num_pages: 240
description: Annie Sullivan was little more than a half-blind orphan with a fiery tongue when she arrived at Ivy Green in 1887. Desperate for work, she'd taken on a seemingly impossible job -- teaching a child who was deaf, blind, and as ferocious as any wild animal. But Helen Keller needed more than a teacher. She needed someone daring enough to work a miracle. And if anyone was a match for Helen, it was the girl they used to call Miss Spitfire.For Annie, reaching Helen's mind meant losing teeth as raging fists flew. It meant standing up when everyone else had given up. It meant shedding tears at the frustrations and at the triumphs. By telling this inspiring story from Annie Sullivan's point of view, Sarah Miller's debut novel brings an amazing figure to sharp new life. Annie's past, her brazen determination, and her connection to the girl who would call her Teacher have never been clearer.
language: English
title: Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
titlecomplete: Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
characters: Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan
genres: Middle Grade, Historical, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Juvenile, Young Adult, Teen, Fiction, Disability, 19th Century
ratings_count: 3249
places: The United States of America
awards: awardedAt: -62167190400000
name: Great Lakes Book Award, awardedAt: -62167190400000
name: Jefferson Cup, awardedAt: 1293868800000
name: Iowa Children's Choice Award
publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers