The ABLE team has great news.
We have two books to give away this autumn, two books in braille with a print copy included. These books will be available just in time for the holiday season.
Supported by the Haydon Family Opportunity Fund of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
Harvey loves observing the natural world, especially his frog friend, Fortissima. From the edge of the pond, he notices details others miss.
But when a hungry heron strikes, everything changes. Forti is hurt. She can’t hop to catch bugs. She’s growing weaker, and without help, she won’t survive.
Harvey tries everything he can think of. Nothing works.
He needs a new idea, and the Teaching Tree might be the place to find one. But getting help means doing something that is really hard for Harvey. Can he find the courage to try?
With a wild storm coming and Forti running out of time, Harvey will need more than one good idea to save his friend.
Can Harvey save Fortissima before the storm blows her all the way to Antarctica?
Wanda Hears the Stars: A Blind Astronomer Listens to the Universe by Amy S. Hansen and Wanda Díaz Merced.
Supported by The Forest County Potawatomi Foundation
This is a nonfiction picture book biography of astrophysicist Wanda Díaz Merced and how losing her sight didn’t stop her from studying the stars.
This 2026 Schneider Family Book Award winner is an inspiring true story of a woman scientist of color and a riveting, intersectional STEM read for ages 6–9.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Wanda Díaz Merced wanted to learn everything she could about the stars. But in college she started losing her sight. How could she study what she couldn’t see?
Wanda found a way. She learned to hear the stars using sonification, which converts data into sounds. Listening to those chimes and drumbeats, she made new discoveries about the universe. Today Wanda is a leading advocate for inclusive science. She and her friend Amy S. Hansen collaborated on this book to inspire children to follow their curiosity no matter the challenges. As Wanda urges, “Never give up!” Wanda Hears the Stars is the perfect picture book biography to inspire any STEM-minded future scientist!
