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Sterling Biographies
Helen Keller: Courage in Darkness
At only nineteen months old, Helen Keller contracted a childhood illness that left her permanently blind and deaf. As a mature, confident woman, she showed the world that people with disabilities should not-and would not-be pushed aside. Helen was a wild, uncontrollable child who was frustrated by her inability to communicate with others. But after nearly two decades of work led by her teacher, Annie Sullivan, Helen not only learned to express herself through language, she became an author, a political activist, a lecturer, and a vaudeville performer. She worked tirelessly as an advocate and fundraiser on behalf of blind and deaf people. Helen Keller has enabled generations of people with similar challenges to excel beyond their wildest dreams.
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
128 pages, Paperback
Published February 3, 2009
6 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Emma Carlson Berne
346 books145 followersEmma Carlson Berne is the author of the YA thrillers STILL WATERS and NEVER LET YOU GO (coming Fall 2012 from Simon & Schuster). She has also written the thrillers FIGMENT and CHOKER under the pen name Elizabeth Woods. She lives and writes in Cincinnati. Learn more about Emma and contact her directly at her website, www.emmacarlsonberne.com. Or check out Emma Carlson Berne Books on http://www.facebook.com/EmmaCarlsonBe... or follow her on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 1, 2022
I liked this book "Courage in Darkness and in Silence" should be the title of this biography of Helen Keller. The name is synonymous with overcoming insurmountable odds. This biography by Emma Carlson Berne is a quick read covering the basics of Helen's remarkable life. When Scarlet Fever took the sight and hearing from a bright and beautiful little girl, her family searched for a way to communicate with her. The answer came when Anne Mansfield Sullivan came to her. Berne is able to engage the reader to learn more and to express the highlights in the remarkable relationship between Helen and her teacher Anne for over 2 decades, and I think the way they spent their lives as a political and social activists for those who could not see and could not hear. The time line and actual photographs draw the reader in to better understand the real Helen Keller.
January 2, 2018
So delighted to be able to read this book once again. What a riveting story. There are far to too many twists and turns in the story that make it all the more interesting. To see the process of somebody grow and develop and be able to sustain a life of effectiveness within their community and abroad
May 22, 2019
I liked this factual account and learned many things about Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan I did not know. For instance, I was not aware of all the fund-raising efforts she made to help blind and deaf people. I also did not know she was engaged to be married which her mother was staunchly against. The book also had many wonderful photos of Helen in different stages of her fantastic life.
February 23, 2017
Review:
An Informational Text That Gives You a Ton of Information!
Helen Keller was born a perfectly healthy child and at only 3 months her mother knew that she was extremely intelligent but then everything takes a turn. Hellen gets the dreaded disease known as scarlet fever. When Helen finally recovered she would be left not only blind and deaf but since she was so young when she became ill she had never learned how to speak which was a struggle that she would face for the rest of her life. Helen Keller Courage in the Darkness by Emma Carlson Berne is a biography about the struggles and hardships of Helen Keller. In the book The author tells about the all the events that happen in her life not only including the struggles but all the happy times where everything was simply normal. In the book there are many characters, most are the people that help Hellen along her journey but the most important characters are Helen and Annie. Annie was Annie's teacher every since she was little and would be till the day she died. The setting changes throughout the book. At the beginning she lives in a white house in Texas but later in her life her and Annie move to New York city so that she can attend college. After College, Annie and Helen travel the world making searches and teaching recently blind soldiers. Most of the time I would much rather read a book that is fiction but this book was very good and informational and I would definitely like to read it again. All in all this biography about Helen Keller is an extremely good read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an informational book to read.
An Informational Text That Gives You a Ton of Information!
Helen Keller was born a perfectly healthy child and at only 3 months her mother knew that she was extremely intelligent but then everything takes a turn. Hellen gets the dreaded disease known as scarlet fever. When Helen finally recovered she would be left not only blind and deaf but since she was so young when she became ill she had never learned how to speak which was a struggle that she would face for the rest of her life. Helen Keller Courage in the Darkness by Emma Carlson Berne is a biography about the struggles and hardships of Helen Keller. In the book The author tells about the all the events that happen in her life not only including the struggles but all the happy times where everything was simply normal. In the book there are many characters, most are the people that help Hellen along her journey but the most important characters are Helen and Annie. Annie was Annie's teacher every since she was little and would be till the day she died. The setting changes throughout the book. At the beginning she lives in a white house in Texas but later in her life her and Annie move to New York city so that she can attend college. After College, Annie and Helen travel the world making searches and teaching recently blind soldiers. Most of the time I would much rather read a book that is fiction but this book was very good and informational and I would definitely like to read it again. All in all this biography about Helen Keller is an extremely good read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an informational book to read.
May 24, 2011
Title: Helen Keller: Courage in Darkness
Author: Emma Carlson Berne
Published by: Sterling Biographies
Summary: Helen Keller: Courage in Darkness, by Emma Carlson Berne, is a complete biography of the legendary Helen Keller, who was born in July, 1880. Soon after birth, she fell ill with scarlet fever, a very serious illness that can cause blindness and deafness. This is exactly what happened to Helen, who was also a mute. Her childhood was very troubled: she grew up to be an uncontrollable child with a temper and a need to express herself.
When she turned seven years old, Annie Sullivan entered her life as a teacher, companion, and friend. Annie, who was also growing blind, understood Helen. Finally, on the 5th of April, 1887, the child had a breakthrough. The famous water pump moment was complete; Helen understood that the words Annie was spelling into her hand meant something.
After years of hard work and after many tears hit the floor, Helen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She became an author, an artist and a political activist. She travelled the world and the seven seas to prove that people with different abilities such as herself are not all stupid and incapable of education. There are many people with her predicament who have gone far.
Helen Keller died on the 1st of June, 1968, several days after suffering from a severe heart attack after 88 years of life.
This book is not only a good read, but also a very well-founded book that tells you all there is to know about Helen Keller's colourful life. I enjoyed the pictures, the history behind them and the facts that were spread through the book like seeds blown by the wind.
An excellent read.
By Lucie
Author: Emma Carlson Berne
Published by: Sterling Biographies
Summary: Helen Keller: Courage in Darkness, by Emma Carlson Berne, is a complete biography of the legendary Helen Keller, who was born in July, 1880. Soon after birth, she fell ill with scarlet fever, a very serious illness that can cause blindness and deafness. This is exactly what happened to Helen, who was also a mute. Her childhood was very troubled: she grew up to be an uncontrollable child with a temper and a need to express herself.
When she turned seven years old, Annie Sullivan entered her life as a teacher, companion, and friend. Annie, who was also growing blind, understood Helen. Finally, on the 5th of April, 1887, the child had a breakthrough. The famous water pump moment was complete; Helen understood that the words Annie was spelling into her hand meant something.
After years of hard work and after many tears hit the floor, Helen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She became an author, an artist and a political activist. She travelled the world and the seven seas to prove that people with different abilities such as herself are not all stupid and incapable of education. There are many people with her predicament who have gone far.
Helen Keller died on the 1st of June, 1968, several days after suffering from a severe heart attack after 88 years of life.
This book is not only a good read, but also a very well-founded book that tells you all there is to know about Helen Keller's colourful life. I enjoyed the pictures, the history behind them and the facts that were spread through the book like seeds blown by the wind.
An excellent read.
By Lucie
November 28, 2016
For my final literature study, I chose the piece "Helen Keller: Courage in Darkness." This true story is about a woman named Helen Keller who was both deaf and blind. This biography follows her journey from the day she was born, until the day she died. In addition to explaining how she dealt with her disabilities, the book also showcased an element of hope that she portrayed for others who had extreme disabilities. A few of my favorite facts from this biography would be the fact that she was the first deaf and blind person to graduate college, Keller wrote memoirs and starred in a silent film, and finally, I loved seeing her relationship grow with her teacher, mentor, and friend, Annie. There was so much in this book I did not know!
Overall I enjoyed this book very much. I especially appreciated how all of the pictures in the book were authentic pictures of Helen Keller! Not much was left up to the imagination in that sense. Additionally, I enjoyed how in depth the book went and how honest it was about both her flaws and her success. I would highly recommend this book to a middle school classroom because although it is easy to read, the subject content can sometimes be a little heavy for younger children.
Overall I enjoyed this book very much. I especially appreciated how all of the pictures in the book were authentic pictures of Helen Keller! Not much was left up to the imagination in that sense. Additionally, I enjoyed how in depth the book went and how honest it was about both her flaws and her success. I would highly recommend this book to a middle school classroom because although it is easy to read, the subject content can sometimes be a little heavy for younger children.
July 23, 2016
This is a fascinating biography of a very remarkable person. We all know that Helen Keller was some woman in history who was deaf and blind, but this book reveals so much more. Her life spanned some of the most interesting times in modern history, and this book intertwines these events with Helen's life smoothly and clearly. There are many actual photographs, and so many things that I never knew. Helen actually was in silent movies, and in vaudeville. She took up many social causes, and of course, helped change the way the world views disabled people. She died in 1968! I would recommend this for 7th grade and up.
August 19, 2009
This biography was just what I was looking for. It was a short, quick read that gave me the perfect amount of information about Helen Keller's life. Granted, some parts were a bit over-simplified, but it was a nice summary. I gained a great appreciation for Annie Sullivan, who gave her whole life to Helen.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews