more information. Since these books are often used by educators with little to no
understanding of blindness, it would be beneficial to include discussion questions
with an answer key to deepen the reader's understanding of the joys and challenges
of living with impaired vision. The books that scored highest in this inclusivity
factor were Mandy Sue Day, Lucy's Picture, Through Grandpa's Eyes, and Keep
Your Ear on the Ball.
Story Attributes
Hallmarks of good children's literature related to plot, theme (moral of the
story), character development, point of view, resolution, illustrations, language,
appeal, relatability, and re-readability were evaluated. In addition, whether the
story was boring/compelling, whether it reflected multiculturalism, and whether it
should be used by blindness experts only/anyone was also rated. The overall
average for this inclusivity factor was .29, which puts it in good standing. Of
particular strength was the tendency to use captivating illustrations, elicit hope and
joy, make the characters relatable, and use rich language. Of particular concern
was the tendency toward weak character development and the story's re-
readability. While authors have many different purposes, most of these books fell
in the descriptive writing and expository writing categories. Many books described
sensory experiences (descriptive) and listed facts (expository) rather than having a
well-developed plot with a conflict (outside of blindness itself) to be resolved.
