Michael, left, and Bill Henson, 17, are twins who were born prematurely. Both are blind.

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THE WISH: CONCERT TICKETS, CDS, MONEY FOR OUTINGS

Books on tape help blind teens with schoolwork

it's the everyday things he misses most, like walking to the corner hot dog stand or playing baseball.

``Simple things like that,'' says Bill Henson, remembering the time before he lost his sight in junior high. When he could still ride go-carts and play soccer. And watch a football game on TV.

Now, at 17, after 10 failed eye surgeries, he's learning how to live life blind. Instead of practicing how to hit a fastball, he's working on walking across the street using a cane. Instead of boning up on Shakespeare, he's studying Braille.

Bill and his twin brother, Michael, were tiny, premature babies. Michael was born blind. He's in a wheelchair and attends a class for the severely disabled at Watsonville High School. Bill was born with limited vision.

Both boys have listened to books on tape from Books Aloud in San Jose since they were little. Michael loves the junior high-level books that are mailed to him regularly. Books on tape helped Bill in his literature classes. Since his retinas detached, causing his blindness, he's starting to listen to books for fun, too.

Their mother, Kelly Henson, an aide for the disabled at Watsonville High and a single mom, loves it when her sons can do ``typical teenage stuff.'' That includes going to the prom, water-sliding, listening to a book, or what they really love, listening to music. The idea of having some new CDs ($15 each) (12A) or tickets to a concert ($25 each) (12B) makes Bill break out into a rare, wide grin.

For 30 years, Books Aloud has loaned books on tape, free of charge, to thousands of people in the Bay Area who have difficulty reading. Five dollars will pay for the cassettes to record the average-size book (12C); $25 will pay for an album that holds the cassettes (12D); $100 will buy the reusable bags the cassettes are shipped in (12E). A donation of $250 (12F) will cover the studio time and all the costs included in preparing up to 10 copies of an average book.