Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures
Nonfiction
For ages 9 and up
Scholastic Nonfiction, 2007 ISBN: 978-0439918152
Many people have heard of Helen Keller, but the story they know often does not go much beyond the point when Helen met Annie Sullivan, her teacher, who taught Helen how to communicate and how to have a productive life despite her handicaps. Though this was indeed a huge breakthrough for Helen, it was only the first of a many remarkable things that she did.
Helen went on to learn how to write and she wrote a book about her life which was published while she was attending Radcliff College in the early 1900's. This was only the first of many books which Helen wrote. She also became a lecturer and an advocate for the blind and the deaf. Helen was a pacifist who was staunchly against war and she was not afraid to share her views with others, even when her words made her unpopular. She supported the right of workers to strike and she strongly believed that women should be given the vote.
In her lifetime Helen visited thirty-nine countries and she met numerous heads of state and other famous people. She strongly believed that someone had to speak for those who could not speak for themselves and many people all over the world still benefit from her priceless legacy.
In this exceptional book Helen Keller's achievements are brought vividly to life. The text provides just the right amount of background information to set the scene for the beautiful and often compelling photographs. Readers will come to appreciate the fact that Helen never gave up, she never stopped learning, and she never stopped wanting to make a difference in the lives people who were in need of support, comfort, and understanding.
