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Helen Keller: A Determined Life
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.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2004
48 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth MacLeod
95 books32 followersElizabeth MacLeod was born on October 21 in Toronto. As a child Liz liked to read Nancy Drew and Anne of Green Gables books, swim, sing, dance, and hang out with her friends. Encouraged by her parents, she began writing stories and poetry for her own enjoyment at the age of 10, her favorite subjects being mad scientists and tyrants who threatened to take over the world.
Today Liz is inspired by almost anything--her friends, reading, and the funny, beautiful world around her. Her first job in publishing was at OWL magazine, and Liz credits editor Sylvia Funston as one of her mentors. Liz also names Valerie Wyatt, a writer and editor, as an important influence on her work, as well as a good friend.
An avid reader, Liz enjoyed digging up amazing facts and researching historic royals and their countries and customs for Royal Murder (2008). She encourages anyone with a desire to write to "just do it." Even if no one ever reads it, the joy that comes from expressing yourself through words is reward enough. Liz adds that writing takes practice, and with each day you are bound to improve.
Liz lives in Toronto with her husband, Paul, and their two cats, Smedley and Cosmo.
She enjoys keeping active, spending time with friends, music, theater, and cheering on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Liz plans to continue writing about a broad spectrum of topics in both fiction and non-fiction, and would like to work on more picture books in the future.
Today Liz is inspired by almost anything--her friends, reading, and the funny, beautiful world around her. Her first job in publishing was at OWL magazine, and Liz credits editor Sylvia Funston as one of her mentors. Liz also names Valerie Wyatt, a writer and editor, as an important influence on her work, as well as a good friend.
An avid reader, Liz enjoyed digging up amazing facts and researching historic royals and their countries and customs for Royal Murder (2008). She encourages anyone with a desire to write to "just do it." Even if no one ever reads it, the joy that comes from expressing yourself through words is reward enough. Liz adds that writing takes practice, and with each day you are bound to improve.
Liz lives in Toronto with her husband, Paul, and their two cats, Smedley and Cosmo.
She enjoys keeping active, spending time with friends, music, theater, and cheering on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Liz plans to continue writing about a broad spectrum of topics in both fiction and non-fiction, and would like to work on more picture books in the future.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 9, 2018
Such is my obsession with this amazing woman, that I grabbed a children’s reader and learned a couple more facts. Who knew that June 27 is Helen Keller day, her birthday? I love the brilliance, but still do marvel just how she did it all.
I must have bought this for my kids, but don’t remember doing so. So many books.
I must have bought this for my kids, but don’t remember doing so. So many books.
November 5, 2009
Summary-
Helen Keller, A Determined Life, is an advanced picture book for readers in grades 3-5. It is a scrapbook-style biography about Helen Keller’s life. It tells about her childhood, how she lost her vision and hearing, her parents, her teacher, her many school experiences, her philanthropy and research work, her romance, and how she died. Every other page has paragraph structure print and the other page has real pictures, captions, maps, drawings, and quotes from Helen Keller. This book gives a lot of information about everything in Helen Keller’s life.
Response-
I really enjoyed this book. I have always been interested in Helen Keller. When I was younger I even did a research project on her. I learned new facts in this book that I have never heard of before. This book did a wonderful job of giving information on everything about Helen Keller. I learned about her friends, pets, likes, dislikes, studies, accomplishments, and so much more. Anyone could pick this book up and learn a lot of information about her. Because of the layout, there is no prior knowledge needed. The scrapbook feel makes reading more interesting. There are a lot of visually stimulating images to keep a reader interested. I also LOVED seeing all of the real photos. There are a lot of them in this book, and most readers would be attracted to that.
I would be a little apprehensive about giving this book to someone who doesn’t have strong concepts of print. Since there is so much going on within each page, I see how it could become confusing to some students. They may get frustrated with how to properly read everything in this book, or accidently skip some important information. On the other hand, the layout of this book may be appealing to other students. It has a fun feel, unlike traditional biographies. It would depend on the specific child.
Helen Keller, A Determined Life, is an advanced picture book for readers in grades 3-5. It is a scrapbook-style biography about Helen Keller’s life. It tells about her childhood, how she lost her vision and hearing, her parents, her teacher, her many school experiences, her philanthropy and research work, her romance, and how she died. Every other page has paragraph structure print and the other page has real pictures, captions, maps, drawings, and quotes from Helen Keller. This book gives a lot of information about everything in Helen Keller’s life.
Response-
I really enjoyed this book. I have always been interested in Helen Keller. When I was younger I even did a research project on her. I learned new facts in this book that I have never heard of before. This book did a wonderful job of giving information on everything about Helen Keller. I learned about her friends, pets, likes, dislikes, studies, accomplishments, and so much more. Anyone could pick this book up and learn a lot of information about her. Because of the layout, there is no prior knowledge needed. The scrapbook feel makes reading more interesting. There are a lot of visually stimulating images to keep a reader interested. I also LOVED seeing all of the real photos. There are a lot of them in this book, and most readers would be attracted to that.
I would be a little apprehensive about giving this book to someone who doesn’t have strong concepts of print. Since there is so much going on within each page, I see how it could become confusing to some students. They may get frustrated with how to properly read everything in this book, or accidently skip some important information. On the other hand, the layout of this book may be appealing to other students. It has a fun feel, unlike traditional biographies. It would depend on the specific child.
April 26, 2016
Title: Helen Keller
Author: Elizabeth MacLeod
Illustrator: Andrej Krystoforski
Genre: Biography (grades K-2)
Theme(s): Biography, Deafness, Blindness, Woman, Juvenile Literature
Opening Line/ Sentence: Close your eyes tightly.
Brief Book Summary:
This book is about the life of Helen Keller. When Helen Keller was a baby she became very sick and the result from this sickness left her deaf and blind. This book talks about Helen’s journey with her teacher Anne Sullivan on how to talk and understand the world through sign language and braille. The book also goes on about many of Helen Keller’s achievements throughout her life.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Della A. Yannuzzi (Children's Literature)
Helen Keller is an inspirational figure who captures the interest of young readers. She was born a healthy child in 1880 in Alabama, but when she was 19 months old, she came down with a high fever. Soon after, she lost both her eyesight and her hearing. Life was difficult for Helen. She became frustrated when no one knew what she wanted. She learned to express herself by making signs, such as shivering when she wanted ice cream. Helen s parents wanted to help her so they searched for someone who could teach her how to live in a world without seeing or hearing. Eventually, Helen and her parents visited a school for the blind in Boston. There, Helen met Annie Sullivan, a teacher who came to live with the family. She wanted to teach Helen how to express herself by using sign language. Soon, Helen was learning how to sign for water by feeling water running over her hands. She learned 625 words in six months. Helen and Annie became lifelong companions. With Annie s help, Helen was able to go to college. She became the first deaf-blind person in the United States to finish college. Helen and Annie decided to go on a speaking tour. Helen talked first, and then Annie repeated her words. This was necessary because Helen s words were not always clear since she could not hear the words she was speaking. Helen s disabilities did not keep her from traveling around the world. She collected millions of dollars from her speeches to help blind and deaf people. Helen died in 1968, just before her eighty-eighth birthday. She is remembered for her courage in overcoming her loss of sight and hearing. Text and illustrations complement each other. Author MacLeod has done a nice job of explaining in simple terms the life of an inspiring woman. 2007, Kids Can Press, $14.95. Ages 7 up.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Ming Wong (CM Magazine, December 21, 2007 (Vol. XIV, No. 9))
Helen Keller is a biography of a remarkable person who achieved worldwide fame for overcoming her handicap of deafness and blindness to become one of the most influential public figures of her time. Helen Keller was no ordinary child. She was a famous American author, activist, and lecturer. Helen was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. In February, 1882, she became dramatically ill at the age of 19 months. The illness left Helen both blind and deaf. The next few years were very hard on her and her family. By the time, Helen was seven; her parents knew they needed help, and so they hired a tutor named Annie Sullivan. Annie Sullivan was introduced to Helen in March, 1887. It was the beginning of a 49-year long relationship. Helen immediately learned to communicate by spelling with her fingers. The big breakthrough was when Helen connected the motions her teacher was making on her palm with Annie's running cool water over her hand. Soon after that, Helen learned to speak, to read Braille, and write with both ordinary and Braille typewriters. When Helen was 20, she entered Radcliffe College, and later she became the first deaf-blind person to graduate from the institution. Helen wrote nearly a dozen books. Helen continued to do research, gave speeches, and helped raise money to help people who could not see. She traveled around the world speaking about her experiences and beliefs. In 1968, at age 87, Helen died in her sleep. "People still remember the many amazing things Helen did." Helen Keller is highly recommended for school age readers and is a great addition to elementary schools and appropriate for all public libraries. Highly Recommended. Rating: **** /4. Grades 1-2. (Kids Can Read) 2007, Kids Can Press, 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $5.95 (pbk.) and $14.95 (hc.). Ages 6 to 7.
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
The first professional review summed up what the book was about but that is all it did; this review did not include any opinions or other details of this book. The second professional review is also another summary of the book but I did like how this review went into more detail about Helen Keller that the book did not offer. I did like how the second professional review mentioned that this Helen Keller book is a new option that is highly recommended to children in elementary schools because students are able to learn about disabilities as well as learn about her achievements and the obstacles that she overcame.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This book is a biography but presents the information in a way that young readers will understand and will capture the attention of the young readers. I really like how this book talked about Helens entire life and her journey as well as her accomplishments of being able to speak to others that are struggling with being deaf or blind as well. The end of this book offers book end matter by giving the reader different facts about Helen Keller. The one fact was “Dogs were Helen’s favorite animal. She always owned one or two.” The author was able to add facts about Helen Keller that would be relatable and interesting to the young readers that this book is targeted for. The illustrations in this book look like a sketch but are very clear and detailed throughout the entire story.
Consideration to Instructional Application:
I would use this book in the classroom to talk about differences between people. I think this book brings up the opportunity to discuss the two disabilities of deafness and blindness. After reading this book as a read aloud to the class I would introduce the idea of sign language and braille to the students. I would find different reference sheets of different letters and words in sign language and the different letters in braille for the students to refer back to on their own.
Author: Elizabeth MacLeod
Illustrator: Andrej Krystoforski
Genre: Biography (grades K-2)
Theme(s): Biography, Deafness, Blindness, Woman, Juvenile Literature
Opening Line/ Sentence: Close your eyes tightly.
Brief Book Summary:
This book is about the life of Helen Keller. When Helen Keller was a baby she became very sick and the result from this sickness left her deaf and blind. This book talks about Helen’s journey with her teacher Anne Sullivan on how to talk and understand the world through sign language and braille. The book also goes on about many of Helen Keller’s achievements throughout her life.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Della A. Yannuzzi (Children's Literature)
Helen Keller is an inspirational figure who captures the interest of young readers. She was born a healthy child in 1880 in Alabama, but when she was 19 months old, she came down with a high fever. Soon after, she lost both her eyesight and her hearing. Life was difficult for Helen. She became frustrated when no one knew what she wanted. She learned to express herself by making signs, such as shivering when she wanted ice cream. Helen s parents wanted to help her so they searched for someone who could teach her how to live in a world without seeing or hearing. Eventually, Helen and her parents visited a school for the blind in Boston. There, Helen met Annie Sullivan, a teacher who came to live with the family. She wanted to teach Helen how to express herself by using sign language. Soon, Helen was learning how to sign for water by feeling water running over her hands. She learned 625 words in six months. Helen and Annie became lifelong companions. With Annie s help, Helen was able to go to college. She became the first deaf-blind person in the United States to finish college. Helen and Annie decided to go on a speaking tour. Helen talked first, and then Annie repeated her words. This was necessary because Helen s words were not always clear since she could not hear the words she was speaking. Helen s disabilities did not keep her from traveling around the world. She collected millions of dollars from her speeches to help blind and deaf people. Helen died in 1968, just before her eighty-eighth birthday. She is remembered for her courage in overcoming her loss of sight and hearing. Text and illustrations complement each other. Author MacLeod has done a nice job of explaining in simple terms the life of an inspiring woman. 2007, Kids Can Press, $14.95. Ages 7 up.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Ming Wong (CM Magazine, December 21, 2007 (Vol. XIV, No. 9))
Helen Keller is a biography of a remarkable person who achieved worldwide fame for overcoming her handicap of deafness and blindness to become one of the most influential public figures of her time. Helen Keller was no ordinary child. She was a famous American author, activist, and lecturer. Helen was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. In February, 1882, she became dramatically ill at the age of 19 months. The illness left Helen both blind and deaf. The next few years were very hard on her and her family. By the time, Helen was seven; her parents knew they needed help, and so they hired a tutor named Annie Sullivan. Annie Sullivan was introduced to Helen in March, 1887. It was the beginning of a 49-year long relationship. Helen immediately learned to communicate by spelling with her fingers. The big breakthrough was when Helen connected the motions her teacher was making on her palm with Annie's running cool water over her hand. Soon after that, Helen learned to speak, to read Braille, and write with both ordinary and Braille typewriters. When Helen was 20, she entered Radcliffe College, and later she became the first deaf-blind person to graduate from the institution. Helen wrote nearly a dozen books. Helen continued to do research, gave speeches, and helped raise money to help people who could not see. She traveled around the world speaking about her experiences and beliefs. In 1968, at age 87, Helen died in her sleep. "People still remember the many amazing things Helen did." Helen Keller is highly recommended for school age readers and is a great addition to elementary schools and appropriate for all public libraries. Highly Recommended. Rating: **** /4. Grades 1-2. (Kids Can Read) 2007, Kids Can Press, 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $5.95 (pbk.) and $14.95 (hc.). Ages 6 to 7.
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
The first professional review summed up what the book was about but that is all it did; this review did not include any opinions or other details of this book. The second professional review is also another summary of the book but I did like how this review went into more detail about Helen Keller that the book did not offer. I did like how the second professional review mentioned that this Helen Keller book is a new option that is highly recommended to children in elementary schools because students are able to learn about disabilities as well as learn about her achievements and the obstacles that she overcame.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This book is a biography but presents the information in a way that young readers will understand and will capture the attention of the young readers. I really like how this book talked about Helens entire life and her journey as well as her accomplishments of being able to speak to others that are struggling with being deaf or blind as well. The end of this book offers book end matter by giving the reader different facts about Helen Keller. The one fact was “Dogs were Helen’s favorite animal. She always owned one or two.” The author was able to add facts about Helen Keller that would be relatable and interesting to the young readers that this book is targeted for. The illustrations in this book look like a sketch but are very clear and detailed throughout the entire story.
Consideration to Instructional Application:
I would use this book in the classroom to talk about differences between people. I think this book brings up the opportunity to discuss the two disabilities of deafness and blindness. After reading this book as a read aloud to the class I would introduce the idea of sign language and braille to the students. I would find different reference sheets of different letters and words in sign language and the different letters in braille for the students to refer back to on their own.
May 10, 2021
I learned a lot from this book.
January 29, 2019
It had interesting information, presented in a variety of ways (paragraphs, photos of people, drawings, quotes, scans of documents, and even a mini Helen telling facts about herself). Unfortunately, loses a star for the cluttered formatting.
March 11, 2010
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".
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".
September 30, 2013
Helen Keller a Determined Life is not quite a picture or chapter book; it’s a detailed 32 page account of Helen Keller’s life, struggles and accomplishments. So far out of all the picture books we have read about Keller this one is the most informative. The text is present on the left side of the page while the right contains beautiful photos, caricatures, or objects that compliment or add to the adjacent material. A section called “Helen’s life at a glance” is in the afterward and gives a detailed timeline about her life.
September 24, 2013
Helen Keller is a wonderful mini-biography early reader book for elementary age students. Elizabeth MacLeod did a nice job of describing the enormous challenges that Helen had to overcome, to do even some of the simple everyday things that we take for granted. Her efforts were an incalculable assistance in advocating for the Disabled community.
January 22, 2010
Very good look at the life of Helen Keller both from someone writing about her life and comments from Ms. Keller herself. An easy biography to digest full of interesting facts that you may or may not know.
April 23, 2018
This book is very informational on the life of Helen Keller and all the difficulties she had throughout her life. It is a read alone book so it is easy for children to understand.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews