Kay Lande

This book is about a little girl named Helen Keller who was born being able to see and hear but then when she was nineteen months old she lost her vision and hearing due to a sudden illness. The book highlights just some of Helen's struggles and difficulties that resulted in temper tantrums, bad manners, and lack of self-control. Her family sought help from Alexander Graham Bell and he suggested a teacher from the Perkins Institute for the Blind. Anne Sullivan began by teaching Helen manners show more and self-control and was even able to teach her how to read brail. As an adult Helen went on to do many great things on behalf of the blind and deaf.

This book was given to me by my second grade teacher in 1988 after reading a certain number of books. I remember being completely amazed by what Anne Sullivan was able to teach Helen Keller. Brail was something that I had never really heard of until I read her story. It taught me as a seven or eight year old that just because a person is blind or deaf or blind and deaf it does not mean that they can't be educated or help others.

A classroom extension would be to have students write a timeline showing events in Helen Keller's life up until her death. Another idea would be to have students research one of her accomplishments and do an oral report.

A classroom extension would show less