GENRE: Non-Fiction, Biography
WORDS: 770
Query:
Dear Judges,
95 years ago, a young blind man and a dog changed the lives of America’s visually impaired people forever. Morris and Buddy Strut Their Stuff, a 770-word picture book, shows children how this pair’s resilience and perseverance offered the blind an independence they’d never had.
Model Ts clatter past Morris Frank, a blind man, frozen in fear in the middle of Broad Street in Nashville. His boy guide has abandoned him. Trapped, until a kind stranger leads him to safety. Morris will never get used to relying on people.
Then, Morris hears about a school overseas. It trains German shepherds to lead soldiers blinded in a recent war. To go wherever they want, whenever they want. A guide dog, they call it. Morris has to get one! And if a dog gets him back his freedom, he won’t stop there. He vows to open the first training school in the United States to help others like him. But how and where will he find that special dog?
The Seeing Eye, established by Morris and Buddy in 1929, granted me complete access to their extensive archives and free use of hundreds of photos. I reviewed many letters and other primary sources. In addition, I read Morris’s memoir and other books on the subject. I also interviewed guide dog owners. They helped me develop FAQs for back matter and served as sensitivity readers. Other back matter could include how Morris and Buddy broke down barriers for service dogs, what Morris did after Buddy died, and a list of today’s many U.S. guide dog schools.
Like Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, this book highlights the growth of a beneficial human/animal partnership, and like All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything, it illustrates how one person fought not only for himself but for others like him as well.
I am a former special education teacher, a member of SCBWI-IA, and participate in three critique groups. I have attended Highlights Foundation workshops and numerous writers’ conferences and webinars. I am attracted to little-known historical events. When I learned about Morris and Buddy, I believed the story behind the service dog industry would appeal to today’s curious and compassionate children.
I hope you find Morris and Buddy’s story as compelling as I do.
Excerpt:
Morris Frank, a young blind man, stood frozen in the middle of Nashville’s Broad Street
as Model Ts clattered by. Abandoned by his boy guide. Until a stranger led him to safety.
Morris would never get used to relying on people!
Then, he heard about a one-of-a-kind school for blind soldiers that trained dogs to take them wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted!
By George, he had to get one!
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
Today’s children see service dogs in many capacities. When I learned about Morris and Buddy, I believed curious and compassionate kids would be fascinated by how this first human/dog service partnership came to be. I taught children with disabilities and observed that those who thrived fought fiercely for independence. Morris and Buddy exemplify that struggle and its rewards. Their story serves not only as a lesson in history but also as an inspiration.
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