I love the American Girl series. My story is about Samantha Parkington and her friend, Nellie O'Malley. All credit goes to Susan S. Adler in her creation of Samantha and friends.

Characters:

Libbi Cleary: A young teenager who had been deaf and blind since the age of three.

Lea Blackman: Libbi's mom, who has raised her since the illness struck.

Quinton Blackman: Libbi's grandfather, the only father-figure Libbi's ever really known.

Samantha Parkington: Libbi's friend and classmate.

Nellie O'Malley: Samantha and Libbi's friend and classmate.

Loretta Smith: Libbi's, Samantha's, and Nellie's teacher.

Libbi Cleary sat under an apple tree, reading a book. Libbi couldn't see what she was reading, but she used Braille, the written language of the blind. Libbi couldn't hear or see what was going on around her, but she knew by smelling, feeling, and tasting.

When Libbi was three, an illness robbed Libbi of her sight and hearing. Libbi was no longer a resident of the sight and hearing world. She was the only resident of a world of darkness and silence.

Libbi felt a tap on her shoulder. Libbi reached up and felt who it was. It was one of her friends and classmates, Samantha Parkington.

'Mrs. Smith says it's time to go in now.' Samantha fingerspelled in Libbi's hand.

Libbi and those around her communicated by fingerspelling words into each other's hands. Libbi, however, picked up a lot of Sign Language, the visual language of the deaf, when she could see and would sign normally to sighted folks.

Libbi marked the page she was on and closed it. Samantha helped Libbi up and led her back into the classroom with the other children.

'What's the book you're reading?' Samantha fingerspelled?

'It about Helen Keller. She born seeing and hearing, same me. She too deaf and blind same me.' Libbi signed. Libbi felt another tap on her shoulder. This time, it was her other friend, Nellie O'Malley.

Nellie and her two younger sisters, Bridget and Jenny, used live with their abusive uncle, Mike O'Malley, after their parents died. Thanks to Samantha, Nellie and her sisters now lived in peace. She, Bridget, and Jenny lived with Samantha and her uncle and aunt.

Mrs. Loretta Smith stepped up to the board.

"Alright class, I hope you had a good reccess. Now, it's time to pick up where we left off. Libbi, will you please come up to the board and write this problem?"

Samantha led Libbi to the board. Libbi felt for the chalk. Samantha fingerspelled the problem into Libbi's hand. 23(3) + 14(337+) =.

"Can anyone solve this problem?"

A boy named Thomas Peterson raised his hand. Mrs. Smith called him up to the front. He took the chalk from Libbi and she and Samantha went to go sit down.

"Solve this problem by using the Order of Operations method."

PEMDAS: Parenthesis, Exponets, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction.

3x3=9. 23+14=37. 37+9=46.

"Very good, Thomas."

Thomas returned to his seat.

At the end of the day, the three girls walked home. Nellie and Samantha always went out of their way to walk Libbi home first.

Libbi's mom always waited at the gate to take Libbi from the girls.

'See you tomorrow.' Samantha fingerspelled. Nellie did the same. Libbi nodded and waved.