Summary:
Helen Keller was born June 27th, 1880. She and her parents lived in Tuscumbia, Alabama. When Helen was very young she got sick. Even though she got better, she lost her hearing and vision at the age of two. Her parents took her to see Dr. Alexander Graham Bell. He told them about a school. When they contacted the school, they sent a teacher named Anne Sullivan. She taught Helen how to sign, about the manual alphabet, how to read braille, and much more. Helen became a talented writer. She was able to go to college. She met many presidents and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Personal Reaction:
Helen Keller didn't allow her disabilities to keep her from achieving great things. Thanks to her, there are many laws in effect that help blind people.

Classroom Extension:
1. Have the children wear ear plugs and blind folds for a period of time. Then write a reflection on how it must have felt to be in Helen Keller's shoes.
2. After reading about Helen Keller. While the children are blind folder, allow them to finger paint their feelings about the story.

Summary:
This is a very easy to ready biography over Helen Keller, that provides very good pictures of her as well. Helen Keller was born in June 1880. At the age of 2 yrs old she became very sick and ended up becoming blind and deaf. Helen begins to be taught by Anne Sullivan at the age of 7 and despite the fact that she can not see or hear she goes on graduate from College with honors. She even becomes a writer herself. Helen Keller was a very inspirational women in history and she passed away at the age of 87 yrs old in June of 1968.

Personal reaction:
I enjoyed this book. I really liked how easy it was to read and understand for younger readers. I found this book in the juvenile section of my public library and I believe my 2nd grader would have no problems readying and understanding this book and would find it interesting as well.

Classroom Extensions:
1. I would use this book as an inspirational book to read to students to show them that with determination, anything is possible.
2. I would use this book to teach them about a very important person in American History.
3. After reading this book to my students, I would blind fold them and use ear plugs or headphones to cover their ears and I would instruct them to draw a picture or write something, so they could see what it would be like to be in her shoes. This would hopefully give them some understanding about how it feels to have a disability so that they would treat individuals with disabilities appropriately and would help them rather then hurt them. ( )