Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille [Hardcover]

Russell Freedman (Author), Kate Kiesler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1997 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

A biography of the modest Frenchman who, after being blinded at the age of three, went on to develop a system of raised dots on paper that enabled blind people to read and write.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6. An extremely well-written and informative book that tells about Braille's life and the development of his alphabet system for the blind. Freedman's gift for making his subjects both accessible and intriguing comes through wonderfully in this book. Readers learn not only about Braille and his struggle to communicate through the written word once he lost his sight, but also how long it took for his revolutionary innovation to become universally accepted. They also become aware of how isolated the blind were before his invention. Finely detailed pencil drawings and diagrams appear throughout the readable narrative. An entertaining and fascinating look at a remarkable man.?Melissa Hudak, North Suburban District Library, Roscoe, IL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-8. More than 170 years ago, a blind French boy at age 15 invented a system of raised dots on paper that allows the sightless to read and write. Without melodrama, Freedman tells the momentous story in quiet chapters in his best plain style, making the facts immediate and personal. At age 3, Louis Braille was blinded in an accident with a knife. From the age of 12, he worked doggedly, sometimes secretly through the night at a special school in Paris, punching dots on paper, trying to develop a simple code for the alphabet that the blind could read with their fingertips. Woven into the story is an awareness of how the blind child experiences the world, what he remembers. Tension mounts as he refuses to be discouraged by technical and bureaucratic setbacks, until eventually he proves his system to his school and finally to the world. The handsome book design is clear and open. A diagram explains how the Braille alphabet works, and Kate Kessler's full-page shaded pencil illustrations are part of the understated poignant drama. But what about documentation? Is the opening chapter partially fictionalized? No sources are given for the facts and quotes throughout the book, and there's no bibliography. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (March 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395775167
• ISBN-13: 978-0395775165
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,027,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Russell Freedman received the Newbery Medal for LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY. He is also the recipient of three Newbery Honors, a National Humanities Medal, the Sibert Medal, the Orbis Pictus Award, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and was selected to give the 2006 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Mr. Freedman lives in New York City and travels widely to research his books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, June 8, 2000

By 

Deborah Ava Esposito (Mons, Belgium) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille (Paperback)

This fact based biography is one of the best I have encountered for children starting at about grade three. Adults will also benefit.
The book documents the life of Louis Braille. Born and raised in a small town near Paris, Louis suffered a tragic injury at the age of 3, which rendered him blind for life.
The story captures the true essence of courage and the triumph of the human spirit- to meet even the most seemingly insurmountable obstacles with dignity, tenacity and unshaken faith.
Louis did not give up.
Despite countless frustrations and heartbreaking setbacks, this remarkable individual's attempts at creating and perfecting the Braille system were successful and eagerly accepted and distributed world wide.
Unfortunately, Louis died in his early forties and was not here to witness the magnitude that his system bestowed on the world of the blind, their families, loved ones and associates. His system changed the lives and worlds of the visually impaired.
But he did pass away in peace and with the knowledge that his mission had been fufilled.
Louis Braille opened a door to the visually impaired, and in this way significantly transformed and enhanced many, many lives by providing this invaluable means of reading, writing, and communicating.
Louis Braille was absolutely a hero, and will remain so for all time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, Inspiring, Informative Overview..., July 27, 2011

By 

Big D (Auburn, AL. USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille (Paperback)

It may have been written for Grades 3-6, but it is an interesting, informative, even inspiring, work...Won't say it is suitable for ages, but it is suitable for someone who knows nothing about Louis Braille and how Braille came to be and wants a quick general overview...For that broad brush approach, it is quite good...

And it was free on Kindle...need I say more?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for kids, February 17, 2005

By 

warparty "warparty" (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Out of Darkness (Paperback)

My mother is a teacher of daily living skills and Braille. She wanted this book to inform sighted adults about Braille. She and others felt this book could be read by adults.