Helen Keller (Scholastic Biography)

I really enjoyed this book because it pushes readers to broaden their perspectives and it talked about interesting people. The story of Hellen Keller is truly amazing because of her courage, determination and help from her teacher, Annie Sullivan. This biography tells the story of Hellen Keller’s life from the day she was born up until she passed away at the age of eighty seven. Since Hellen became blind and deaf as an infant, she was forced to learn how to communicate through reading braille and using sign language with her hands. Annie Sullivan began teaching Hellen how to communicate when Hellen was only seven years old. Each year, they accomplished something new, and Hellen wanted to only learn more about the world around her. show more Annie took Hellen on walks, to the circus and even to Perkins Institute, a school for the blind. Hellen Keller was determined to go to college, and soon became a popular name nationwide. She spent her time visiting famous people, like the president, and visiting wounded soldiers that became blind or deaf as a result from the war. Hellen also made public speeches that raised awareness about her disabilities and how she learned to accept them. Hellen Keller’s words were very detailed throughout the book. For instance, when she talked about the deaf she said, “They are surrounded by silence-never to be broken by a word or a song or a sigh of a breeze.” Hellen Keller’s story can push readers to think about people living with disabilities. Even though Hellen’s life was not easy, she was always eager to learn something new each day.
I feel that the main idea of this biography is too never stop trying. Hellen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, was able to learn about the world around her, and experience a life filled with opportunities and success. Not only is Hellen a brave person, she is also very inspirational; she said, “I who am blind can only give one hint to you who can see. Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would go blind. Do the same with all your other senses. Hear the song of a bird as if tomorrow you would go deaf. Touch everything as if tomorrow you never be able to touch anything again. Smell the flowers, taste every bit of food as if tomorrow you would never smell or taste again.” In addition, I like how this book had the Braille alphabet on its back cover, and also included photographs of Hellen Keller and Annie Sullivan. show less

Summary: This is a biography of the life of Helen Keller. It starts out when she is just a toddler and catches scarlet fever which causes her to go deaf and blind. For several years her parents do not know how to help their young daughter. She acts out and is aggressive because sh is unable to communicate at all. Her parents decided to give her one last chance before they would have to send her off to a mental institute. They wrote a letter to the Perkins institute who sent a teacher named Annie Sullivan to come and help Helen. At first Helen resisted Miss Annie. She would kick and pinch and bite and throw tantrums because she still could not understand what Miss Annie was trying to teach her. One day Miss Annie decided to take Helen show more away to a small cottage so her parents could no longer be a distraction. That is where the first breakthrough occurred. Helen ran her hands under the water from the pump and Miss Annie spelled the word water into Helen's hand. She was able to connect the two things and understand that physical things had meanings that went with them. Helen and her teacher continued to work very hard so that Helen could learn as many words as possible. Miss Annie also taught Helen how to read braille so she could read books on her own. Helen attended Radcliffe college and graduated cum laude despite it being very difficult for her. She and Miss Annie traveled across the country giving speeches about deafness and blindness. When Miss Annie passed away another lady traveled with Helen. She loved being independent and going on adventures. She surrounded herself with literature and friends until she died in 1968.

Review: I really enjoyed this book and I thought the author did an excellent job of focusing on the important parts of Helen Keller's life. She wanted to show how determined Helen was to be like everyone else despite her physical handicaps. This would be a great resource to students who are doing research on Helen Keller and her impact on our world. They author chose event's from Helen's life that were important and also entertaining. She focused on the major life events that were critical in Helen becoming the person she was. I liked that she included quotes from Helen herself because the reader is then able to get a sense of Helen's own thoughts and opinions. I also like that the braille alphabet is on the back cover of the alphabet for students to look at. show less

The story of Helen Keller is one of the most inspiring stories I have ever heard. Margaret Davidson's biography does an amazing job of pulling the reader into Helen's life. A fictionalized biography, the author uses dialogue between the characters and gives us Helen's probable thoughts during some of her experiences. On occasion, the author refers to Helen's later writings as the basis for the dialogue and thoughts, though there is no bibliography showing the author's sources. However, the events detailed in the story match events from other biographies I have read. The dialogue and feelings that Davidson describes match the events.
Davidson focuses on the changes in Helen over time. When her teacher, Annie Sullivan first arrives, Helen show more is wild and spoiled and out of control. The author shows the literal fighting between the two that carries on for a long while before any progress is made. Once Helen's breakthrough with the water happens, we see a complete change in her; she goes from wild to wondrous, wanting to learn about everything.
This biography of Hellen Keller is appropriate for grades 2 and above. The use of dialogue makes it read more like a story, and there are simple outline illustrations throughout the book. The author also includes three photographs of Hellen taken from the Perkins School for the Blind and the American Foundation for the Blind. The Braille alphabet is also featured on the back cover of the book. I believe that students will enjoy this story of the girl who overcame being deaf and blind to learn to read and write and become a source of inspiration to people everywhere. show less

This was one of my favorite books as a child. I was fascinated with all of her accomplishments in the face of adversity. I don't agree with her political beliefs, but I still enjoy reading about her challenges that she overcame during her lifetime.

This biography of Helen Keller is a good introduction for children in the 2nd or 3rd grade. The book gives background information about Helen and her teacher, Annie Sullivan. It also explains Braille and fingerspelling in a way that will encourage the readers to learn more about these methods of communication.

A short Scholastic Biography book about Helen Keller. 1880-1968.
This is a wonderful book about what Helen Keller accomplished in her life with the help of her "Teacher", Annie Sullivan. It begins with how she lost her sight and hearing because of the disease, scarlet fever.
Contents: A Strange Fever; The Dark Silence; The Stranger Comes; The Worst Fight of All; W-A-T-E-R; So Much to Learn; A Time to Move On; "I Am Not Dumb Now!"; College; and The Busy Years.
She learned to spell with the "finger alphabet" by making the shapes of the letters. Annie Sullivan told Helen's family it was how they spoke to the deaf. Helen was a quick learner.
Later she learned to speak and also read books using the braille system. She visited the World War ll show more injured to encourage them after being asked by President Franklin Roosevelt. Helen Keller became a writer and lectured.
The back of the book has the braille alphabet. show less

Summary of Book:
This book is the biography of Helen Keller. This book starts out with how Helen Keller first was diagnosed with scarlet fever. The doctor thought because the fever finally broke, she would be fine. However, they soon realized Helen was blind, deaf and mute. The book goes on to talk about how Helen excelled at some things and struggled with others. The end of the book talks about how Helen Keller went to college and graduated and ultimately overcame the impossible.

Personal Reaction:
I really like this book because it shows how even with difficulties, people can overcome and achieve whatever they want to. Helen Keller's story is very inspirational even to children, because it shows that even people with disabilities can show more still do 'normal' things just like everyone else. Having a disability doesn't mean that that individual cannot be successful.

Classroom Extension:
For this book's classroom extension I would have my students write about a time that they struggled or felt like giving up. Another classroom extension I would use is have each of my students make a Helen Keller biography project report and each student would be responsible for a different aspect of Helen Keller's life. show less