Summer Reading Prep.

Sam reading on the swing in the snow

Well my kids only have a few short weeks till summer vacation starts.  We have no big trips planned this summer ( :( ) So i hope to focus on the kids reading a lot of books this summer.  Its easy for Sam.  We run down to the library or book store and can get new books for Sam very easily. As an added bonus the boy LOVES to read.  Its not uncommon to find Sam reading in the strangest places.

With Abby is just takes a bit more work.  She still struggles at time  reading and reading is just not as much fun to her as it is with Sam.  Its a bit more challenging to get books for Abby because you jsut can't run to the store to buy a Braille book.  As a response to this I have become a braille book hoarder   Yes its true.  I have been collecting many books since Abby first became blind.  I still work very hard at building our collection.   Want to become a braille book hoarder like me? What to know what I have done to get books into Abby's hands?
Here is a list of the sources of the books in our collection and places you get Braille.

1. Books passed on from others.  It becomes clear to all parents of Braille readers that you can't keep all the books you have.  As your child out grows books its very exciting to pass them on to a younger reader.  We do this when we can and only keep Abby's most beloved outgrown books.  So a tip is to find  a few Braille readers just a few years older than yours and perhaps you will be blessed with some of their books.

Braille Book Fair 2012

2. NOPBC Braille Book Fair We have gone the NOPBC Conference and the NFB National Convention the past two years and every year they have the Braille Book Fair where kids leave with MANY new books. Its a true celebration of Braille. This years NFB Convention is is in Orlando Florida Monday, July 1—Saturday, July 6, 2013 I put links about the NOPBC Conference and this years NFB Convention just above. A Future Reflections article about a past Braille Book Fair https://nfb.org/Images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr30/4/fr300413.htm


3. American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults Free Braille Program   We have tons of these books I think Abby gets a new one once a month. Great program.  http://www.actionfund.org/free-braille-books

Abby at the braille book fair 2012

4. Early Braille Literacy Programs. These programs are usally for children up to the age of 6 or 7. - NFB Braille Reading Pals Program https://nfb.org/braille-reading-pals-early-literacy-program     and National Braille Press ReadBooks Program http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/programs/readbooks/readbooks.html   These programs are both great and are about getting braille to young children and empowering parents as the child's first teachers.  There is also  APH  & Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Partnership  Abby was to old to sign up for this program when it started but it looks like children up to age six can get 5 free braille books a year. http://www.aph.org/dolly-partons-imagination-library/

5. Braille Institute Special Collections Program. This is a great program Abby gets to pick out free braille books 3 or 4 times a year. Its always exciting to get the new order form.  http://www.brailleinstitute.org/programs/index.php/child-and-youth/special-collection

Abby Braille reading outside

6. Seedlings Angel Book Program. Seedlings offers 2 free braille books every YEAR to blind and visually impaired children.  They have a great catalog http://www.seedlings.org/bkangel2009.php

7. I buy the books. I buy books primary from Seedlings http://www.seedlings.org/  & National Braille Press http://www.nbp.org/  Both these wonderful organizations work hard and making the cost of braille books reasonable.

Abby reading Braille

8.  National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped  There are regional braille libraries all over the country where like any library you borrow books for a set time and return them.  In New Hampshire we get our Braille books from the Perkins Library.  Did you know you could get BRAILLE magazine from NLS? I had no idea and Abby loves them and we get to keep them.  Find out about the programs NLS offers and contact your regional library for more information. You can find out where your regional library is at this link http://www.loc.gov/nls/index.html

9. Bookshare. https://www.bookshare.org/  is such a fantastic service. Abby reads books in Braille on her iPad with Read2Go app and her refreshable Braille display. You can also download books into most Braille note takers and on your computer with a braille displays.  Books can also be downloaded and printed off on an Braille embosser.  Bookshare has 1000s of books.  Abby once went to a book signing. She got the new print book signed and than downloaded the book from Bookshare so she could read it.

I think that's most of the sources from our large mass of books in our Braille library. If you know of another great source share it in the comments.