Description:
A puppy who became a true American hero. The blind boy who let nothing stop him. When they finally grew up and met, it was magic. On September 11, 2001, a blind man escaped the World Trade Center by walking down 78 flights of stairs with his guide dog. Days later, America fell in love with Mike and Roselle, and the special bond that helped them survive. Mike shared his story in the New York Times bestselling book, Thunder Dog.
Now, in Running With Roselle, kids can follow Roselle as she grows from an energetic yellow Lab prone to stealing her puppy raiser’s slippers to a confident guide dog who passes the ultimate test when her partner needs her most. Meet Mike, a boy blind from birth who excels in public school, shocks the neighbors by riding his bicycle through the streets of Palmdale, CA, drives a car around his college campus, and uses his relationship of trust and teamwork with Roselle to help others on a day that changed America forever.
My Review:
Being born visually impaired, and then legally blind by 14, I can so relate to Mike. I went to school about the same time frame and I can attest to the struggles students with disabilities faced. Classes were based on the chalkboard or overhead projectors. To me it was all a blur, even sitting right next to the teacher’s desk. And only a few teachers took the effort to help someone that needed the extra assistance.
Kudos to Mike, and his parents, for helping him be ordinary. We learn to live and work with our limitations and strive to be like everyone else. I totally get his thrill with driving.
As for Roselle, how could you not love her? She was so brave and sounded like an amazing dog. I just knew I would cry, and I did.
This was also an educational story as it explained how guide dogs are trained and the process they have to go through. To me, it almost borders on animal cruelty, but I understand the need for the strict discipline for them to help their partners.
What I didn’t like was making a 4 year-old and dog sound like an adult with complex thoughts and ideas. That didn’t set well with my logical brain. But that was probably just me.
Other than that, I enjoyed the story and sad that 9-11 has become a footnote in our history and almost forgotten. Readers who are dog lovers, enjoy true life stories, and like learning new stuff will love this book. I give it 4 stars.
