Roberta Karim

"Mandy Sue Day" is about a little girl who lives on a farm and gets an entire day to herself. She chooses to take care of her horse and ride around for most of the day. When she goes back into the house she is pampered with her favorite types of food and at night instead of sleeping in her room she requests to sleep in the loft with the horse. Her parents say it's okay and at the end of the book you find out that Mandy Sue is actually blind.

I would use this book in my classroom because all the details in the story are vivid because the aspect of sight is cut out. It would also be a good book to introduce the topic of special disabilities such as blindness.

Recommended age group: 7-9 years… (meer)

This book tells the story of young named Mandy Sue, who due to her hard work, earned her day off from chores. She spends her day taking care of her horse and it isn't until near the end of the story that the author reveals that Mandy Sue is blind. This is a great story to help children understand that just because a person is different, does not mean that they can't do some of the same things other children can. I love this story because throughout the story it has very vibrant illustrations and descriptive words.… (meer)

Mandy Sue and her brother younger Jeremy have both worked hard through the summer helping their parents around the farm. As a reward, during Indian summer both children are given one day each to spend doing exactly as they like with no chores. Mandy Sue spends the day with her horse grooming and riding and feeding and brushing. Although each activity is denoted by counting, smelling, tasting or touching, it isn't until the story has unfolded completely that a starling fact is revealed: Mary Sue is blind.

The plot is gentle, and the text is blank verse as easy on the ear as the illustrations are on the eye. While I question the realism (and wisdom!) of a sightless person taking a solo ride through the woods on a horse, it's a lovely, beautifully illustrated story.… (meer)