Carol S. Carter

I can't imagine loosing my vision, or knowing one day my vision might not be always remain the same, but if I did I would most definitely want to have Amanda's amazing courage and outlook on life. When she was in kindergarten Amanda got sick and lost a lot of her vision. After a while Amanda was able to go back to school but adjusting was difficult at times. Here Amanda learned how to live with her disability and become a productive member of society. At school there were other children with show more vision impairments so thankfully she did not feel alone. Amanda learned how to do everything again but just in different ways. She learned how to read braille, even though she was still able to see, her vision for future was not certain. She re-learned how to walk with a cane, and read with magnification.
My favorite part about Amanda is her attitude towards life. She does not love being blind but she does not feel bad for herself. She learned how to do life differently and is adjusting perfectly. She believes people with vision impairments can do anything anyone else can and she is so right! She is thankful she still has her vision, and one day if she does not have her vision, she proudly says, "I'm still going to be the star of my own life." show less

I really enjoyed reading this book about a little girl named Amanda who has sight impairment. This story was told in the light of Amanda’s eye and how she lives her everyday life. Amanda has friends that also have sight impairment. Some things that have been of assistance for Amanda and her friends with visual impairment are the use of magnifiers and big-print books to help her and others do their work. Amanda also explains that her friend Erin meets with Mr. Gilmore, a special teacher for show more the visually impaired. He helps her find her way around strange things. Towards the end of the book Amanda is very open about how she lives her life as normal as anyone else. I really liked how at the end she makes a statement that says, “And if someday I lose more of my sight, I’m still going to be the star of my own life.” This quote really stood out to me because of the confidence Amanda shows within herself. She doesn’t expect anyone to treat her any different because she is visually impaired. I think this book could teach a lot of us the importance of treating everyone equally. show less

This was a fantastic book about a little girl with low vision and some of her friends who also have vision impairment. I loved how she talked about all the things she CAN do, and how she addressed that it isn't GREAT that she has this struggle, but she doesn't feel sorry for herself. I also liked that the book discusses some of the modifications and accommodations that Amanda and her friends have to complete their schoolwork and fun time activities. It was wonderful that she also talked show more about her therapy to help with balance and such. I would have this book to tie in with a unit about Helen Keller and famous people with exceptionalities.
Reading Level: 4.5 Interest Level: K-3 show less

Seeing Things My Way is exactly what the title claims it to be. Partially blind Amanda explains her life in first person point of view. An inspiring story because not on one page does she complain about her lack of sight, she only talks about the tools she need to succeed. She's entirely aware of her disability but doesn't allow it to actually disable her. With real pictures from her life, you're immerse in her home life, interaction with her peers, and community. It's really cool to see show more someone live a life so different then yours as if it's normal. Then you realize it is normal for them just like your home life is normal for you. show less