47 Best Braille Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best braille books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Richard Branson, Arianna Huffington, Sheryl Sandberg, and 40 other experts.
1
It is the summer holidays, and one night Harry Potter wakes up with his scar burning. He has had a strange dream, one that he can't help worrying about...until a timely invitation from Ron Weasley arrives: to nothing less than the Quidditch World Cup!

Soon Harry is reunited with Ron and Hermione and gasping at the thrills of an international Quidditch match. But then something horrible happens which casts a shadow over everybody, and Harry in particular...
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Recommended by Big Structural Change, and 1 others.

Big Structural Change@siriusclaw Azkaban ftw! Goblet is the worst of the series. Great book though. (Source)

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2

The Black Book of Colors

A New York Times Book Review choice as one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2008


It is very hard for a sighted person to imagine what it is like to be blind. This groundbreaking, award-winning book endeavors to convey the experience of a person who can only see through his or her sense of touch, taste, smell or hearing.


Raised black line drawings on black paper, which can be deciphered by touch, complement a beautifully written text describing colors through imagery. Braille letters accompany the text so that the sighted reader...
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3
Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.'

Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...
(back cover)
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Recommended by Shami Chakrabarti, and 1 others.

Shami ChakrabartiIt’s all about the War on Terror as far as I’m concerned. (Source)

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4

The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea, an apparently simple fable, represents the mature Hemingway at his best. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature soon after its publication, and half a century later it is still one of his most read books. less

Jack DorseyI keep coming back to it. I love the straightforwardness, the tightness, and the poetry. I think it shows a common struggle that is repeated over and over in so many narratives both fictional and nonfictional. (Source)

Jordan B PetersonThe Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway https://t.co/7dJE4Pfn56, a book from my great books list https://t.co/AxBNX3QpMb (Source)

May WitwitI taught this book to my students in Iraq during the economic sanctions. And I feel like it gave me some kind of strength to continue. (Source)

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5
Grow your heart three sizes and get in on all of the Grinch-mas cheer with the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas-the ultimate Dr. Seuss Christmas classic that is perfect for read-alongs all year round!

Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot . . . but the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT!

Not since "'Twas the night before Christmas" has the beginning of a Christmas tale been so instantly recognizable. This heartwarming story about the effects of the Christmas spirit will grow even the coldest and smallest of hearts....
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Recommended by Seth Mandel, Gary Bury, and 2 others.

Seth Mandel@kampeas My favorite Dr. Seuss book has always been The Grinch Owns The Libs (Source)

Gary BuryTruthfully, I have 3 young kids so don’t get much time to read other than to my kids at bedtime. So you’ll understand when I say my favourite books are Children's books by Dr Seuss, they’re a joy to read and cover a range of social and political issues with an elegance and simplicity that exceeds many adult books. The anti materialism/ consumerism ‘Grinch Who Stole Christmas’ and ‘The Lorax’... (Source)

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6

The Book Thief

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.
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Recommended by Lydia Ruffles, and 1 others.

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7

Pride and Prejudice

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780679783268

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and...
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Recommended by Meg Rosoff, and 1 others.

Meg RosoffIt’s a coming-of-age story, because she throws aside her prejudices but also sees the house and realises that she could be quite comfortable and maybe realises how important that is. (Source)

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8
The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet . . .

As in all wars, life goes on. The Weasley twins expand their business. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate - and lose a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, through Harry receives some extraordinary...
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9

Six Dots

A Story of Young Louis Braille

An inspiring picture-book biography of Louis Braille—a blind boy so determined to read that he invented his own alphabet.
 
Louis Braille was just five years old when he lost his sight. He was a clever boy, determined to live like everyone else, and what he wanted more than anything was to be able to read.
 
Even at the school for the blind in Paris, there were no books for him.
 
And so he invented his own alphabet—a whole new system for writing that could be read by touch. A system so ingenious that it is still used by the blind community today.
...
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10

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

For out-starting upstarts of all ages, here is a wonderfully wise and blessedly brief graduation speech from the one and only Dr. Seuss. In his inimitable, humorous verse and pictures, he addresses the Great Balancing Act (life itself, and the ups and downs it presents) while encouraging us to find the success that lies within us.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)


A modern classic, Oh, the Places You'll Go! was first published one year before Dr. Seuss's death at the age...
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Recommended by Richard Branson, Chris Goward, and 2 others.

Richard BransonToday is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)

Chris GowardNarrowing down a favourite book in either business or non-business from the hundreds of mind-expanding books I've benefited from in the four decades of my life (beginning with Oh, The Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss) would be impossible. (Source)

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Don't have time to read the top Braille books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
11

The Story of My Life

When she was 19 months old, Helen Keller (1880–1968) suffered a severe illness that left her blind and deaf. Not long after, she also became mute. Her tenacious struggle to overcome these handicaps-with the help of her inspired teacher, Anne Sullivan-is one of the great stories of human courage and dedication. In this classic autobiography, first published in 1903, Miss Keller recounts the first 22 years of her life, including the magical moment at the water pump when, recognizing the connection between the word "water" and the cold liquid flowing over her hand, she realized that objects had... more
Recommended by Craig Brown, and 1 others.

Craig BrownI only vaguely knew about her myself to begin with. I think she’s more famous in America, and deserves to be. Helen Keller, who died in 1968, was deaf, dumb and blind. She was struck deaf and blind by meningitis at the age of 18 months, which makes you “dumb” as you don’t know what other people are saying. (Source)

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12

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

The tiny town of Chewandswallow was very much like any other tiny town except for its weather which came three times a day, at breakfast lunch and dinner.
But it never rained rain and it never snowed snow and it never blew just wind. It rained things like soup and juice. It snowed things like mashed potatoes. And sometimes the wind blew in storms of hamburgers.
Life for the townspeople was delicious until the weather took a turn for the worse. The food got larger and larger and so did the portions. Chewandswallow was plagued by damaging floods and storms of huge food. the town was...
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Recommended by Travis Herzog, and 1 others.

Travis HerzogI absolutely LOVED this book as a kid, and I still love reading it today as an adult. @Ginger_Zee and @RobMarciano, I challenge you to post your own "shelfie" (selfie with a book) and @Disney will donate up to 1 million books for kids in need! #magicofstorytelling https://t.co/zEwuZpf0zc (Source)

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13
Learn how to count to 10 with DK Braille: Counting.

Explore tactile spreads in different textures to discover counting techniques with a book designed specifically for blind or visually impaired readers. DK Braille: Counting's pages combine braille, large print, and high contrast photography with clear and predictive layouts for curious young readers. The accompanying story in print and braille takes readers on a counting adventure in the park.

DK Braille: Counting is a unique book that teaches counting in a special, revolutionary book.

A...
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14
The perennial favorite resource for teachers and transcribers, The Burns Braille Transcription Dictionary has been revamped as the Burns Braille Guide to usher in the new era of Unified English Braille (UEB). The revised and updated edition reflects the range of changes introduced in the transition from English Braille American Edition (EBAE) to UEB. This easy-to-use reference guide includes common braille to print and print to braille conversions, as well as punctuation, new UEB contractions, and general rules and terminology. less

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15
Learn braille by sight. Dots are printed, not embossed so that a sighted person can easily learn braille to assist a visually impaired person.

The type of braille in this book is called UEB (Unified English Braille) which is the international standard for English speaking countries.

In this book, you will learn Grade 1 and Grade 2 braille, which is now known as uncontracted and contracted braille.
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16

Braille Literacy

A Functional Approach

Teachers whose students are challenged by learning braille will welcome this innovative, step-by-step guide. Whether students' learning problems stem from additional physical or cognitive disabilities, the inability to speak English well, or difficulty in making the transition from print to braille, this resource will help you help them. Equally effective for teaching braille reading and writing to children or adults, Braille Literacy uses a functional approach based on concepts and vocabulary that have meaning and utility to the student. Key areas discussed include creating braille-rich... more

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17
Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy...
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18
An approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander's masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the Wizarding World. Scamander's years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books - the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail ... Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist. This is an... more

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19

Louis Braille

The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind

A poignant story of the man who developed the Braille system of printing for the blind. less

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20

The River (Brian's Saga, #2)

"We want you to do it again."

These words, spoken to Brian Robeson, will change his life. Two years earlier, Brian was stranded alone in the wilderness for fifty-four days with nothing but a small hatchet. Yet he survived. Now the government wants him to do it again to go back into the wilderness so that astronauts and the military can learn the survival techniques that kept Brian alive.

This time he won't be alone: Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist, will accompany him to observe and take notes. But during a freak storm, Derek is hit by lightning and falls into a...

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Don't have time to read the top Braille books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21
After receiving a call from her friend Helen Corning, Nancy agrees to help solve a baffling mystery. Helen's Aunt Rosemary has been living with her mother at the old family mansion, and they have noticed many strange things. They have heard music, thumps, and creaking noises at night, and seen eerie shadows on the walls. Could the house be haunted?

Just as soon as she hangs up the phone, a strange man visits Nancy's house to warn her and her father that they are in danger because of a case he is working on buying property for a railroad company. This warning leads Nancy and her...
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22
Introduces children to the practice of listening to their quiet voice inside and using mindful affirmations to support them in navigating hard situations. less

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23

Helen Keller

Courage in the Dark

When a childhood illness leaves her blind and deaf, Helen Keller's life seems hopeless indeed. But her indomitable will and the help of a devoted teacher empower Helen to triumph over incredible adversity. This amazing true story is finally brought to the beginner reader level. less

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24

Who Was Louis Braille?

Louis Braille certainly wasn't your average teenager. Blind from the age of four, he was only fifteen when in 1824 he invented a reading system that converted printed words into columns of raised dots. Through touch, Braille opened the world of books to the sightless, and almost two hundred years later, no one has ever improved upon his simple, brilliant idea. less

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25

Instructional Strategies for Braille Literacy

This award-winning handbook gives teachers specific strategies and methodologies for teaching braille. It offers in-depth information on techniques for working with children at all levels of learning, with congenital or adventitious visual impairments, those with additional disabilities, and students who are just learning English. It also contains information on assessment and technology, as well as convenient assessment forms. Instructional Strategies offers a wealth of information and practical tips for new practitioners and seasoned professionals alike less

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26

Who Was Nikola Tesla?

Get ready for the electrifying biography of Nikola Tesla--part creative genius, part mad scientist, and 100% innovator.

When Nikola Tesla arrived in the United States in 1884, he didn't have much money, but he did have a letter of introduction to renowned inventor Thomas Edison. The working relationship between the two men was short lived, though, and the two scientist-inventors became harsh competitors. One of the most influential scientists of all time, Nikola Tesla is celebrated for his experiments in electricity, X-rays, remote controls, and wireless...
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27
These poetic, inspiring essays offer insights into the world of a gifted woman who was deaf and blind. Helen Keller relates her impressions of life's beauty and promise, perceived through the sensations of touch, smell, and vibration, together with the workings of a powerful imagination.
The World I Live In comprises fifteen essays and a poem, "A Chant of Darkness," all of which originally appeared in The Century Magazine. These brief articles include "The Seeing Hand," "The Hands of Others," "The Power of Touch," "The Finer Vibrations," "Smell, the Fallen Angel" "Inward...
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28
Where is the square?

DK Braille: Shapes helps children learn, find, and remember their shapes through die-cut shapes, embossed images, and braille or large format text in this special book designed specifically for blind or visually impaired readers.

Feel the difference between a circle and triangle as the rhyming story guides readers through the pages, each page making information easy to understand for the tactile reader.

DK Braille: Shapes is a unique book that helps young blind or visually impaired readers learn their shapes in a format...
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29
Braille transcriptions of 29,000 common and not so common words in the English language. less

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30

Sid the Sasquatch

Recipient of the 2017 Illustration Award in Reader's Favorite Annual Book Award Contest!

"Sid the Sasquatch" introduces you to a young, brave and fun-loving sasquatch as we follow him through his daily adventures. Sid does his best to follow the rules, but things get tricky when he stumbles into a friendship with a kind, human boy. What will become of Sid and his new friend? Will Sid's sasquatch family accept him? Take a journey into the forest with Sid to find out!
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Don't have time to read the top Braille books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31

Signing for Kids, Revised

The bestselling Parents' Choice Award Winner-now expanded with a new section on computer and technology terms.

Fully illustrated in a large format with clear, easy-to-read instructions, Signing for Kids features the clearest instructions and easiest-to-follow illustrations of any signing book available. And, Signing for Kids is as relevant to today's young readers as it is easy-to-use, with a new 16-page section of computer and technology terms.

With helpful hints and tips for better signing and an extensive index for easy reference, Signing for...
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32
Twelve-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi desperately wants to be a Jedi Knight. After years at the Jedi Temple, he knows the power of the lightsaber and the Force. But he cannot control his own anger and fear. Because of this, the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn will not take him on as a Padawan apprentice.

Now Obi-Wan is about to have his first encounter with true evil. He must face off against unexpected enemies--and face up to his own dark wishes.

Only then can his education as a Jedi truly begin.
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33

Annie and Helen

"What is breathtakingly shown here, through accurate, cross-hatched watercolor paintings; excerpts from Sullivan’s correspondence to her former teacher; and concise and poetic language, is the woman’s patience and belief in the intelligence of her student to grasp the concepts of language," praised School Library Journal in a starred review.

Author Deborah Hopkinson and illustrator Raul Colón present the story of Helen Keller in a fresh and original way that is perfect for young children. Focusing on the relationship between Helen and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, the book is...
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35
Word Search or Word Sleuth puzzles for children!
Lots of words for your kid to find in each grid. The search words include cats, dogs and other animals, flowers, fruits, math terms, science terms, simple words and some tough ones for your kid to improve their vocabulary!
Each puzzle contains a solution - another term which is hidden in the grid and comprises of the letters not used by any of the search words.
100 puzzles and thousands of words - so plenty of entertainment for your child!

_______________________________________

word search for kids, word...
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36
Learn to Read Activity Book delivers engaging lessons to successfully teach your child to read while having F-U-N.

Your child will learn to read--and actually enjoy the process--if it's fun. That's why seasoned primary school teacher, Heather Braun, combines playful activities with effective lesson plans in Learn to Read Activity Book.

Learn to Read Activity Book builds critical literary skills through a series of activities that create connections between letters and words and help your child learn to read.

Helping...
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37

A Picture Book of Louis Braille

As a child, Louis Braille lost his sight in a tragic accident--but he was determined not to let that limit him.

The young Frenchman sought every opportunity to learn, and by the time he was a teenager, began experimenting with a new form of writing. Today, his system of raised dots is used by people with visual difficulties across the world.

Backmatter includes a timeline and author's note, as well as a page of letters and numerals in braille printing.

For almost thirty years, David Adler's Picture Book Biography series has profiled famous people who...
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38

Braille Rainbow

Poems

Mike Barnes' Braille Rainbow is about perception across the sensory spectrum and the arc of learning about the world and about oneself. These poems, organized in four sections, engage first with infant appetites, others, and social justice, before turning inward to traverse the perilous heights and depths of the mind, drawing on Barnes' own experience of mental illness and his years of caring for his mother in her dementia. The latter half of the book addresses shifts in ways of thinking and feeling that allow contraries to meet and inform one another, and concludes with poems of peace... more

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39
Sign Language Made Simple will include five Parts:

Part One: an introduction, how to use this book, a brief history of signing and an explanation of how signing is different from other languages, including its use of non-manual markers (the use of brow, mouth, etc in signing.)
Part Two: Fingerspelling: the signing alphabet illustrated, the relationship between signing alphabet and ASL signs
Part Three: Dictionary of ASL signs: concrete nouns, abstractions, verbs, describers, other parts of speech-approx. 1,000 illustrations. Will also include instructions for...
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40
"I love you."
"What can I get you?"
"Let's take a walk."

Wanting to say simple things like these but not being able to is frustrating and disheartening—but learning how to communicate can be easy and fun! This book is a basic guide to the alphabet, vocabulary, and techniques it takes to connect using American Sign Language. Whether signing out of necessity or learning for the sake of growing, you will enjoy this practical primer. After reading this book, you will be able to use American Sign Language in a social, educational, or professional setting.

Whether...
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Don't have time to read the top Braille books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
41

The Secret Code

A fun and engaging way for young children to figure out concepts and solving problems on his or her own.
Rookie Readers (Ages 5-7) have provided entertaining, high-quality introductions to reading for more than a generation. Each title features full-color, often hilarious illustrations and engaging stories that always involve a young child figuring out concepts or solving problems on his or her own.

This book introduces Braille to young readers through the characters Oscar and Lucy.
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42

You're Perfect the Way You Are!

"You're Perfect the Way You Are!" is the message the author conveys in this heartwarming story of a young girl who is exhibiting early signs of low self-esteem.

Everyone tends to see flaws in themselves where none exist. Our children pick up on the subtleties of self-shaming that you may not even be aware of.

Follow one little girl as she goes about her day, wondering if she could somehow be better. And remember... you're perfect the way you are!
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44

The Braille Killer

How can you catch what you can’t see?

Blind at birth, Alice Bergman’s sight has been restored—but her childhood struggles and the assault she endured have never been forgotten. For the last ten years, she’s been secretly receiving letters from her attacker–letters written in Braille.

Now a homicide detective, Alice is assigned a murder case. The victim? A blind girl. The scene is preternaturally clean, far more than can be explained in any rational way. Alice is able to relive the girl’s last moments–but she can’t see the girl’s killer.

That doesn’t...
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45

The Burns Braille Transcription Dictionary

A handy, portable guide that is a quick reference for anyone who needs to check print-to-braille and braille-to-print meanings and symbols. This easy-to-use listing provides readers with the essential alphabet, contractions, punctuation, and signs and symbols for braille, as well as brief descriptions of rules for their use. Organized into four clear sections aimed at providing information at a glance, this valuable tool is an ideal reference for teachers, rehabilitation professionals, braille transcribers, and parents, as well as for signage companies, architects, and graphic artists. less

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46

Off to the Beach!

Come with us to the beach! Which way shall we go? What shall we do? What will we find? Have fun using your senses in this exciting and interactive visit to the beach! A journey of discovery designed with every child in mind. less

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47

Getting Ready

It's time to get up and get ready. There's so much to do! What shall we wear? What's for breakfast? And where will we go? Use all your senses to read this interactive book, developed with help from children and designed with every young reader in mind. less

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Don't have time to read the top Braille books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.