What do you think?
Rate this book
Helen Keller: Her Life In Pictures
Rare photographs and informative text tell the story of Helen Keller's life from the iconic moment at the pump through her career as goodwill delegate to the world.
The fascinating life of one of the most popular historical figures is told through images -- most rarely, if ever, seen -- from the American Foundation for the Blind and The Perkins School for the Blind. The images trace Keller's life from birth, to childhood with Annie Sullivan in the cottage, to college, and on to her many years as a dedicated social activist and spokesperson. We get a glimpse of her sense of humor, her experiences as a lecturer on the vaudeville circuit, her many pets, and her last quiet years in Connecticut.
The fascinating life of one of the most popular historical figures is told through images -- most rarely, if ever, seen -- from the American Foundation for the Blind and The Perkins School for the Blind. The images trace Keller's life from birth, to childhood with Annie Sullivan in the cottage, to college, and on to her many years as a dedicated social activist and spokesperson. We get a glimpse of her sense of humor, her experiences as a lecturer on the vaudeville circuit, her many pets, and her last quiet years in Connecticut.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
About the author
George Sullivan
348 books10 followersGeorge Sullivan is a best-selling nonfiction author with more than 100 books to his credit. He lives in New York City.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 8, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it showed pictures of her memories at different times in her life. It gave me lots of information that I was curious about. It showed from her being a baby to when she was a older women, it explained how she grew up and how she encouraged others throughout her life. In my opinion she was a very determined women, her dream was to go to college and she did it even being blind and deaf. If you are curious about her lifestyle and how she grew up being blind and deaf this would be the book for you!
Read
October 9, 20201. Award(s) Received: 2008 Orbis Pictus Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Award - Honor Book, 2008 CCBC Choice
2. Appropriate Grade Level(s): 4-6
3. Summary: Filled with photographs taken throughout her life, this book combines photos and text to tell the remarkable biography of Helen Keller. After becoming deaf and blind as an infant, Helen learns how to communicate as a child through Braille and ASL from her teacher Anne Sullivan. Helen goes on to succeed in school, graduate college as the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, become a political activist, and speak publicly.
4. Review: Helen Keller is a powerful role model for children of all abilities to look up to. Her work as an activist improved the lives of blind individuals by improving educational opportunities and accessibility to books written in Braille. Her life’s work inspires us all to show courage in the face of adversities, not take our life for granted, and to make a difference in the world.
5. In-Class Uses: This book could be a part of a lesson on raising awareness of people with disabilities. Since I am an intermediate signer, I could teach my students some words and phrases in American Sign Language to increase their understanding of how most deaf individuals communicate, increase their cultural knowledge of the Deaf community, and since it is learning a second language, strengthen their linguistic abilities. We could also have a discussion on blindness, and brainstorm ways blind people rely on their other senses to complete tasks, such as cooking a meal.
2. Appropriate Grade Level(s): 4-6
3. Summary: Filled with photographs taken throughout her life, this book combines photos and text to tell the remarkable biography of Helen Keller. After becoming deaf and blind as an infant, Helen learns how to communicate as a child through Braille and ASL from her teacher Anne Sullivan. Helen goes on to succeed in school, graduate college as the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, become a political activist, and speak publicly.
4. Review: Helen Keller is a powerful role model for children of all abilities to look up to. Her work as an activist improved the lives of blind individuals by improving educational opportunities and accessibility to books written in Braille. Her life’s work inspires us all to show courage in the face of adversities, not take our life for granted, and to make a difference in the world.
5. In-Class Uses: This book could be a part of a lesson on raising awareness of people with disabilities. Since I am an intermediate signer, I could teach my students some words and phrases in American Sign Language to increase their understanding of how most deaf individuals communicate, increase their cultural knowledge of the Deaf community, and since it is learning a second language, strengthen their linguistic abilities. We could also have a discussion on blindness, and brainstorm ways blind people rely on their other senses to complete tasks, such as cooking a meal.
April 9, 2019
FROM GOODREADS SITE: Rare photographs and informative text tell the story of Helen Keller's life from the iconic moment at the pump through her career as goodwill delegate to the world.
The fascinating life of one of the most popular historical figures is told through images -- most rarely, if ever, seen -- from the American Foundation for the Blind and The Perkins School for the Blind. The images trace Keller's life from birth, to childhood with Annie Sullivan in the cottage, to college, and on to her many years as a dedicated social activist and spokesperson. We get a glimpse of her sense of humor, her experiences as a lecturer on the vaudeville circuit, her many pets, and her last quiet years in Connecticut.
The fascinating life of one of the most popular historical figures is told through images -- most rarely, if ever, seen -- from the American Foundation for the Blind and The Perkins School for the Blind. The images trace Keller's life from birth, to childhood with Annie Sullivan in the cottage, to college, and on to her many years as a dedicated social activist and spokesperson. We get a glimpse of her sense of humor, her experiences as a lecturer on the vaudeville circuit, her many pets, and her last quiet years in Connecticut.
February 19, 2019
I really liked this book. First, it's a kids book, so you can read it in one sitting. Second, it is full of photographs. Helen Keller was very pretty. Many stories or movies focus on her childhood and her miraculous feat of learning to read and speak while being blind and deaf, but you don't always hear about the rest of her life. She was an amazing advocate for the blind and many other worthy causes. She had loyal companions who stayed by her side every day until they died. (Two of them) She lived to be 87. What a long, silent, dark life that was put to the best use to serve and help others. Definitely worth picking up and reading.
November 27, 2019
This book about Helen Keller takes the reader through her entire life form birth to adulthood. Helen was an incredible woman who was disabled with blindness and deafness. Dispite her disabilities, Helen attended college and became an advocate for the blind and learned how to read and speak. Her teacher Annie Sullivan, was by Helen's side for many many years and experienced all the wonders of Helen Keller. This is a really great book about persevering through adversity and never giving up.
September 15, 2022
This is an inspiring book and let us learn from Helen Keller's attitude. She always had a desire and interest to know others. Ever since she knew the language, she never stopped to learn and reading books. I like how she always wanted to touch the face of the people she met. She also had a chance to touch the smiling face of President Eisenhower. It was amazing to me. Meanwhile, she knew how to grab resources to expand her knowledge and traveled a lot to share with others.
November 5, 2018
2000 Non-fiction Informational
Hellen Keller is a well known name, but this book offers insights into her life and rare photographs of her and those closest to her. I would recommend this for 3rd grade and older, because some of the words are a bit challenging.
Hellen Keller is a well known name, but this book offers insights into her life and rare photographs of her and those closest to her. I would recommend this for 3rd grade and older, because some of the words are a bit challenging.
November 1, 2019
I loved reading this book. Helen Keller's life is truly fascinating, and this is a great way to get the whole big picture scope of her accomplishments. I also love the timeline they have in the back and a guide on how to read braille.
March 3, 2024
Excellent book for our Faces of History project. She was extremely well accomplished and had wonderful teachers in her life.
August 18, 2009
Gr 3-6-This photographic testimony to Keller's life is best-suited for piquing readers' interest about the remarkable woman. It chronicles her life through 72 thoughtfully chosen photographs and documents, each with brief captions that serve as a logical progression of her life from infancy through her 80s. While many of the biographies about her include photographs, Sullivan's selections and the chronological flow allow students to visualize the determination and perseverance that characterized Keller's life, and to appreciate the amazing scope of her accomplishments. The layout of the book is beautiful, with simbraille (a print representation of braille characters) used alongside each page number and caption heading. The author's focus is primarily on the work that Keller did as an adult, inspiring people around the world through her public speaking and political activism. While basic information about her childhood is included in the captions, this book does not go into detail about the remarkable transformation that Anne Sullivan wrought in the troubled and angry child. Students looking for a source that combines abundant photographs with a more detailed narrative can be directed to Leslie Garrett's Helen Keller: A Photographic Story of a Life (DK, 2004). Sullivan's end matter includes a list of several organizations that are carrying on Keller's work, and the incorporation of contact information for great-grandniece Keller Johnson Thompson, who currently serves as Ambassador for the American Foundation for the Blind, gives a satisfying feel of continuity.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
December 9, 2014
I thought this book was interesting because it told the amazing story of Helen Keller, a fascinating historical figure, through pictures. These images came from the American Foundation for the Blind and The Perkins School for the Blind. The incredible and rare images show Helen Keller’s life in chronological order from birth, childhood, college years, and through her years serving as a dedicated social activist and spokesperson. This book illustrates to us the details of her life that you don’t think of right away when you first hear her name, things such as her numerous pets, her sense of humor, and ending the book with the last of her years in Connecticut. The images grab your attention, which make you want to read the text that explains the importance of each photo. Each photo tells the obstacles, adventures, and her accomplishments throughout her life. The book covers her relationship with her main caregiver, Annie Sullivan, her family history, her schooling, and her success with public speaking and writing. The book ended with a timeline, which we believed helped us see when these main events in her life was happening. This 80 page nonfiction children’s book is a perfect book for children to read and learn about major female historical figures in America. This can be used do discuss historical figures in the classroom like my fourth grade class did.
Sullivan, G. (2007). Helen Keller : Her life in pictures. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction.
Sullivan, G. (2007). Helen Keller : Her life in pictures. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction.
July 2, 2012
This book may be called "Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures", but it was far more than just pictures. There was so much informative, wonderful text that provided facts about Helen that I truly enjoyed discovering. I found this book at the library a week or so ago and became interested in finding out more about this woman I have heard about all my life, but whom I never took the opportunity to truly learn about. Before reading this book, I knew simply that Helen Keller was made blind and deaf by a childhood illness, and that she did amazing things with her life... but now I know so much more, from the details of her life accomplishments to her likes and hobbies. Just by reading a simple book on her, I have come to know that she was undoubtedly a remarkable person. I hope to read her life story and autobiography one day. The life of Helen Keller is inspiring to me, and I am fascinated by her.
I would recommend this book highly for the fact that it provides beautiful photos of milestones and moments in her life, as well as facts and interesting details of her life in writing. If you read this, I am sure you will be both inspired and blown away by her incredible feats and the way she learned about the world around her despite being in darkness and silence.
I would recommend this book highly for the fact that it provides beautiful photos of milestones and moments in her life, as well as facts and interesting details of her life in writing. If you read this, I am sure you will be both inspired and blown away by her incredible feats and the way she learned about the world around her despite being in darkness and silence.
Read
December 4, 2013This book tells the story of Helen Keller from her birth on June 27th, 1880 to her death on June 1st, 1968 by using facts about her life and pictures to back up the facts. The book explains how Helen Keller was a deaf-blind girl but still learned to read, write, and understand what people were saying. She was an extraordinary figure because she strived to find ways to help others like her and she overcame obstacles that most people would not be able to. It begins in the early years of her life and continues on chronologically, showing pictures from when she was young, a teenager, an elder, and even pictures with other important figures such as presidents. The book tells about Helen’s proudest moments, her struggles, the important people in her life, and everything she accomplished in her eighty-eight years of life. I believe this book was deserving of being an honor book because it was very well-organized, the facts were accurate and interesting to read, the pictures were real and complimented the text, and the text was easy to read for children and shows that the author knew a great deal about Helen Keller.
November 18, 2009
Another YA project book. I really enjoyed this intimate biography about Helen Keller. Pretty much the only thing I know about her is from watching "The Miracle Worker" and she lived to be 88, so it's not that much. It starts at Helen Keller's birth in 1880, and explains how she became deaf and blind (from a fever that put her into a coma). I liked how Anne Sullivan Macy, her teacher and friend from age 7 to 54, who taught her how to sign and was her constant companion until Anne's death in 1936. Helen went to college at a time when no women did that and graduated with honors, went to over 30 countries to improve the life of the blind and deaf by raised money to help them. She had surgery to remove her eyes and replace them with blue glass ones. She was friends with Mark Twain and Alexander Graham Bell. She was a vaudeville star, when on tour lecturing, and always took care of her personal appearance even though she couldn't see or hear other people's opinions. She was a remarkable woman, who accomplished so many things even with her disabilities.
April 26, 2014
Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures was an autobiography about Helen Keller's life and experiences. This book tells about many of Helen Keller's obstacles, as well as her adventures. The author, George Sullivan, describes the many events that Helen Keller attended as well as all of the people that she met along the way. It covered her relationship with her main caretaker, Annie Sullivan, her family history, her schooling history, and other things she did during her life aside from writing and public speaking. This book ended with a time line of Helen Keller's life to help the audience see the main events as well as when they were. What I liked most about this autobiography was it's simplicity. The sentences were short and very informative, giving the audience a brief explanation of what Hellen Keller did, who she met, and what she experienced. This book would be great for children in elementary school to read and do reports on. It was simple enough that second graders and up could most likely read through it and comprehend what exactly this woman experienced.
April 29, 2014
Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures is organized chronologically by time and goes through, beginning to end of Helen Keller’s life. At the end of the book there is a time line of dates and events that were most important. The design is appealing and engaging. The photos are captivating and make the audience want to read the text, which explains the importance of the photos. The author is excited about the topic, however does not provide the hard facts. They make Helen Keller’s life glorious and does not show the students how difficult life was for her. The reader does not necessarily want to know what happens next, it does not leave you guessing what comes next. Overall great book for classroom lesson and provides knowledge on the subject. Personally I did not know mow accomplished Helen Keller is and can not wait to share her story with my future students. She is the ideal leader and great for students to learn from. This book could potentially lead to a lecture in Brail and familiarizing students with the alphabet, maybe even sign language.
February 24, 2012
My 6.5yo daughter and I read this biography to fulfill one of the requirements for a Girl Scout "petal" about courage. We both enjoyed it a lot, and my daughter has read it again on her own at least twice since then.
This is a great child-appropriate biography of an incredible woman. The photos are beautiful and complement Sullivan's biography well. The story itself was, of course, inspiring. I found myself getting choked up a few times, like when Keller visits Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There were little surprises, too, like that Keller was close friends with Eleanor Roosevelt (the other biography we picked up from the library for the project) and that she and Annie Sullivan had a Vaudeville act. I think Keller's story is as much about the devotion of Annie Sullivan and the other women who shared Keller's life as it is about her own courage and determination.
This is a great child-appropriate biography of an incredible woman. The photos are beautiful and complement Sullivan's biography well. The story itself was, of course, inspiring. I found myself getting choked up a few times, like when Keller visits Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There were little surprises, too, like that Keller was close friends with Eleanor Roosevelt (the other biography we picked up from the library for the project) and that she and Annie Sullivan had a Vaudeville act. I think Keller's story is as much about the devotion of Annie Sullivan and the other women who shared Keller's life as it is about her own courage and determination.
July 12, 2016
Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures was an autobiography about Helen Keller's life and experiences. This book tells Helen Keller’s life story, about her struggles learning to cope with blindness and deafness with the help of her primary caretaker Annie Sullivan. The book then goes on to describe the main events of her life, the many people she met, her family, her caretaker Annie, her learning experiences, and many of her life achievements big and small. The author concluded the book with a timeline of her life so that the reader could easily visualize when the main events of Helen’s life occurred.
Many of these things I already knew because I had learned about Helen Keller during elementary and middle school, and I did a book report on her in middle school. I did like learning about her though, and I would probably use this book to help my future students learn about her.
Many of these things I already knew because I had learned about Helen Keller during elementary and middle school, and I did a book report on her in middle school. I did like learning about her though, and I would probably use this book to help my future students learn about her.
April 2, 2014
I am always interested in biographies. Even if the book is about someone I feel I already know a lot about, I love discovering a new twist, angle, or set of information that I didn't know before. That's why I picked up this children's biography of Helen Keller. It is primarily a pictorial piece, and I thoroughly enjoyed the historical photographs of Helen and her world that I had never seen before. Photos of her dancing with ballerina Martha Graham, reading the face of John F. Kennedy to 'see' what he looks like, walking alone on the tree-lined path of the home she shared with Annie Sullivan, grasping the hand of a young Patty Duke . . . and many, many more amazing photos that provided me with a new lens through which to see the amazing life of Helen Keller. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
November 18, 2008
This is a beautiful book filled with fascinating facts about Helen Keller's life with photographs on every page. I learned so much about her extraordinary life from this text and the photos. I really had no idea that Helen Keller was such an international celebrity. She graduated with honors from Radcliffe, wrote books, and even lectured. During her life she became friends with Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and Eleanor Roosevelt. She meet dignitaries from all over the world including John Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower. She was in a movie with Charlie Chaplin and even met Patty Duke who played her in the 1962 movie. This book would be a great addition to any classroom library.
December 14, 2013
This informational biography covers Helen Keller's life from birth to death in chronological order. It does a great job at conveying the frustrations Helen had gone through and the sadness she had to live through as well. It mentions the close friends she had to help her through the years as well as her views on things such as war. This book was organized well and comes with a forward, introduction, chronology list, bibliography, further reading, mailing addresses for more information, how to "ask Keller", photo credits, and an index. So, obviously it shows some credit to the authority of the book.
Read
November 28, 2013Helen Keller: Her life in pictures opened my eyes to the life of Helen Keller and all she accomplished in her time. This book was organized well and comes with a forward, introduction, chronology list, bibliography, further reading, mailing addresses for more information, photo credits, and an index, showing much credit to the author of the book. The pictures did an extremely good job of complementing the text, even adding more to it. Although I may not use this book to introduce Helen Keller to younger students, I would recommend the use of this book to older students (4th grade and up) who want to know more about her.
Read
October 25, 2014Sullivan, G. (2007). Helen Keller: Her Life in Picture. Scholastic Inc.
Starred review School Library Journal 2008
Biography – Informational
This book shares the story of a famous American with disabilities who overcomes adversity. The book is filled with nonfiction text features so young children gain experience seeing this features in use as they learn about the life of Helen Keller, a woman who was both blind and deaf. As I read this book, I felt the love and care that went into telling her story and I came away feeling like I knew her personally. I think young readers will feel that same as they enjoy this book.
Starred review School Library Journal 2008
Biography – Informational
This book shares the story of a famous American with disabilities who overcomes adversity. The book is filled with nonfiction text features so young children gain experience seeing this features in use as they learn about the life of Helen Keller, a woman who was both blind and deaf. As I read this book, I felt the love and care that went into telling her story and I came away feeling like I knew her personally. I think young readers will feel that same as they enjoy this book.
April 25, 2012
Helen Keller was one of the most influential women in American history. Helen Keller was born blind and deaf and overcame it all to graduate from college, and become an ambassador for peace and to help those who had been blinded or were born blind. This book does a great job placing relevant information in a chronological order. Also, as the title implies, the book is full of pictures that help aid the text in the story and more the story and facts more pleasant for younger kids. This book also was a Orbis Pictus honor book, which is an award for outstanding nonfiction.
October 7, 2013
Each time I read about Helen Keller I am amazed at what she was able to accomplish despite her inability to hear, see or speak clearly. If there was something to be attempted she desired to do it; reading, writing, riding horses, gardening, dancing, traveling far and wide while spreading her message of peace and raising money for the Deaf and Sightless Community. Nothing held her back. Helen Keller Her Life in Pictures is filled with rare photographs accompanying the informative text covering large portions of Keller’s life and the people she met along her journey.
November 13, 2013
This was an overall informative book about Helen Keller's life. It tells about how she learned to communicate through fingerspelling. It tells about her family and where she lived. It explains how she went to boarding school and college. It explains Annie Sullivan's (Helen's teacher) background. This book focuses on Helen Keller's accomplishments.
George Sullivan tends to write informational texts and biographies for children. This books would be fitting for elementary schoolers and middle schoolers. Sullivan includes lots of pictures from Helen Keller's life.
George Sullivan tends to write informational texts and biographies for children. This books would be fitting for elementary schoolers and middle schoolers. Sullivan includes lots of pictures from Helen Keller's life.
December 5, 2014
Sullivan, G. (2007). Helen Keller: Her life in pictures. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction.
Biography- Informational Category
2008 Orbis Pictus Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Award - Honor Book
Mostly everyone has heard of the influential Helen Keller. Many have read her story or heard her tale. However, through this book, Helen Keller's life is told through heartfelt images. This book walks you through who Helen Keller was and how she dealt with being blind and deaf. It is a fantastic story for all ages. This is a prime example how pictures can bring life to a story.
Biography- Informational Category
2008 Orbis Pictus Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Award - Honor Book
Mostly everyone has heard of the influential Helen Keller. Many have read her story or heard her tale. However, through this book, Helen Keller's life is told through heartfelt images. This book walks you through who Helen Keller was and how she dealt with being blind and deaf. It is a fantastic story for all ages. This is a prime example how pictures can bring life to a story.
April 27, 2009
There are so many amazing photos in this book that when I sat down at the desk to briefly flip through it, I found myself immersed. I must admit, my knowledge of Helen Keller is mostly based on the play version of "The Miracle Worker" that our seventh grade English teacher made us read and act out parts of (bad, bad memories, don't ask). I hadn't realized what a long and incredibly traveled life Helen led. Very cool biography.
November 4, 2012
Rare photographs and informative text tell the story of Helen Keller's life from the iconic moment at the pump through her career as goodwill delegate to the world.
This is a great book that really shows the life of Helen Keller. Many books give a lot of detail about her struggles and learning, and this book brings them to life. The pictures are well laid out and the text follows the record of her life.
Great for children doing biographies in 4th grade to 7th grade.
This is a great book that really shows the life of Helen Keller. Many books give a lot of detail about her struggles and learning, and this book brings them to life. The pictures are well laid out and the text follows the record of her life.
Great for children doing biographies in 4th grade to 7th grade.
December 9, 2008
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.
—Helen Keller.
Sullivan's book captures the adventure that was Keller's life in a series of incredible photographs. A fascinating children's biography about an immensely daring and gracious woman.
Recommended by Angela H., Powells.com
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio...
—Helen Keller.
Sullivan's book captures the adventure that was Keller's life in a series of incredible photographs. A fascinating children's biography about an immensely daring and gracious woman.
Recommended by Angela H., Powells.com
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews