List Of Famous And Amazing Helen Keller Books For Kids

Helen Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Helen Keller is well-known for her contribution as an educator and activist. She wanted to tell people that they should not be afraid of blindness, deafness, or other sicknesses as a famous woman.

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, US. She was born to Captain Arthur H. Keller and Katherine Adams Keller.

Her father was the commander of a Confederate Army regiment during the Civil War. Both she and her mother contracted an illness called 'Scarlet Fever'. In 1887, she was sent to the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts, because the infection damaged her sight.

In 1896, she joined the American Women's Association for the Prevention of Blindness. Helen was unable to learn to read until 1892. Then, physicians revealed that she would never see again.

She learned lip-reading and then braille. Helen Keller continued her education through correspondence courses, graduating from Radcliffe College in 1903 as a Bachelor of Arts major in modern languages. She then traveled around Europe and became well-versed in literature and history during First World War (1914-1918).

The Life Of Helen Keller

Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, on June 27, 1880. Her father, Captain Arthur H. Keller, was a commander in the Civil War. Her mother, Katherine Adams Keller, was sick with a Scarlet fever in 1887, and that is when Helen was sent to the Perkins Institution for the Blind.

• In 1896, Helen joined her parents in Boston where she would study and write voraciously throughout her life.
• She studied under Alexander Graham Bell and became a member of Queen Elizabeth II's anti-nuclear group.
• Helen was ten when she lost her sight and hearing in a mysterious 'epidemic' of disease that swept through the school.
• Helen learned to read and write by feeling the bumps on the page with her fingertips.
• After graduating from Radcliffe College in 1903, Keller's achievements were heralded internationally as a triumph for the blind, deaf and disabled community.
• She wrote about her experiences with deafness in 'The Story of My Life', written when she was 21 years old.
• She wrote prolifically for various magazines, including Harper's Bazaar, Woman's Home Companion, St. Nicholas Magazine, American Magazine, and others.
• Helen was an avid supporter of women's suffrage. During the Second World War (1939-1945), she worked tirelessly in the fight against Adolf Hitler and Nazism in Europe.

Helen Keller's Career

Helen Keller had a lot of jobs in her life. She was a famous author and lecturer. She traveled around the world and spoke at many fundraisers and events, including those thrown by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to support the American troops. A devout humanitarian, Helen volunteered her time to several organizations throughout her life.

• Helen Keller was an actress as well. In 1920 she starred as Helen Tracy in 'The Miracle Worker' opposite teacher Anne Sullivan (portrayed by Patty Duke).
• She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama in 1962 for her performance in 'The Miracle Worker'.
• Helen Keller was a well-known political activist. She supported both women's suffrage and the union movement, fighting for the rights of the workingman and women.
• In 1906, she co-founded the American Women's Suffrage Association.
• Keller spent many years at social events, charities, and political rallies in America throughout the first part of her career.
• She later turned her attention to Europe, becoming a member of Queen Elizabeth's 'Anti-Nuclear' group.
• Helen Keller's epitaph reads, 'The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.'
• Helen Keller is one of the most famous humanitarians of all time. Her story has been told to school children for almost a century, and she is still very much in the public eye.
• In 1992, 'The Story Of My Life' was adapted into a made-for-TV movie starring Patty Duke and Melissa Gilbert. Apart from being an inspiration to students, she also became a person that teachers can look up to. Starting from her childhood, she displayed an excellent ability to learn, and at that age, she was able to show much interest that students of that age fail to have.

What books did Helen Keller write?

Helen wrote 12 books, with several being published posthumously.

• In 1930 Helen Keller's second autobiography, 'The World I Live In', was published, in which she discusses her views on topics such as capitalism, racism, and the state of women's rights.
• It was adapted into a radio dramatization called 'The Story of My Life' by CBS Radio in 1952.
• The play's text is based on Keller's autobiography, which was published posthumously in 1961.
• In 1991 Keller's autobiography was published by Doubleday.
• It contains previously unpublished materials written while Keller was in her seventies and eighties.
• Her books are full of thoughts on everything from the Vietnam War to First World War to the ghettos of New York City.
• The third book of Keller's written while she was living, 'The Story of My Life', was also published in 1991.
• Some of Keller's other works include: 'The Miracle Worker' (1910), and 'The Prisoner of the Philippines' (1917).
• Other short stories written by Keller include 'A Friend' (1889) and a collection that includes her story, 'Dogs Are Wonderful Pets'.
• We have 'The Frost King' and 'Flowers' from her poems.
• Keller also wrote a collection of letters called The Story of My Life, an essay entitled Democracy and Social Ethics, as well as essays on individual topics such as 'Patriotism'.

Did You Know...

Helen Keller's life has always been an inspiration to young readers.

• A good example of this kind of inspiration would be her history that mentions her conditions - being blind and deaf.
• Helen Keller's life is all about a young girl from Connecticut, surviving the odds presented to women in the '80s, eventually becoming the world-famous American author and teacher with these disabilities.
• Apart from being a teacher, she has also been interested in political activism.
• She has written some interesting quotes about the concept of reading itself for young readers.
• It was 1887 when Teacher Annie Sullivan met Kellen at her house. An interesting fact to note here is that the readers know Annie Sullivan is a crucial part of Helen's family.
• Due to the pop culture portrayal, and a bit of resemblance, the audience usually confuses Anne Frank, the victim of the Holocaust, and Helen Keller, the deaf and blind prodigy. Anne and Helen are two completely different individuals.
• While this particular change in Helen's life began with teacher Annie Sullivan showing her how to communicate with her hands,  she quickly had an interesting breakthrough moment. She started learning the names of all familiar objects in her world. This young woman then led a life inspiring young readers and, eventually, teachers.
• While people write biographies to communicate important messages to the world, this woman wrote children's books for young readers to shape their minds at a young age.
• Some people think such books for kids contain only moral stories or pictures. Helen intended to recreate the idea of reading to be a part of history. She was one of the first to bring the idea of non-fiction reading to kids.
• If you need biographies, you can check out Annie and Helen, as illustrated by Raul Colon, and the book covers Helen's brief biography and accomplishments but the teaching methods of Annie.
• This non-fiction book helps the kids and teachers learn more about how the teacher-student relationship can be the most productive with innovative and resourceful learning methods.
• Readers can find several write-ups about Helen's experience as a deaf and blind person. She used to contribute articles for the Ladies' Home Journal magazine. These articles were then published as 'The Story of My Life'.
• Later in 1908, another book titled 'The World I Live In' was published in a similar genre. Honoring her teacher, she also wrote a book about Annie Sullivan's life and named it 'Teacher'.
• Speaking of videos, people who do not prefer reading witnessed the timeline of Helen Keller's journey through movies - a drama called 'The Miracle Worker' and a documentary called 'The Unconquered'. Both movies delivered a comprehensive view of her timeline to the audience.
• Overall, it is to be noted that she made significant contributions, making a mark in history for a person who cannot hear or see. From her first word, 'water,' to all the words she wrote for her readers, she made her family proud. She was also able to figure out ways to make children a part of her reader base.