This is a great read for older elementary students. It is a great book for a student that is just beginning to read chapter books. This book could also be considered a biography but I categorized it as Historical Fiction because some parts of the story are dramatized and the pictures are more childlike. Altogether I learned about the life of Helen Keller and what amazing things she accomplished in her life. This book can teach children the lesson to never give up no matter how hard life becomes. It teaches this through Helen Keller’s challenges and accomplishments. Helen Keller was born without vision or the ability to hear. At first this was a challenge but she persevered and succeeded. Helen Keller even went on to graduate college and accomplish many great things. This book briefly discribes her life story including the people that affected her the most. The book discribes her struggles and how she never gave up. These details suported the message that no matter what it is important to never give up. We can accomplish great things even whe we struggle. I would definitely recommend this book for children due to the information and message it conveys. ( )

Summary:
Helen is left deaf and blind due to an illness as just a toddler. Since this type of disability was not common her parents were unsure of what they could do to teach her until they hired Annie. Annie teaches Helen how to care for herself as well as how to sign. Helen would go on to become a very successful, college educated, women.

Personal Reaction:
This was a great book! I think this book really helps to show students that disabilities do not make it impossible for people to live normal lives or to be successful. I also think it is a great way to introduce young students to some of the differences they might notice among themselves.

Classroom Extension:

1.)Have the students put on blindfolds and try to guess the items you have provided them using only touch.
2.) Place the students in groups and have one student from each group put on a blindfold. Then have the other students try to describe an item of their choosing to the blindfolded student without using the name of the item.
3.) Have the students think of other ways that a person might be able to communicate with others if they are blind, deaf, or simply speak a different language. Have them practice their ideas with one another. ( )

The story "Helen Keller: Courage in the Dark" is about Keller's life growing up being blind. This is a great story that shows how she learned to adapt with being deaf and blindness get in the way of becoming the first to get a bachelors degree. Her tale of learning how to read braille with her teacher helping her is remarkable and send a powerful messaged.
Helen Keller is such a remarkable lady that shows us all that you can do anything if you set your mind to it and don't let things get in the way. This will make anybody feel like they can do anything and such a powerful story. I love the way the author makes it so students can understand how she felt and how she was encouraged to make something of herself.
In the classroom, the teacher could set up an obstacle course and have students be blindfolded, to experience how Keller was being blind. The teacher could also have a lesson on teaching students how to read braille and learn sign language. These would be fun hands-on activities for the students to learn how it was in the life of Keller.

A well-written biography with pretty colored pencil illustrations. Simple sentence and paragraph structure, so could be accessible to earlier readers. Tells Helen's story from birth.

Includes a braille guide. ( )

Helen Keller was born a healthy baby girl, but when she was just over a year old she became sick with a very high fever. A few days passed and the fever broke. Although she wasn't sick anymore, the high fever left her unable to hear or see. Becoming blind and deaf turned the once happy child into a wild child. She kicked, scratched, and screamed at her parents. During dinnertime she stuck her hands in others plates. Helen's parents didn't know what to do with her so they sought the help of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. Mr. Bell suggested they take her to the Perkins Institute for the Blind. There they met Anne Sullivan. When Anne arrived Helen was almost 7 and very unhappy. At first Helen would not listen or obey Anne but with a lot of patience she began to learn. This beautiful story of courage ends with the many accomplishment of Helen Keller.

Personal Reaction:
I love this story. It teaches kids that even though they may have a disability, that shouldn't keep them from learning and succeeding in anything they would like to do.

Classroom Extension
1. Have students make their way through an obstacle course blindfolded so they can experience what its like to be blind.
2. Have students write a paragraph about what they think Anne felt like when she was young and unable to hear, see or communicate. ( )