Description
A heartwarming story about a boy and his guide dog, for fans of Where the Red Fern Grows and Because of Winn-Dixie.
After Jimmy is blinded in an accident with a firecracker, he has to relearn all the things he used to know - how to get dressed, how to find his way around the house, even how to eat. With the help of a determined therapist, he learns to read Braille and use a cane. Then he's given the chance to have a guide dog. Learning to work with Leader is not easy, but Jimmy tries harder than he ever has before. Can Leader really give him the ability and the confidence he needs?
About the Author
James B. Garfield was an American writer and radio show host, best known for his book "Follow My Leader," about a young boy who goes blind. Like his protagonist, Garfield lost his eyesight in his late fifties and was forced to adapt. At sixty, he acquired the first of his guide dogs and worked in an aircraft plant and was instrumental in the creation of the State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind.Garfield was born on September 19, 1881, the same day that James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was assassinated. Garfield was named in his honor. He was born with tunnel vision, and doctors predicted that he would lose his sight in childhood.However, he retained his vision for many decades. He loved theater as a teenager and dropped out of high school to accept a Broadway role.Though his eyesight was poor, he served as a sergeant-major in the Air Force during World War I.After his service, he branched into radio and moved with his wife and 4 year old daughter Carolyn to Hollywood in 1930. As a freelance radio artist, James wrote dramas and would eventually act in over 2,000 soap operas.In 1937, Garfield's wife Edith passed away, and by 1940, he was completely blind.But the 60 year old Garfield did not let this deter him, and got the first of his guide dogs. He worked at an aircraft plant and helped and communicated with other blind people.He attended a meeting of the LA County Club of the Adult Blind – and was offered its presidency that very night. His acceptance, inhis mid-sixties, marked the beginning of the second half of his life. It was a post he would hold for 12 years as he zealously pursued rights for the blind. His efforts would include thwarting the 1947 attempt to amend the constitution that would have threatened the Welfare and Institutions Code of California. He was also instrumental in the creation of the State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind that year.He began teaching classes on radio performance, and also learned to horseback ride, and became an avid equestrian all while blind.James began his own program in 1947, “A Blind Man Looks at You," which raised awareness about the needs and goals of the blind – the most important, of course, being understanding. The show would run for twenty years, and James would receive many awards and honors for his role in raising awareness about the blind.James lived to be 104 and was still sharp and witty into his old age. He passed away in March 1986.
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