Peter Hooker

When I initially looked at the braille reading schemes available I was surprised at the limited choice available. I was even more surprised to discover that none of the schemes featured any character who was blind.

The Abi Books: Adventures of a Young Blind Girl is a braille reading scheme specifically written for primary children learning to read by touch. Abi is a six year old girl who is blind. She attends her local primary school and is learning braille. She is outgoing and her behaviour is by no means always ‘good’. Sam is her best friend at school and they often have run in’s with an unpleasant boy called Billy. There is an emphasis on humour in the stories which include Abi going on holiday to Paris, overflowing baths, scary trips to caves and the dentist, lost snails and stink bombs at school etc.

Motivation is essential in learning braille. By having a blind primary aged child as the main character in the stories it is hoped that children will be able to identify with her and some of her experiences. Although sight imagery and vocabulary are not ignored there is a greater emphasis on the other senses.

The introduction of new contractions follows the order of the Take Off Series. I felt that this was important. A variety of reading material is vital so that if a child loses interest in one scheme, there are others to try.

Stories are kept short, giving children a feeling of achievement as books are quickly finished. At the end of each book there are a few comprehension questions – it is all too easy for a child learning braille to read a passage and not remember any of its content. The books contain facing pages of print in exactly the same layout as the braille. So far 30 stories have been completed and it is hoped a further 10 will be available soon.