Creative teaching ideas for FOLLOW MY LEADER

Creative Teaching Ideas for

FOLLOW MY LEADER

by James B. Garfield (1957)

ON THIS PAGE: LitWits hands-on activity ideas and instructions, teaching topics, learning links, and more. Scroll on!

Printables for purchase

About the story

When Jimmy is blinded in a firecracker accident, he’s understandably angry and bitter—especially at Mike, the boy he blames. Jimmy’s new life is very hard at first, and there seems far too much to learn. But with the support of his mother, sister, and a therapist, he learns how to get around, get dressed, and find whatever he needs (except the ability to forgive his friend, that is). After lots of difficult training with his new guide dog, Leader, Jimmy gains confidence enough to re-enter school, get a job, and return to Boy Scouting. When Leader and Mike have a confrontation, Jimmy’s new perspectives are put to the test. Follow My Leader is a beautiful story, largely autobiographical, that conveys the importance of attitude, perseverance, independence, and letting go.

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About the author

We were astounded by the absence of information about this amazing blind author, who accomplished so much for others in his 102 years! He spent his whole long life helping others, especially the blind — yet even many blind people and organizations are unfamiliar with his enormous impact on their world.

Hands-on Fun

Making a plan . . .

There are many ideas in this Hands-on Fun section—don't feel you have to do them all! Go with whatever works best for you and your kids. If you want to focus on a particular teaching point, our Takeaway Topics section can help you narrow down the activity options. And you can enhance discussions during any activity with audiovisual aids from Learning Links or story objects from Prop Ideas.

In our workshops, we do all the activities on this page, in order of the story's narrative arc. You might find our narrative arc worksheet helpful for sequencing your activities, teaching the important concept of the arc, and helping kids see how James B. Garfield put Follow My Leader together.

Narrative arc worksheet & other printables

BookBites

Awkward Situation Snacktime

A LitWits activity from the Conflict

BookBites is the part of our literary experience when we get to “taste the story.” We choose a food right out of the book, and it has to meet at least one criterion:

it’s important to a plot point
it has thematic significance
it’s unfamiliar for reasons of culture, era, or location

To experience a taste of Follow My Leader, we served dog biscuits and rawhide bones. Just kidding! We shared in the refreshments that Mrs. Carter offered Jimmy and his friends: 1950s-style cookies (bought or baked) on a platter, and a glass pitcher of lemonade.

This snack represents Jimmy’s first awkward moments with his friends after coming home from the hospital, a "sweet-and-sour" visit that highlights his need for new skills. Trying to eat and drink without seeing what he was doing was frustrating for Jimmy, but his friends and sister were kind, and he got the hang of it.

We had the kids choose two kinds of cookies by texture, as Jimmy would have.

In another workshop, we prepacked cookies and attached our "Awkward Snack" label (see our printables for that.)

Awkward situation and embarrassed silence snack from FOLLOW MY LEADER - a great opportunity to discuss how to BE with people who are blind, and to empathize with Jimmy AND his friends about these difficult moments.

As they ate, we read them the scene:

INSPIRATION

Chuck went to the chair beside Jimmy's bed and sat very straight. Art tiptoed quietly to a chair at the table that Jimmy used for a desk. There was an embarrassed silence. neither of them could think of anything to say. [...] Carolyn came in with three glasses of lemonade and a plate of cookies on a tray. She stopped in the doorway, a feeling of shyness coming over her also. [...]

[Jimmy was] reaching for the glass as Carolyn extended it. Their hands almost collided. Carolyn quickly drew back, then reached forward and put the glass into his outstretched hand. […] Again came the awkward situation of Carolyn’s getting the plate under his extended hand. Jimmy knocked a cookie off the plate as he picked up one next to it, but no one said anything […]. – Ch. 2

FOR DISCUSSION

Rereading this reunion aloud gave us the chance to share the etiquette of meeting and hanging out with people who are blind.

(It also gave us a chance to talk about Jimmy's nickname for his sister, and why that word isn't used anymore.)

We asked the kids if they felt sorry for Jimmy when he first took off his bandages. Of course they did! But for how long? Does Miss Thompson feel sorry for him? How does she treat him, and what does she teach him? When does he start to stop feeling sorry for himself, and why? These questions led to thoughtful conversations that brought out the kids' natural empathy.

Snack label & other printables

Guess What!

A LitWits activity from the Rising Action

Jimmy's understandably angry and frustrated and miserable at first, but he understands quickly that he’s going to have to learn new skills and use new tools to have a good life. So, with Miss Thompson's help, he learns to use senses other than sight to gather information about the world around him, including the things he needs to interact with every day.

Our kids were surprised to realize how adept they could be at using touch, smell, previous experience and imagination to “decode” unfamiliar objects.

INSPIRATION

Miss Thompson is explaining how Jimmy can “see” without his eyes:

“You have an eye on the tip of each finger, one at the end of your white cane, one more on the point of each shoe, and the one great eye in the center of your brain. People don’t see with their eyes; they see with their brains. They don’t feel with their fingers or hear with their ears. When you touch something with your hand, or when you hear a sound, the brain tells you what it is. We’re like beetles with a lot of feelers, and you only lost two of yours.” (Ch. 4)

SUPPLIES

Blindfolds, one per child
Unique objects from around the house that would not be immediately recognizable by touch (one object per child). Put each object in a paper bag.

DIRECTIONS

Blindfold all the kids before you hand out the bags of objects. (The bags reduce the temptation to peek.)
After exploring their object without looking, each child can take turns explaining what they think their object looks like, how it smells, what it’s made of, and what color they think it is. Ask them to pay attention to each of their senses, and to use all their detective skills.
When everyone has had a turn, remove the blindfolds. The kids will probably be surprised at how accurate their guesses were!

PRINTABLES SET

Guess Which!

A LitWits activity from the Rising Action

As he learns to adapt to his blindness, Jimmy has a few experiences we thought would be interesting to recreate. They each revolve around his growing ability to accomplish everyday tasks with confidence, even though they might have been difficult at first.

During this activity we played vintage swing music in the background, to help us feel more like we were right there in the story with Jimmy. It also audibly connected us to the author’s long career in radio and entertainment.

SUPPLIES

similar containers of cornmeal and powdered soap with scoops
toothbrush
toothpaste and a similar-feeling tube of shaving cream, hair gel, etc.
a variety of coin money

DIRECTIONS

Washing Dishes: Place two closed containers (one of soap, one of cornmeal) and a bowl in front of a blindfolded volunteer. Read the inspiration from the book:

Then he searched for the soap powder. Too many things in the kitchen come in paper boxes. Now he was sure he had found it. Jimmy felt the small grains in the box, smelled it, and was not so sure because there was no odor. He put a pinch in the palm of his hand and moistened it, but it was not slippery so it could not be soap.

Suddenly he laughed. “Better not tell Mom that I tried to wash the dishes in cornmeal.” The box went back on the shelf. Next to it was the soap powder. – Ch. 6

Then have the volunteer scoop some soap into the bowl. (The containers will have to be opened—ideally the cornmeal first, since it will be odorless.) Ask the volunteer to deduce which substance will do the best job washing dishes.

Brushing teeth: Ask another “sensory detective” to get the right amount of toothpaste (not shaving cream!) on his toothbrush. Here’s the inspiration from the book for this:

He dashed into the bathroom, snapped open the medicine cabinet to get his toothpaste, and squeezed a ribbon of it onto his index finger. That was the way he measured the amount to use. Then he grabbed his toothbrush, spread the paste on the brush, and started scrubbing his teeth. (Ch. 11)

Making change: Have a third blindfolded child count out a correct amount in change, just as Jimmy would have learned to do in order to run his paper stand.

Be sure to allow enough time–each of our kids wanted to try at least one of these challenges! Afterwards, discuss how their temporary lack of vision made them feel. Some of them may say they felt frustrated or foolish, but proud that they were able to figure out what they were handling. Emphasize their ability to use their senses, skills, and imaginations to accomplish these tasks.

PRINTABLES SET

Getting a guide dog while blindfolded, having another describe it to you, and then renamiing it - like Jimmy did in FOLLOW MY LEADER by James B. Garfield.

Get Sirius!

A LitWits activity from the Rising Action

It's such a special moment when Jimmy finally meets his dog and Mr. Weeks tells him what Sirius looks like —and, later, where the dog got his name. Still Jimmy can't wait to rename him "Leader."

For this activity, we pretended to hear growling from a closet, then opened the door to find that a special delivery from Guide Dog School had arrived! The kids were ECSTATIC at this surprise!

Each received a bag (don't forget the breathing holes PLEASE), put on a blindfold, and gave their "Sirius" to an unblindfolded partner, who then described the dog's colors, breed, and expression.

Then the blindfolded child got to remove the blindfold, see if imagination and description matched up, and switch roles with their partner. Then all the kids got to rename their dogs as they pleased.

It's loads of fun to get your own guide dog, visualize it through another's description, then pick your own name—just like Jimmy!

Guide dog label & other printables

Dog Talk

A LitWits activity from the Rising Action

If you can arrange for a visit from Guide Dogs for the Blind, it will be a highlight of your kids’ year. It will also give them a chance to see the author’s work in effect — Garfield was instrumental in creating the State Board for this fine organization in 1947, to ensure proper regulation and to maintain its reputation.

In preparation for this visit we watched some heartwarming, informative videos about guide dog relationships, and talked about how to be respectful around a guide dog team.

PRINTABLES SET

Dogs & Dots

A LitWits activity from the Rising Action

Braille is not only functional, it also has a beautiful, artistic quality to it. The same could be said for Jimmy’s guide dog, Leader! For this project we created an enlarged Braille version of the book’s title, and then colored in Leader’s portrait, using the description given by Jimmy’s friends in the book.

INSPIRATION

“He sure is a good-looking dog, Jimmy.” Chuck was studying the dog. “I guess you know what he looks like.”

[…] “Tell me,” Jimmy said. “I think he’s black with a fawn-colored underbody and legs. His haunches are fawn, blending into the black. Am I right?”

“Yes, but his head is marked like somebody painted it,” Chuck said. “There’s a tan patch on top of his head between the ears, with a black streak running down the center.”

“I said his hair was parted in the middle,” Carolyn giggled.

The boys laughed. “It does look sort of like that. See if you can get this, Jimmy,” Chuck went on. “His ruff is tan, shading into a light gray on his chest and shirt front.”

“And a black velvet nose and gorgeous brown eyes,” Carolyn added.

“He sure is good-looking,” Art said. – Ch. 14

SUPPLIES

dots of Leader-colored construction paper (black, browns, tans, grays), created with a hole-punch, or use stickers
colored pencils
black cardstock (or pocket folders – we use them to store worksheets)
glue sticks
template (in our printables)

DIRECTIONS

Hand out the supplies, read the inspiration from the book together, and encourage the kids to be as true to the description as possible as they color in their Leaders.

When gluing on the dots, the kids should keep the doggy-colors random but the dots accurately spaced so that the Braille is legible.

This is a simple project, so while the kids worked we talked about James B. Garfield’s amazing life and legacy, and watched some videos about guide dogs. (Scroll down to Learning Links for these.)

As a final step, glue the entire template page to the folder or cardstock.

Template & other printables

Barkable Braille

A LitWits activity from the Rising Action

To introduce this project, we chatted briefly about Braille's French inventor, Louis Braille, and how he made a better life for himself. We talked about how how Braille works, then deciphered the Dog Latin variation invented by Jimmy and his friends. Your kids can do this by themselves – but we found it was a little tricky for some, and more fun to do together.

You’ll just need copies of the “Puppy Talk” translations handout for everyone, and a chalkboard or whiteboard.

DIRECTIONS

Write the numbered sentence on the board (from the handout).
Ask a volunteer to cross out every 7, 8, and 9 to mark the breaks between letters.
Ask another volunteer to draw a vertical line after every pair of those, to mark the breaks between words.
Ask a third volunteer to find 256, and replace those numbers with a period.
Call on volunteers to translate one letter at a time, using the Braille chart on the handout.

PRINTABLES SET

Slated for Success

A LitWits activity from the Rising Action

The more we “do the things the characters do,” the more we identify with them — and with real-life people in similar circumstances. Learning Braille is critical to Jimmy's development and self-sufficiency, so we had the kids give it a try, using Braille slates we borrowed from our county's Office of Education. This let them experience a different way of communicating, and helped them appreciate the skills learned by people who are blind.

Here's the Braille alphabet, which we also provide on our "Translations" worksheets, in our printables.

Translations worksheets & other printables

Finding Forgiveness

A LitWits activity from the Climax & Resolution

The firecracker that ruins Jimmy's eyes also ruins his dream of becoming a big-league baseball player. Jimmy carries around the poison of hate for a long time before he's able to forgive Mike. Ask the kids what changed Jimmy’s mind. Have they ever done something that caused someone distress, and felt really awful about it? Of course--we all have! Ask them to imagine they’re in Mike’s shoes, and are experiencing Jimmy's forgiveness. What would that feel like?

Jimmy needed time to process his anger and grief before he could forgive. Our creative writing worksheet let kids speed up that process.

Creative writing worksheet & other printables

Sunrise by the Clock

A LitWits activity from the Falling Action

This project combines two elements from the book: the unique way Jimmy learns to navigate his dinner plate using clock positions, like a fighter bomber, and the beautiful description of the sunrise from the scouting expedition.

After blindfolding the kids and telling them which color was at which “o’clock” on their plates, we asked them to paint a sunrise as Jimmy saw it: sightlessly. Relying on other senses and instinct, and using these new navigational skills, their suns rose beautifully.

This project — this entire book — inspires admiration, not pity.

INSPIRATION

They stood in awe at the majesty of the sunrise, the red glow followed by streamers of bright gold. Then the disk of sun, like molten fire, peeked over the top of the distant hills.

“It’s wonderful!” Chuck said quietly. “Wish you could see it, Jimmy.”

“I can see it without looking.” Jimmy grinned. “And I wouldn’t have to come up here to do that.” – Ch. 17

SUPPLIES & PREP

Heavy paper
Red, orange, blue, and green poster paint
Paper plates to hold blobs of paint

Prepare (for each child) a paper plate with a blob of red paint at the top, orange on the right, blue at the bottom, and green on the left.

DIRECTIONS

Blindfold the kids and read, or at least talk about, the scene from Chapter 9 in which Miss Young teaches Jimmy to visualize his dinner plate as the face of a clock, with his carrots from two to four o’clock, meat at six o’clock, string beans at twelve o’clock, etc. Tell them they will each receive a plate as well, but theirs will have paint on it instead of food.
Hand out the plates and explain that their red paint is at twelve o’clock, orange is at three o’clock, blue is at six o’clock, and green is at nine 0’clock. Go over this arrangement several times, having them repeat the colors’ positions until they all know exactly what color is where. Hand out paper; make sure everyone knows where paper and plate are.
Read the inspiration from the book and ask the kids to paint this sunrise scene as best they can, using their fingers instead of brushes.

PRINTABLES SET

Printables Previews

The worksheets and printables used for our activities are sold as a complete set.

Common Core State Standards Alignment for the comprehensive use of our teaching ideas and materials is also included for grades 3, 4, 5 and 6.

DETAILS

The LitWits Kit

Pack up for the field trip!

A LitWits Kit is a bag or box of supplies you pack up and give to each child right before you begin your "field trip" through the story. You might be doing one-off projects as you read through the book together, or you might do everything in this guide from top to bottom after the book has been read. However you explore this book in LitWitty ways, kids love the anticipation of opening their kit.

If you'd like to build LitWits Kits for your kids, you could easily arrange the items in a bag, basket, or story-relevant container. Honestly, it's just as much fun to create a kit as it is to open one!

To make it all the more fun, our printables for many books include special "story packaging" for certain activity supplies, including BookBites. Click the button below for a specific list of contents for this book.

PRINTABLES SET

Takeaway Topics

Why we chose this book for a "field trip"

When we read this book as kids, we felt so sorry for Jimmy--at first. As he made the shift from feeling helpless to gaining new skills, tools, and confidence, our pity quickly changed to admiration. As he learned techniques for navigating in the dark, so did we. As he learned how capable a blind person could be, so did we. As he stopped feeling sorry for himself, we stopped pitying him. In fact, we rather envied him--and not just because he had an awesome dog. And we weren't alone! Like so many other young readers have done for over 60 years, we even blindfolded ourselves to experience his world.

So we couldn't wait to introduce Jimmy and Leader to today's kids, through our experiential workshops. Follow My Leader is packed with great takeaway topics, which we're sharing below. In our workshops, we did our best to make these teaching points tangible, meaningful, and memorable in the kids' hands. It's amazing how much kids can learn while they're "just" having fun!

Happy reading,
Becky & Jenny

Takeaway 1

The Author as a Role Model

We found only one short, very old article about James B. Garfield, but it was intriguing enough to send us researching. What we discovered was an extremely rare and remarkable person--it's not hyperbolic to say we're in awe of this man. It boggled our minds that so little was known about him! Everyone should know what James B. Garfield, who went blind by 60, has done for humanity--especially, but not only, for blind people. He was truly the kind of human we all should aspire to be. So with the assistance of his granddaughter we put together a much-needed biography, which you'll find in our Learning Links section, along with rare family photos. We're sure you'll want to share his exemplary life with your kids.

Hands-on connections in this guide: “Dog & Dots” project, “Guess What!” activity, “Guess Which!” activity, “Dog Talk” activity, “Sunrise by the Clock” project, “Slated for Success” activity, narrative arc handout, translations worksheets

PRINTABLES SET

Takeaway 2

Skills & Tools of Blind People

Follow My Leader was published in an era when the well-intentioned often saw the “disabled” as pitiable and deserving of help. But if there’s one thing readers learn from this book, it’s that people who are blind are not to be pitied. In fact, as we learn along with Jimmy just what they CAN do, and how to navigate in darkness, we're astounded and inspired. We also learn, through Jimmy, how we should treat people who are blind. And how's that? Just like anyone else! This simple story teaches us how blind people perform daily tasks and gain self-sufficiency, but, also about the power of a positive attitude and perseverance.

Hands-on connections in this guide: “Guess What!” activity, “Guess Which!” activity, “Dog Talk” activity, “Sunrise by the Clock” project, “Barkable Braille” activity, “Slated for Success” activity, BookBites snack distribution, science handout, translations worksheets, eye model, props that are used by people who are blind

PRINTABLES SET

Takeaway 3

Forgiveness

Every reader can understand Jimmy’s anger at Mike, the boy who tossed the firecracker in Jimmy’s direction, costing him his vision and his dream of becoming a big-league baseball player. Jimmy has very human moments of anger, frustration, anguish, and even petulance about his loss--these emotions are what make him real for us, and we're right there with him--but we're also at his side for the upward climb as he gets a grip on "what is," learns new skills, gets to know his guide dog, gains confidence, earns others' (and our) admiration and respect, and finally, in the biggest work of progress, forgives his friend.

Hands-on connections in this guide: creative writing handout

PRINTABLES SET

. . . and more!

Follow My Leader is chock-full of other wonderful topics to explore, too--from anatomy and astronomy to baseball rules and firecracker safety. Scroll down to see our curated Learning Links for more tangential teaching opportunities, and to see how we brought this book and its ideas to life.

Learning Links

Explore these links to supplement your reading experience, research points of interest, and prompt tangential learning opportunities.

About the Book & Author

Fortunately we were able to connect with his granddaughter, Amy Lazarus, and her mother Carolyn (the “Carolyn” of the story), who both generously shared their time, anecdotes, and family photos with us. With their help, we wrote the biography below, and have added the video biography above. We hope you'll help spread the word about this extraordinary man and his legacy.

The Blind Leading the Blind

How the author of Follow My Leader brightened the world

by Becky & Jenny of LitWits Workshops (2013)

Published in an era when the well-intentioned often saw the “different” as pitiable and deserving of help, Follow My Leader presented a clearer view. Although Jimmy, the 11-year-old protagonist blinded by a firecracker, has very human moments of anger and petulance, with the help of others he's able to learn new skills, discover his capabilities, adopt a new attitude, and earn opportunities and respect. His return to self-sufficiency leaves readers in awe of, not in sympathy with, the vision-impaired.

Though reviewers make it clear that Follow My Leader and its themes have long been treasured, author James B. Garfield seems to have managed the unthinkable: near-complete Internet absence. Enter his name in a search bar and you’ll get nothing but an orange cartoon cat and an assassinated president. One single article, published in The Blind American in 1962, exists to shed light on the man who wrote this well-loved, transformative book.

But we found that one article truly – well, eye-opening. It’s quite evident that James B. Garfield was a man whose life and legacy should be far better acknowledged. He lived an intensely industrious, philanthropic life of almost 103 years – the final 43 of which were dedicated to lightening loads and enlightening the public on behalf of his fellow blind. So with the help of Garfield’s daughter Carolyn and granddaughter Amy Lazarus, who graciously shared the photographs included here, we'd like to help draw back the curtain on the life of this remarkable man--a man who contributed far more to humanity than just his beloved book.

Birth, Broadway, and WW1

James Bandman Garfield Eichberg wasn't born a leader. On September 19, 1881 -- the day of President Garfield’s assassination -- he followed eight siblings into the world. His mother, having hoped for a baby girl, kept James in kilts and long curls far too long, which earned him a few taunts from the neighborhood boys and his numerous brothers. As a result he became “quite a fighter."* But he had more than feminine styling working against him. James had tunnel vision as a child, and the family doctor predicted that he would go blind very young. Somehow he retained his sight for decades.

Perhaps sheer willpower was a factor, as he was determined to act onstage. James dropped out of high school, dropped his surname, and picked up a Broadway role. Though his eyesight was poor, it served him well enough to get him on the stage of which he had dreamed, and then into the Great War, of which he most certainly had not.

Radio, Writing, and Acting

Once the war and his role as a sergeant-major in the Air Force were over, his theatrical inclinations branched into radio. As a freelance radio artist, James wrote dramas and would eventually act in over 2,000 soap operas. He also organized the first professional actors’ organization, “White Rats,” in 1910, which was later absorbed by Actors’ Equity. In 1926 his wife, Edith Weil Eichberg, gave birth to Carolyn, and four years later the family moved to Hollywood.

Edith was not in good health, and James needed someone to help care for their child. Carolyn was sent to a boarding school where most of the students went home at the end of the day. Carolyn, now 86, remembers being utterly miserable. When the school finally advised her father of her misery, he promptly pulled her out and sent her to live in Georgia with his sister Ruby, who raised her.

Grief and Blindness

In 1937, when Carolyn was only eleven, her mother passed away in California. And another darkness was encroaching upon her father, who had enjoyed a decade of success in radio there. By 1940, he was completely blind.

James B. Garfield’s daughter Carolyn
Photos courtesy of her daughter Amy Lazarus

A Second Life: Leadership and Advocacy

But James B. Garfield, at sixty, had only just begun to serve. He acquired the first of his guide dogs and worked in an aircraft plant, where he became acquainted with other blind people and their problems – such as being laid off after World War II, when the defense plants closed. Wanting to help, he attended a meeting of the LA County Club of the Adult Blind (an affiliate of the California Council of the Blind) – and was offered its presidency that very night.

His acceptance, in his mid-sixties, marked the beginning of the second half of his life. It was a post he would hold for 12 years as he zealously pursued rights for blind people. His efforts would include thwarting the 1947 attempt to amend the constitution that would have threatened the Welfare and Institutions Code of California. He was also instrumental in the creation of the State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind that year.

Teacher

His original career as an actor and radio dramatist segued into a teaching position at a radio dramatics school founded by the American Federation of Radio Artists, where he helped World War II veterans brush up on their skills to return to broadcasting.

One day one of his students, actor Paul Lukather, took him to his horse farm, where James asked to ride. “You’re going to ride blind?” someone asked, aghast. James gave a characteristically isn’t-it-obvious reply: “Well, I’m blind, so if I’m going to ride, I’m going to have to ride blind, aren’t I."*

It’s the same sort of scene that played out when he swam, a scene he later recreated for Jimmy in Follow My Leader. Like his namesake in the book, James didn’t ever let blindness prevent him from doing what he wanted to do. He strongly believed in the ability – and worked for the rights – of blind people to do anything they wanted.

Radio Host and Author

To publicly emphasize the equality, humanity, and rights of the blind, James began his own program in 1947, “A Blind Man Looks at You” on KGFJ in LA. For fifteen minutes once a week he raised awareness about the needs and goals of blind people – the most important, of course, being understanding. The show would run for twenty years, and James would receive many awards and honors for his role in raising awareness.

It was during this time that James wrote his first book, Follow My Leader, the story of a blind boy and his guide dog, published in 1957. Though a second book, They Like You Better, was published two years later, it’s Follow My Leader that baby boomers and their kids remember and love. The book draws deeply on Garfield’s own experiences, from the protagonist’s name and guide dog acquisition, to the way in which Jimmy and James both swam blind in streams.

Carolyn was in her thirties by the time it was published, but Amy, the youngest of his two granddaughters, first read the published book as a third-grade class assignment in the 1970s. (Amy is pictured here in her mother's arms.) She remembers being proud that her granddad had written it, but what stands out most in her memory is her reaction, the same one of kids across time: the impulse to close her eyes and pretend she was blind, and the relief that she could open them and see.

James B. Garfield continued to raise both funds and awareness, and was in constant demand as a speaker, either as an advocate for blind people or as the author of Follow My Leader.

A Third Life: Official Roles at High Levels

He continued to serve in official roles as well. In 1960, at age 79, he began serving his second term as secretary of the California Council of the Blind. And by 1962 the octogenarian, now working with Flora, his third guide dog, had been appointed to the State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind by three consecutive governors. His work directly influenced the high standards held by California guide dog schools, as well as the passing of legislation that permits guide dogs to be present in traffic and on public transportation. He also initiated a fundraising effort for building the Atkinson recreation center at the Braille Institute of America, where he taught and advised.

Most people who reach their ninth decade with so many achievements behind them might choose to retire. But "There is too much to do yet," he said in an interview for The Blind American that year, "especially in the field of educational and employment opportunities for our young blind people. I intend to help until we gain a fair and equal chance in our society for these kids."**

Family Legacy and Love of Learning

Though most of Carolyn’s childhood was spent far from her busy father, she had visited him while attending UCLA, where she majored in commercial art. Clearly influenced by her father’s humanitarian bent, she made a shift from one field to another to serve the disadvantaged. After returning to Georgia and finishing her degree, she did social work for the Atlanta Traveler’s Aid Society, where she helped runaways, and then she went to New York to serve as a medical social worker for the New York state hospitals.

No matter the distance between them, Carolyn had always felt the bond her father had with her – and with his dogs. One day, as a college student, she had taken Midgie, his German Shepherd guide dog, for a walk when the dog pulled away and escaped. Carolyn gave chase, but Midgie, enjoying what seemed a game, evaded her. Carolyn had to return without the invaluable, beloved dog. “Dad,” she said, heart thumping, “I lost your guide dog.” He simply went to the door and whistled, and Midgie bounded over the threshold. When such canine misbehaviors occurred, his method of correction was to strike his own wrist – never the dog – with the leash. This act would horrify the dog, and correct the behavior very effectively.*

James Garfield’s nature was deeply philosophical and nondivisive – he “voted the man,” and as for religion, he “believed in all of them.”*** His lifetime portfolio of writing would include poetry, stories, and poems for juvenile magazines; plays and vaudeville sketches; more than 2,000 soap operas; two murder mysteries, a biography, a philosophical book of poems, and a book of philosophy. His passion for learning was reflected in his acquisition of eight languages or dialects and his unflagging zeal for achieving his goals. “He had a wonderful zest for life,” Carolyn says warmly.*

Her daughters, Amy and Ann, seem to have inherited that zest, along with his intellect and integrity. Ann has a BS in management and is raising two sons, Ryan and Scott; she and her husband are actively involved in their sons’ scouting activities. Amy has a BS in industrial engineering, an MBA, and her granddad’s writing gene; she’s working on a legal thriller, and may soon, we hope, be editing and republishing some of his out-of-print works. Both daughters care for their mom and others in ways that would make their granddad very proud.

Time to Rest

When James B. Garfield moved to Valdosta, Georgia under Carolyn’s care, he was over a hundred years old. But he still wasn’t ready to give up his independence. For at least another year he continued to live alone, with in-home help and his last dog, Coral. He was 102 when he moved to the Fellowship Home Retirement Community, where, though his mind was still sharp, pneumonia set in. In yet another characteristically wry response to the obvious, he quipped, “It wasn’t the cough that carried him off, it was the coffin they carried him off in!”*

But even the most industrious and determined of men must eventually rest. In March 1984, this great humanitarian – a man who had given his gifts to audiences, his country, war veterans, the blind, his family, thousands of fans, and millions of readers to come – finally closed his eyes and went into the dark. But we who follow this tireless leader can still see the trail of light he left behind.

---------------------------------------
All photographs are courtesy of Amy Lazarus and Carolyn Lazarus.
* Interview with Carolyn Lazarus, April 4-5, 2013.
**Mannino, Anthony. "Success Story of an ‘Old Trouper’." The Blind American 22 February 1962. Vol. II No. 2. Web. National Federation for the Blind.org. 18 March 2013.

***Biography provided by Amy Lazarus, March 2013

Prop Ideas

When choosing props for our live workshops, we always try to focus on two important categories: props that are unique to the setting, because they help kids understand “what that was like,” and props that are symbolic of themes, because they make big ideas visual and tangible. Both kinds of props generate those wide-eyed, “aha!” moments.

Below is an overview of the display we put together for our live workshop, and under that we've given more details. You could easily have your kids contribute items to a table over time, as the book is being read.

Sometimes we create a printable prop; click the button to see the list for this book.

PRINTABLES SET

“I never told you fellows but I want to play professional ball.’” - Ch. 1

“Some day I hope to make the big league.’” - Ch. 1

Model of the human eye

Jimmy felt the doctor’s hands at his head and the wrappings slowly unwinding; he was looking through the bandages waiting for the first glorious burst of light.. - Ch. 1
Layer by layer the gauze peeled off; then Dr. Wallace stopped and Jimmy heard him step back. - Ch. 1
Medical gauze is a tangible reminder of Jimmy’s great loss.

“’I bet they’re dark glasses! I bet you want to hide my eyes. You mean they’re ugly!" [...] He snatched off the glasses. - Ch. 2

Braille slate and alphabet card – borrowed from county Blind Center

Braille typewriter, borrowed from county Blind Center

Each scout was carrying his pack and equipment for the overnight camping trip. - Ch. 17
Jimmy’s camping trip with his fellow Scouts marks the beginning of his journey through life as a capable blind man.

After a dinner of beans . . . and toasted marshmallows...followed by a few sleepy campfire songs, the boys turned in. - Ch. 17

Vintage canteen and thematic excerpt

The troop gathered at the Boy Scout hut for an early-morning start. -Ch. 17

LitWitty Shareables

Great Quotes

“You’re mistaken, Jimmy,” she explained patiently. “You have an eye on the tip of each finger, one at the end of your white cane, one more on the point of each shoe, and the one great eye in the center of your brain. People don’t see with their eyes, they see with their brains. They don’t feel with their fingers or hear with their ears. When you touch something with your hand, or when you hear a sound, the brain tells you what it is. We’re like beetles with a lot of feelers, and you only lost two of yours.”
*

“I sometimes think there are more blind people driving automobiles than using guide dogs.”
*

“Mr. Carter, do you expect the world to pad its corners for you, just because you’re blind?”
*

“I might have been sore at first, but I’ve learned that when you hate someone you are carrying poison around with you, and I don’t want to hate anybody.”
*

“Carter,” the scoutmaster continued, “has been going through a long, dark corridor. Now he has come out of it and is living a normal, useful life, asking no favors and doing his share of whatever is to be done. The patrol can be proud to have a boy like Carter as a member.”

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Happy teaching,
Becky and Jenny
Sisters, best friends, and partners

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We hope we've inspired you! If you're feeling a little overwhelmed (we hear that sometimes), remember, you're LitWitting whether you do a lot or a little. You can't go wrong! The learning is happening, trust us. Just take the pressure off and do what works for your kids, time, and budget. It's all about inspiring kids to read for fun, so they want to read more—because kids who read more great books learn more great things.

Now get ready for a bunch of wide-eyed kids having “aha!” moments . . . and you, grinning ear to ear because your kids are happily engaged with a great book.

Terms of Use

The Becky & Jenny version: Feel free to print pages for teaching use, and make copies of printables for your students. Please don’t use our name, ideas, or materials commercially or share our printables, though we'd love for you to share these free pages with your fellow educators.

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LitWits® is a registered trademark of LitWits Workshops, LLC.

LitWits teaching ideas and materials for Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield
Copyright 2014 by LitWits Workshops, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This LitWits Explorer’s Guide is dedicated to the memory of James Bandman Eichberg Garfield, who helped make the world a brighter place for all.

We gratefully acknowledge the contributions and permissions of his daughter, Carolyn Eichberg Lazarus
and his granddaughters, Amy Lazarus and Ann Anderson.

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