Norine's Notes
Norine's Notes
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Guide Dog Connections
The Presses Are Rolling!
The artist is drawing, the editor is editing, and the presses are rolling. My book, Guide Dog Connections, is being published by i-Universe Press, and should be available in June, 2005. It can be ordered through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and numerous other book sellers and distributors.
Guide Dog Connections What do an old Labrador from a loving family and a young Golden Retriever from a prison have in common? Moses, about to retire, doesn’t want to give up his guide dog post, especially to a girl dog, but he likes the thought of spending more time chasing squirrels or snoozing in front of the fire. He meets the new guide dog, Goldie, and is instantly suspicious, jealous and curious. Moses tells Goldie he survived a hurricane and about the family he lived with before becoming a working dog, and Goldie shares how a prison inmate raised her. They exchange stories about their training and Moses tries to prepare Goldie for work with Norine. Even though their backgrounds are different, they learn they were both trained to do one thing: help a blind person. Two fifth graders, Ashley and Chloe, simultaneously develop a friendship after a rocky start. Ashley and the “in crowd” reject the new girl, Chloe, because her mother is in prison. As they come to know Chloe they accept her for who she is. Ashley’s mother is blind and she and Chloe discover their lives are intricately intertwined. Ashley and Chloe learn about guide dogs, different kinds of blindness, the obstacles, the accomplishments, and varied careers of blind people. They learn about different kinds of working dogs. They look beyond differences and disabilities and find human qualities of love and compassion, sometimes in unexpected ways. This entertaining book, for readers of all ages, intertwines a compelling story and comprehensively covers the life span of a guide dog from birth to life with his puppy family, through his work career, and into retirement. It also provides an extensive look at various kinds of vision loss, rehabilitation programs, and the full and productive lives of people inconvenienced by vision loss and blindness. The story line provides sensitive insight into all the characters as they try to resolve difficult conflicts of rejection, perception, loss, love, family, friendships, and death. I have years of experience working as a teacher, university professor, pediatric nurse and nurse practitioner with children with disabilities. Seven years ago, I had a stroke and lost my vision. A year later I was paired with my guide dog. This combination of professional experience with children and personal insight came together in writing this unique and entertaining book. It is beautifully illustrated by my friend Robert Mullins.
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