certainly there are other great publishers of Braille materials, but this seems to be specifically targeted to children's books, and that's what I need now. It was great fun to flip through the catalog tonight and see all my favorites from childhood and even young adolescence; of course I will read these to Bean, but I want her to be able to enjoy them on her own as well...so thanks, Seedlings.

Also...to those of our relatives looking for Christmas or birthday presents for the Bean...they take Visa and Mastercard.

It dawned on me recently that a blind kid doesn't have to hide under the covers with a flashlight to read into the night. Who's going to know, so long as they are quiet?

I can't wait.