Helen's Eyes: A Photobiography of Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller's Teacher (Photobiographies)
Starred Review. Grade 4–7—"I know that the education of this child will be the distinguishing event of my life, if I have the brains and perseverance to accomplish it," wrote Annie Sullivan. Her words proved so prophetic that few know the story of this remarkable woman outside of her role as Keller's teacher. The daughter of poor Irish immigrants, she struggled with vision loss for most of her life. After her mother's death, her abusive father abandoned the eight-year-old and her brother, and the two were sent to the poorhouse. At age 14, she finally entered school, with no worldly possessions, no education, and no manners. And yet she graduated six years later as valedictorian of her class and would go on to win acclaim as one of history's greatest educators. Illustrated with period photographs and a pleasing graphic style, Delano's text makes extensive use of meticulously cited quotes from primary sources to convey not only the facts of Sullivan's life, but the everyday realities and emotions as well. The book emphasizes that the woman was a great teacher not in spite of her own struggles, but because they gave her a unique empathy for her student and a determination to never give up.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MDCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.