Helen Keller: A Determined Life (Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History) [Paperback]

Elizabeth MacLeod (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History

Imagine living in total silence and darkness. That's what Helen Keller's world was like after a childhood illness left her deaf and blind. Unable to express herself, she threw tantrums that earned her the nickname "Little Bronco." But Helen's teacher Annie Sullivan found the key to communicating with her. Only then was the little girl able to experience fully the world around her. Helen went on to become the first deaf and blind college graduate in the United States and worked all her life helping to educate others about people with disabilities. Using photographs, quotes, letters and drawings, this biography in the Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History series introduces young readers to Helen Keller. Also included are a timeline of her life and a list of places to visit to learn more about this inspirational woman.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-This biography tells Keller's story in a readable, sometimes fictionalized narrative and busy, colorful page layouts. On each spread, the main text appears on the left, while the opposite page consists of a visually appealing collage of black-and-white, full-color, and tinted photos and interesting tidbits set against a pastel background. MacLeod includes many well-known facts about Keller's life as well as a few less-familiar details. The controversy over her story, "The Frost King," which she wrote at age 11 and was accused of plagiarizing, is mentioned but not dwelled upon. Overall, the portrayal of Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, is very complimentary. The illustrations include a sample of Keller's handwriting and charts that demonstrate sign language and Braille. The book ends with a detailed time line, a useful index, and a list of places to visit. This offering is livelier than Deborah Kent's Helen Keller: Author and Advocate for the Disabled (The Child's World, 2003) and better suited to reluctant readers.
Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. As with other books in the Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History series, the scrapbooklike design invites kids right into the life of a famous person. Here, in carefully captioned, black-and-white images, attractively cropped and organized on the page, children receive a glimpse of "America's First Lady of Courage" and the people and places that figured prominently in her life. Each double-page spread comprises one page of text and a multiphoto collage. Like the illustrations, MacLeod's commentary is a collection of bits and pieces about Keller, smoothly integrated to reveal the struggle, the sadness, and the success Keller experienced over the years. This seems tailor-made for browsing; kids will definitely come away wanting to know more. Steer them to Keller's own writings or to in-depth biographies such as Laurie Lawlor's Helen Keller: Rebellious Spirit (2001) or Joan Dash's The World at Her Fingertips (2002). Unfortunately, there are no sources here, although an extensive time line gives kids a good overview. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553375092
• ISBN-13: 978-1553375098
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Physical Disabilities
  • #62 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Special Needs > Nonfiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Snapshot of an Inspirational Woman, March 24, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Helen Keller: A Determined Life (Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History) (Paperback)

These Snapshot books are highly engaging, with good basic information as well as intriguing, "human interest" anecdotal detail you might not find from other sources. Where else would you find out that Helen Keller, who loved her pets, had the first Akita dog in the US? The photographs are wonderful -- both of the people and of personal and period pieces related to the subject. For example, I've never seen a modern Braillewriter, much less an "antique" one like Helen used -- again, where else would you come upon so much rich detail in one easy-to-read source? A surprisingly comprehensive bio for the grade level it's geared toward, as well. I'm ordering the L.M. Montgomery volume in the Snapshot series next!

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Brief Intro Biography, March 11, 2010

By 

Nicola Manning (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Helen Keller: A Determined Life (Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History) (Paperback)

Reason for Reading: Read aloud to my son as part of our history curriculum.

Comments: This book, another in the Snapshots series, was much more satisfying for us than the previous one we read on Alexander Graham Bell. A brief biography that includes both Helen's personal life and accomplishments from birth to death. Each "chapter" is a two page spread with the left hand page containing the text and the right hand page profusely illustrated with photographs, memorabilia and artifacts. These pictures also show up in the left-hand margin of the left page. The illustrations with captions either illustrate the text or provide more information on the topic under discussion. Though the book is brief in length it amazingly contains a lot of information covering details of her 80 plus years especially recognizing the work she accomplished for the deaf and blind. A very satisfying, interesting book that my son enjoyed very much. We will now be following it up with watching the movie "The Miracle Worker".