Follow My Leader

by HELEN H on 2009-09-01
I actually was not totally impressed by this book. There were many good things about it, which are mentioned above, especially the way he forgave his friend was very mature and well done. But I felt that Jimmy's mother needed training in using the guide dog which she did not get and only Jimmy could teach her. However, that was not appropriate for the mother-son relationship and I felt it was strained. Mom wanted the dog to sleep outside, Jimmy (disobediently) insisted the dog was supposed to sleep in his room, which was of course true, and I felt Jimmy needed an advocate to teach his mother how this was supposed to work. I also was left with a bad feeling when Jimmy attended school without the guide dog, I think it must be illegal to not allow a blind person their guide dog in school! But again, Jimmy seemed to have no advocate. Also when the dog was quarantined...Jimmy had to stand up for himself but was only a kid and really had no vote. My daughter, however, loved it, and it was still a good conversation starter even with its faults.

by JOLENE D on 2009-08-10
One of our favorites! My girls learned so much about not judging and about how people cope with disabilities. We were talking about it for weeks after finishing it! A huge hit!

by BETH D on 2009-05-24
This is one of those books I wish I had been introduced as a young reader. Good story, enjoyed learning about things I would have never thought about. There is a lot of dialogue, so I did feel a little more worn out than other books, but it was totally worth it. I was amused by the fact that the main character and author are both the names of past presidents!

by REBECCA B on 2008-10-23
I think this book helps kids to see handicapped people with more compassion, because it could be any one of us.

by PAULA A on 2008-06-09
This was my 8 yr. old's favorite book this year. Keith C gives an excellent review, so I won't give a repeat. The beginning of this book had both of us in tears, I had to put it down for a few minutes. A very touching and heart-warming story. You really fall in love with Jimmy and Leader. This one will not make it into the For Sale box, it'll stay on our bookshelf

by EMILY S on 2008-05-26
This was my absolute favorite book growing up! It is a must for all family libraries. I can't wait until my little ones are using this core. I know they're going to love it too!

by CHARLENE D on 2008-05-26
My favorite book is Follow My Leader. It was written by James B. Garfield. My favorite character is Leader. It is about Jimmy and how he got a guide dog. I like it because it is exciting and it is a great book. Lily, 8

by AMY S on 2008-05-22
I recommend this book because it shows that it's okay to be blind. This book is about a boy named Jimmy who got hit by a firecracker and got blind. He doesn't like being blind, but when he gets a dog named Leader, his whole life changes. Remember, it's always okay to be blind. Review by Sierra S., age 8

by Keith C. on 2008-04-01
I love books that not only teach many lessons, but are also page-turners! This is one of them. We learned together how someone who becomes blind can learn to see with their other God-given senses. We learned about forgiveness and friendship. We learned how to consider others with a handicap. The boys were very much into this story and never wanted to stop reading. My youngest 6yo loved it so much that he has started reading it on his own a second time. There is one critique of caution regarding this book, and that is its frequent use of the words "Gee, Golly, Heck" (it was written in the 50's). I skipped those or switched words while reading aloud. I have scribbled them out for when the boys read on their own because my boys at their current ages imitate words and behavior very easily. I am still rating this book a 5-star, because I can't imagine not having the experience of reading it!