Customer Reviews

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

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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!

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".