Hellen Keller
Helen Keller's life is an exemplar of rising against odds. While some are born great, as Shakespeare's Malvalio told us, some, like Helen Keller, achieve a greatness of their own; but few are dealt such a short hand with which to achieve it. At 19 months old, Helen Keller’s eyesight and hearing were stolen away from her by a disease, possibly meningitis or scarlet fever.
Helen Keller was by no means without help in the world. In fact, it was Charles Dickens’s account of the successful education of another deaf-blind woman, Laura Bridgman, that inspired Helen’s mother to seek out advanced care and education for Helen. Even before then, Helen learned her first signs for communicating with Martha Washington, the six-year-old daughter of the family cook. Helen’s mother visited telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who was at that point working with deaf children. He recommended the Perkins Institute for the Blind, which is where Helen finally met the woman who would famously change her life, Anne Sullivan.
Without sight or sound, Helen lived most of her early life in isolation, with no real way of interpreting the world as most of us know it. The first major breakthrough came when Helen learned to link the motions Anne Sullivan was making on her palm with the water being poured over her hand. Thereafter Helen could not take in enough of the world around her, learning to tangibly associate every object in her surroundings, including her favorite doll. Helen was inspired to learn how to speak by Ragnhild Kåta, a Norwegian deafblind woman who did the same. Helen used the Tadoma method of touching other people’s lips to understand speech and learn how to speak, and she mastered Braille to read.
If history is filled with figures who stand on the shoulders of giants, then surely those figures are even more gigantic still—Helen not only learned to speak and read and listen and write, but she learned to speak with the power of a renowned lecturer, to read in five different languages, to listen to life with a keen ear and to write acclaimed books and articles. In short, she challenged our conception of just how much adversity human greatness can overcome.
Contributor: Brendan Frost
Reviews
Helen Keller
Jane Sutcliffe
Illustrations by Elaine Verstraete.
Children who do not know the story of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan will enjoy this entry in the On My Own Biography series. Divided by chapter headings and following a chronological sequence of Helen's life, the narrative includes life before Annie Sullivan came, the arrival of the teacher, teaching methods, traveling, and life through the publication of Helen Keller's autobiography. The print is slightly larger than usual and will make reading aloud easier. The "painterly" illustrations are multicolored and add to the narrative in general, showing Helen Keller as a beautiful child. A short afterword and time line provide more information on Keller's later life. 2002, Carolrhoda, $25.26. Grades 2-5. Reviewer: Tanya Tullos (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews).
ISBN-13: 9780876146002
Helen Keller and the Big Storm
Patricia Lakin
Illustrated by Diana Magnuson.
Part of a Ready to Read, "Childhood of Famous Americans" series for early readers, this story is based on one incident in Helen Keller's life. Although young Helen Keller cannot see or hear, this does not stop her from playing pranks on her family. After locking her mother in the pantry, her parents decide Helen needs more than they can give her and hire a special teacher, Annie Sullivan. Annie tries very hard to teach Helen and to earn her love and trust; and she is rewarded with these when she rescues Helen from a storm. The narrative style is written for an early primary audience, which would be a good introduction to Helen Keller. Simple, colorful, realistic acrylic pictures support the text. A timeline of Helen's life is included at the end of the story. Teachers would find this book useful for guided reading, and as an introduction to biographies or Helen Keller's life. A good follow up book would be A Picture Book of Helen Keller by David Adler. 2002, Aladdin Paperbacks, $14.00 and $3.99. Ages 7 to 9. Reviewer: Sonia Tress (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-689-84104-0
Helen Keller: A Photo-illustrated Biography
Muriel L. Dubois.
This easy-to-read biography of Helen Keller begins with a one-page summary of her life. Following this synopsis is a series of two-page sections, each of which has several paragraphs of information on such topics as "Early Years," "Helen Helps Others," and "Helen Goes to School," accompanied on the facing pages by black-and-white or color photographs of Keller and her companions. A number of inspirational quotes by Keller are superimposed on several of the illustrations. This biography goes beyond the familiar story of Helen and Anne Sullivan to focus on Keller's movie career and her work with the American Foundation for the Blind. Accompanying materials include "Fast Facts," a timeline, and suggestions for further reading. An easy-to-use selection of Web sites rounds out the ancillary materials. The included glossary is rather limited and would be more useful if the words were highlighted in the text in some way. This book is a "Photo-Illustrated Biography." 2003, Bridgestone/Capstone, $18.60. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Norah Piehl (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 0736816054
ISBN: 9780736816052
Helen Keller: A Determined Life
Elizabeth MacLeod
Illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski.
Helen Keller is an inspirational figure who captures the interest of young readers. She was born a healthy child in 1880 in Alabama, but when she was 19 months old, she came down with a high fever. Soon after, she lost both her eyesight and her hearing. Life was difficult for Helen. She became frustrated when no one knew what she wanted. She learned to express herself by making signs, such as shivering when she wanted ice cream. Helen’s parents wanted to help her so they searched for someone who could teach her how to live in a world without seeing or hearing. Eventually, Helen and her parents visited a school for the blind in Boston. There, Helen met Annie Sullivan, a teacher who came to live with the family. She wanted to teach Helen how to express herself by using sign language. Soon, Helen was learning how to sign for water by feeling water running over her hands. She learned 625 words in six months. Helen and Annie became lifelong companions. With Annie’s help, Helen was able to go to college. She became the first deaf-blind person in the United States to finish college. Helen and Annie decided to go on a speaking tour. Helen talked first, and then Annie repeated her words. This was necessary because Helen’s words were not always clear since she could not hear the words she was speaking. Helen’s disabilities did not keep her from traveling around the world. She collected millions of dollars from her speeches to help blind and deaf people. Helen died in 1968, just before her eighty-eighth birthday. She is remembered for her courage in overcoming her loss of sight and hearing. Text and illustrations complement each other. Author MacLeod has done a nice job of explaining in simple terms the life of an inspiring woman. 2007, Kids Can Press, $14.95. Ages 7 up. Reviewer: Della A. Yannuzzi (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 1-5533-7999-3
ISBN: 1-5545-3000-8
Helen Keller: Author and Advocate for the Disabled
Deborah Kent, Ken Stuckey
It is hard to imagine someone so embracing the world who could neither see nor hear it, as Helen Keller did. With a combination of touch and tenacity, Keller bored through the barriers constraining her. This book recounts Keller's breakthrough in learning to communicate through touch, but primarily details her accomplishments after she learned to "speak." She cut a large swath of influence, giving lectures championing socialism, speaking out against nuclear weapons, and lobbying international leaders to open schools for the blind. Sometimes Keller was asked if she could imagine colors. She responded: "No, but sometimes I feel blue and sometimes I see red." Illuminating quotes such as this one, however, are scarce in this book; the narrative form takes an overarching view at the expense of a more personal examination. It does, however, raise larger questions: much of Keller's influence stemmed directly from her disabilities, prompting a debate over whether she was a uniquely credible source, or simply a sympathetic spokeswoman. Heavily illustrated, with just 20-plus pages devoted to the body of the text, Keller's story is strictly curtailed, but this biography does provide an adequate introduction. Several sidebars and "Interesting Fact" blurbs break up the text. A glossary, index and further information section are included, but they are of limited use. This title is one in the "Spirit of America" series focusing on notable Americans. 2004, The Child's World, $27.07. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Diane Frook (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-5929-6005-7
Helen Keller: Courageous Advocate
Scott R. Welvaert
Illustrated by Cynthia Martin and Keith Tucker
The only drawback to this book is that the author used bubbles to show Keller’s thoughts and this would have been impossible as she did not know any words or that words even existed until after she learned that the letters being signed in her hand meant the word “water.” That said, this nonfiction book is absolutely perfect for the reluctant or struggling reader. It will be enjoyed by both boys and girls and will lead them into wanting to read more of the graphic-style writing. There are a total of four chapters dealing with an era of Keller’s life from infancy to adulthood. The illustrations are informative as well as entertaining. Vocabulary is controlled and well chosen; sentences are short with a simple structure. At the back of the book the author has included “More About Helen,” a “Glossary,” “Internet Sites,” “Read More,” a “Bibliography,” and an “Index.” Children who fight reading and say they do not like to read, are unusually poor readers. Who wants to do something they are not comfortable with or gives a feeling of being unsuccessful? Books written in the graphic-novel format provide a way for even the most reluctant reader to feel successful. High-interest, low-level books should be applauded for the contribution they have made to the classroom. Children who have been non-readers can now read a book and take part in classroom discussions about a book they have read. It takes away the fear of reading and, with the help of illustrations, adds a deeper comprehension. This book could also be used for early readers who want to read longer passages. I really cannot say enough about the benefits of the Graphic Library books. Welvaert has done an excellent job in focusing the reader on the unique accomplishments of Helen Keller. 2006, Capstone Press, $25.26. Ages 8 to 14. Reviewers: Kathie M. Josephs (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-7368-4964-7
Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures
George Sullivan.
George Sullivan writes biographies and other nonfiction works for children. Helen Keller’s life of service and activism propelled him to tell her story. His love of photographs is evident in the images of her that he selected for this book. Helen Keller carved a path from darkness to light. The stories of her struggles and triumphs have inspired thousands around the world, and her advocacy changed the lives of many more. This collection of revealing photographs presents a unique appreciation of this remarkable woman. The book includes a foreward by Keller Johnson Thompson, a great-grandniece of Helen Keller, an introduction, and a section on Helen Keller’s life in pictures with accompanying text. There is also a chronology, bibliography, a further readings section, a section on finding more information. It is certainly one of the best children’s books about Keller, if not the best. The added use of Braille with page numbers and cover design, plus the message of the cover illustration, makes it a “must buy” book. 2007, Scholastic, $17.99. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Naomi Butler (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-439-91815-2
Helen Keller: Rebellious Spirit
Laurie Lawlor
This well-written, compelling biography covers the complete life of Helen Keller, the beautiful deaf and blind girl who would eventually become the embodiment of the new American ideal of striving to succeed. Lawlor uses contemporaneous photographs to good advantage and includes many anecdotes and quotes from the prodigious writings that Annie Sullivan helped Helen Keller create. Readers are steered through Helen's tumultuous early childhood to her saving, but often complicated, relationship with Teacher, the half-blind, orphaned Annie Sullivan. Sullivan, who gradually succumbed to blindness, spent much of Helen's money in medical treatments and travel, but provided drive and discipline to an already determined Helen. Lawlor covers the Radcliffe years in which Annie spelled into Helen's hand every speech, lecture or assigned reading; Helen's later, painful speaking career; and her quiet engagement and its dissipation. Helen and Annie's struggle to live independently required them to keep making money, and sent Helen briefly to vaudeville and to Hollywood to make an overly-dramatic bio-pic. Helen's controversial Socialism and social activism was accepted by the American public, perhaps because of her reputation, but World War II forced her to choose a milder lecture style to raise money for the blind and support herself. Lawlor provides enough political, economic and social background to make this a fine addition to middle school or high school studies of the period from the 1890s to the mid-1900s; for discussions of women's rights, treatment of the handicapped, and the plight of the poor. (and with special references to poor blacks and immigrants). When Helen died in 1968, she had made many contributions, especially to the education of people with disabilities. She served as an example of what women could become in spite of family, disabilities and the times. A thoroughly stirring and excellent biography. 2001, Holiday House, $22.95. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Susan Hepler, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780823415885
Helen's Eyes: A Photobiography of Annie Sullivan
Marfé Ferguson Delano
Annie Sullivan is well known for her work with Helen Keller and the extraordinary success she accomplished with her young student. This biography, however, begins with Annie’s early life and the struggles she faced as a child. With careful attention to detail, Delano describes Annie’s own vision loss, the death of her mother and the desertion of her father. Her lack of education made her feel inferior at school; in response, Annie worked hard enough to graduate as the valedictorian—the highest student in her class. Her commitment to work and refusal to give up created the foundation for her work with her student Helen. When Annie met Helen, the little girl was imprisoned in a dark, silent world. Helen was an angry child with parents who did not know how to help her. The rich history of the teacher and student is supported with photographs and quotations that make the story even more personal. 2008, National Geographic Society, Ages 10 up, $17.95. Reviewer: Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4263-0209-1
ISBN: 978-1-4263-0210-7
Miss Spitfire
Sarah Miller
Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller's teacher and lifelong friend, tells her own story for middle grade to high school readers in this fictionalized autobiography. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from Sullivan's letters to Sophia Hopkins, a mentor and friend (as well as housemother) from Perkins Institute for the Blind. Annie was sent to serve the Keller family after her own heroic journey from Tewksbury orphanage to Perkins, half blind most of the time. While the story will be familiar to anyone who has seen The Miracle Worker with Patty Duke and Ann Bancroft, the details of Sullivan's first teaching job, counter pointed by details from her personal history--being sent to the almshouse, the ensuing loss of a brother, her blindness, her trepidation hidden carefully from the Kellers about not being able to help Helen at all--will ring true. The courage and determination of a young woman triumphs in the face of family reluctance and interference, which made her efforts to teach Helen Keller the “true meaning” behind the fingerspelled words very difficult. Annie's emphasis on civilized behavior despite disability is remarkable in our own “anything goes” world where comportment has fallen into the world of archaic concepts. The author's afterword is perhaps the heart of the book--telling the story concisely about how twenty-year-old Sullivan broke through Helen's shell in a month and for the next fifty years accompanied her on the incredible journey into the wider world. Eleven photographs and an extensive bibliography, including books, articles, films, and videos plus online resources, will help readers continue inquiry if they desire. A two-page chronology of events is also included. The cover includes the Braille rendition of the title and subtitle. 2007, Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon and Schuster, $16.99. Ages 10 to 12. Reviewer: Gwynne Spencer (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4169-2542-2
ISBN: 1-4169-2542-2
She Touched the World
Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander
At the age of eight, Helen Keller met Laura Bridgman, the remarkable woman who had taught Anne Sullivan, Helen’s beloved teacher. She Touched the World by wife-husband team Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander is a riveting biography of a blind-deaf child whose example and work helped foster greater understanding of those with similar disabilities. At the age of two, Laura had lost her senses of sight and hearing to scarlet fever. Fortunately, she came under the tutelage of the dean of the New England Institution for the Education for the Blind, the first such place of learning in the United States. Dr. Samuel Howe (his wife, Julia Ward Howe, wrote the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”) was able to help Laura move beyond her dark silent world into a larger world of words, reading and communication. An inspiring real-life tale. 2008, Clarion/Houghton Mifflin, Ages 8 to 12, $18.00. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum
ISBN: 978-0-618-85299-4
ISBN: 0-618-85299-9
The Story of My Life
Helen Adams Keller.
There are several excellent books on this level about Helen Keller: Helen Keller, Nigel Hunter, Bookwright, 1986; Helen Keller A Light for the Blind, Kathleen V. Kudlinski, Viking, 1989; Helen Keller, Richard Tames, Franklin Watts, 1989). This is a classic; special because it is an autobiographical account of a young woman who overcame being deaf and blind. All the fears, trials and emotions of her struggles from childhood come through in exquisite language. 1993 (orig. 1992), Watermill Press, $3.95. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Deborah Zink (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780451528254
Who was Helen Keller?
Gare Thompson
Illustrated by Nancy Harrison.
This biography of Helen Keller is divided into short readable chapters and is illustrated throughout with simple black-and-white sketches. Interspersed throughout the book are short biographies of personalities of the era who had connections either to Helen or to the process of educating special students. You will find Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. There are also some short descriptions of sign language and Braille. Although left blind and deaf by illness, the struggle that led her to become a best-selling author and a famous world traveler is well documented in this work. There is a timeline of Helen Keller's life adjacent to a timeline of the world. This is an interesting choice for those students doing reports or wanting to know more about this interesting person. 2003, Grosset & Dunlap, $13.89. Ages 8 to 10. Reviewer: Pat Williams (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-4484-3144-4
Helen Keller: The World in Her Heart
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Illustrated by James Ransome
This story of how Annie Sullivan managed to establish communication with the young Helen Keller, made blind and deaf by illness before she was two, is both informative and inspirational. Writing from Helen's point of view, Cline-Ransome imagines her thoughts and feelings as she moves past her fury at her inability to communicate with or understand the world around her. With Sullivan's love and patience, she learns the language of signing with her fingers and begins to become part of her family, and then the world. Ransome's double-page paintings include sufficient details to place us in Helen's physical world. The characters fit naturally into the rooms and lawns, but the focus of the visual story is young Helen. As first we see her sitting silently, her face a relatively blank mask; then the agitation of anger, the frustration of sensory isolation; finally the eventual joy in the rain and the feeling of love for her teacher. The challenge of visualizing the psychological evolution of this remarkable girl is met with sensitivity. Although there is no information about Keller's later life, notes from both author and illustrator clarify their approach to the subject. 2008, Collins/HarperCollinsPublishers, Ages 6 to 9, $16.99. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
ISBN: 978-0-06-057074-3
ISBN: 978-0-06-057075-0
Added 07/30/08
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