Joseph Lambert

To my knowledge, this is the first graphic novel I’ve ever read. I really hope it won’t be my last, because I loved it! I’ve been intrigued by Helen Keller’s story for years, and this is a fresh, new way to experience her story (and find out about Annie Sullivan’s story, as well!). I loved everything that was crammed into this book—backstory as well as the main story, which was tastefully done and not over-done, quotes from Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller’s writings, and more. show more Although the art style wasn’t my favorite ever, it delivered the concepts perfectly, and my favorite panels were the ones from Helen’s perspective—I loved watching her world expand as she started learning from Annie rather than fighting against her. If you’re looking for an interesting way to read about these women’s stories, I’d highly recommend this book. I picked it up one afternoon and found myself sucked into it, to the point I couldn’t put it down when I had another job come up. My eight-year-old sister also found it quite engaging and spent an hour or two reading it one afternoon. An enjoyable read! show less

I recently reviewed a picture book biography of Helen and Annie and was bemoaning the fact that their relationship, and Helen's water epiphany, are so overdone - do we really need yet another biography?

If it's this title, we do. This graphic biography, produced by the Center for Cartoon Studies, chooses a different approach, focusing on the life of Annie Sullivan. Starting with her meeting with Helen, it intersperses her own tragic and difficult childhood with her work with Helen, letters show more home, and interactions with the Perkins Institute. Although the story deals with mature issues, from the abuses at the Tewksbury Almhouse to the inequalities suffered by women and the disabled, they're presented in a way that doesn't negate their impact but is still appropriate for middle grade readers.

The art is presented in a stream of small panels. It's easy to follow the jumps between Annie's childhood and Helen's, since both Annie's wear shades of blue and wear their hair in the same style. The text is written in a variety of fonts, from rough capitals for Helen's changing speech to simple cursive for Annie's letters home. One of the most moving aspects of the art, which gives fresh meaning to a familiar story is the depiction of Helen's world. It starts with her alone in the dark, a formless child figure. As Annie breaks through to her, her world slowly grows until the pivotal moment when it explodes with language and images.

This isn't a title to hand to reluctant readers, just because it's a graphic novel. The text and images are small and precise and the story is complex. To fully grasp the story, readers need to know a little of the historical context of the time, although this story might also inspire them to do some extra research. This is a title for middle school readers, especially those interested in stories of struggle and triumph, history and biography, or relationships.

Verdict: This is different than any of the other Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan biographies glutting the market. Definitely add these for your more thoughtful middle school students and high school readers.

ISBN: 9781423113362; Published 2012 by Hyperion; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library show less

I love that there is cursive writing when Ann S. is corresponding with her head master at her old school. I have seen the old Helen Keller movie but this graphic interpretation let my imagination relate to the difficulty of Helen being able to grasp that everything has a name. The illustration of Helen being surrounded by the dark was really powerful. I can't help but think of a baby's developing mind and how this biography can explain how language is acquired spontaneously. Truly wonderful show more book. show less

This book ends a bit abruptly, but does a good job painting a portrait of Annie Sullivan as a character and of trying to depict the sensory experience of a young Helen Keller. Recommended for those two things. But it feels incomplete. I felt the book was just winding up when -- wham -- it's over.