Sullivan, George. (2001). Helen Keller (In Their Own Words). New York: Scholastic Inc, 128 pp.

Grade Range: 6-9

Genre: nonfiction

Summary and Critique

Black-and-white photographs support the biographical journey through Helen Keller's life in Helen Keller. Sullivan clearly identifies the significant aspects of Helen Keller's life, including her roles as a learner, speaker, writer and traveler. This biography explains not only how she dealt with her disability but also how she made lives better for other deaf and blind people. Near the end of the book a chronology of her life is included to aid the reader in understanding the order of events that took place in her life from 1880-1968. George Sullivan reveals the courage, strength, and unbelievable motivation Helen Keller possessed through her challenging life as a deaf-blind woman. The book also includes a bibliography and sources for more information.

Themes/Topics

Challenges and Triumphs

Families

Author Information

George Sullivan is a prolific author and editor, having written and edited over 200 books. He researched this book with the help of several organizations and agencies that help people that are blind, deaf-blind, and deaf.

Media Connections

Movies

The Unconquered (1953) A documentary chronicling the life of Helen Keller.

The Miracle Worker (1962) Explores the relationship between Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan.

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) Martial arts film superstar Bruce Lee has to overcome many obstacles before becoming successful.

In the Time of Butterflies. (2001). In 1960, two sisters attempted to bring down the Dominican Republic government and were murdered as a result.

Places in the Heart (1984) A widow, her children, a wandering African-American man, and a blind man must work together to prevent Edna Spalding from losing her farm during the Great Depression.

Dangerous Minds (1995) A new teacher in an inner city school attempts to help her students.

Online Resources

http://deafness.about.com/od/articlesandnewsletters/a/mpreviss.htm Includes an incredibly useful list of web biographies. Also includes clips from The New York Times, Time Magazine, and even a student report.

http://www.motivationalquotes.com Search powerful quotes by Helen Keller. Also includes numerous links from tributes made to Helen Keller to humanitarian organizations dedicated to restoring sight, rehabilitation, etc.

http://www.helenkeller.org/ Information about Helen Keller Services for the Blind

http://www.afb.org/ American Foundation for the Blind. Information about blindness.

http://www.graceproducts.com Videos devoted to heroes giving insight to students of today concerning history, at risk youth, disabilities, deaf, blind, handicap, prejudice, inclusion, and Anne Sullivan.

http://www.aadb.org/ American Association for the Deaf-Blind. Provides information about deaf-blindness and services the AADB provides.

Related Texts

Keller, Helen. (2003). The Story of My Life. New York: Modern Library. 343pp. Helen Keller's autobiography.

Adler, David. (1990). A Picture Book of Helen Keller. Illustrated by John and Alexandra Wallner. New York: Holiday House. An illustrated biography of Helen Keller.

Davis, Lennard J. (2000). My Sense of Silence: Memoirs of a Childhood with Deafness. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. 158pp. A man describes growing up with deaf parents.

Chang, Pang-Mei. (1997). Bound Feet and Western Dress. New York: Doubleday. 217pp. A true account of a Chinese woman who defies her family's traditions and becomes successful.

Taylor, Theodore. (1969). The Cay. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. 137pp. Because of a shipwreck, eleven-year old Phillip is blinded and stranded with an African American sailor. Phillip must learn to live with his disability and to rid himself of prejudice.

Teaching Ideas

(1) "Practicing with Braille" The American Foundation for the Blind offers a booklet titled Helen Keller, which includes a printed card with raised dots to teach the students to use Braille alphabet and numbers. Have students practice using Braille.

(2) "Quick Write" Students do quick writes with the following prompts:

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be deaf, blind, or deaf-blind? Do you know anyone that is deaf, blind, or deaf-blind? How do you react to a person with a disability?

(3) "Describing an Object" Students attempt to write a descriptive paragraph on an object without using their eyes.

(Review written by Jill Millar & Jennifer E. Moore and edited by Jennifer E. Moore)