Helen Keller: Suggested Reading List
There are many books about and by Helen Keller. This is just a suggested reading list, based on selections available from the Florida's Bureau of Braille and Talking Book Library Services. The same books should be available in print at your local library.
| Book Title and Author | Description | Order No. |
|---|---|---|
| The Miracle Worker: A Play for Television , by William Gibson | Depicts the beginning of the lifelong relationship between deaf and blind Helen Keller and her tutor, Annie Sullivan. When Annie arrives at the Keller household, she finds a spoiled, fractious child who cannot communicate. Annie teaches Helen to finger spell and searches for a way to show her what different words mean. | RC026428, BR013555 |
| Midstream : My Later Life, by Helen Keller | Helen Keller (1880-1968) continues her autobiography following The Story of My Life (RC 55883, BR 14704). Describes her life after her sophomore year at Radcliffe College, including her writing, lecturing, acting, and work on behalf of blind people. Discusses her friendships with Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and the Carnegies. | RC026583, BR017301 |
| Dear Dr. Bell: Your Friend, Helen Keller, by Judith St. George | In 1886, six-year-old Helen Keller, who was deaf and blind, sat on Alexander Graham Bell's knee and played with his watch. Thus began a supportive friendship that lasted until Bell's death in 1922. Keller dedicated The Story of My Life " ... to Alexander Graham Bell, who has taught the deaf to speak..." For grades 5-8 and older readers. | RC037039 |
| Helen Keller : Humanitarian, by Lois P. Nicholson | Biography of Helen Keller, who became blind and deaf at nineteen months as a result of illness. Covers her birth in 1880 through her education under her private teacher Anne Sullivan, her formal schooling, and her career. For junior and senior high readers. | RC046249, BR 11732 |
| Helen Keller : A Life , by Dorothy Herrmann | A chronological account of Keller's long, eventful life, written from a woman's perspective. Herrmann explores Keller's world, perceived without sight or sound; her ability to remain cheerful about her disabilities; and her relationship with teacher Anne Sullivan. | RC048038, BR12198 |
| Helen Keller, Public Speaker : Sightless but Seen, Deaf but Heard , by Lois Einhorn | An account of Helen Keller's public speaking, concentrating on the characteristics, effectiveness, and broad range of topics of her speeches. Observes that, although sightless and deaf, she learned to communicate effectively, inspiring others with her "vision of a better tomorrow." | RC052120 |
| The World at Her Fingertips : The Story of Helen Keller, by Joan Dash | A biography of the woman who overcame her disabilities to be an inspirational public figure. Discusses the cause of Helen Keller's blindness and deafness, her determination to lead a useful life, and the importance of her teacher--Annie Sullivan--throughout Helen's life. For grades 5-8. | RC052383 |
| Helen Keller : Lighting the Way for the Blind and Deaf, by Carin T. Ford | Discusses the life and accomplishments of Helen Keller (1880-1968). Covers how illness left her blind and deaf at an early age and how her teacher, Annie Sullivan, helped her overcome these handicaps. Describes Keller's determination to have a college education and to improve conditions for others. For grades 6-9. | RC053574 |
| Helen Keller, by George Sullivan | Biography of the gifted woman who successfully dealt with her own disabilities while trying to better the lives of other deaf and blind people. Uses excerpts from Helen Keller's writings. For grades 3-6. | RC053971, BR14116 |
| Helen Keller : Rebellious Spirit , by Laurie Lawlor | Biography of the blind and deaf girl whose spirit knew no limitations. Discusses Keller's achievements in the context of the social expectations for women and people with disabilities in the early twentieth century. Describes her disappointments and frustrations as well as her accomplishments. For grades 5-8. | RC054590, BR014162 |
| The Story of My Life , by Helen Keller | The restored classic autobiography of an exceptional young woman and her companion, originally published in 1903. Helen Keller's own account of her transformation is followed by her teacher Anne Sullivan's record of their early years together and insights of Anne's husband, John Macy. | RC055883 |
| Helen and Teacher : The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Macy, by Joseph P. Lash | Dual biography reveals the depth and intensity in the mutually dependent relationship between deaf-blind Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Chronicles both women's childhoods and adult years until Keller's death in 1968. | RC057818, BR015171 |
| The World I Live In, by Helen Keller | New edition of a short collection of personal essays Helen Keller wrote in 1908 when she was twenty-eight. Follows The Story of My Life RC 55883, BR 14704). This reflective work is separated into three categories: the senses, especially touch; imagination, thinking, and language; and dream analysis. | RC057951, BR015462 |
| The Radical Lives of Helen Keller, by Kim E. Nielsen | Feminist professor analyzes the political and social views of Helen Keller. Describes Keller's support of the Socialist Party of America in 1909, women's suffrage and birth control, and radical labor unions. But, according to the author, "the disability politics she adopted were frequently conservative, consistently patronizing, and occasionally repugnant." | RC057987, BR015304 |
| Helen Keller : Out of a Dark and Silent World, by Sandra H. Shichtman | A biography of the deaf and blind woman who became an internationally celebrated speaker, writer, and advocate for people with disabilities. For grades 2-4. | RC059217 |
| Teacher : Anne Sullivan Macy; A Tribute by the Foster-child of her Mind, by Helen Keller | Helen Keller pays homage to Anne Sullivan Macy, her teacher, companion, and friend. Keller explains her own desire to remedy the public's perceived lack of appreciation for the critical role played by the inventive, dedicated woman who helped her to communicate with the world. | RC059301 |
| Helen Keller : Selected Writings , by Kim E. Nielsen | Collection of letters, articles, speeches, and book excerpts written throughout Keller's life. Arranged chronologically, the writings express Keller's love for the written word, explain her book writing process, and demonstrate her interest in social, political, and theological issues. Companion to Radical Lives. (RC 57987, BR 15304). | RC061696, BR016226 |
| Blind Rage : Letters to Helen Keller , by Georgina Kleege | A blind professor, author of Sight Unseen (RC 48328, BR 12149), pens letters to the deceased Helen Keller and probes for the private feelings behind Keller's idealized public image. Kleege expresses admiration for Keller but criticizes her as an unrealistic model. Speculates about Keller's love life and personal emotions. | RC063900, BR016939 |
| Miss Spitfire : Reaching Helen Keller , by Sarah Miller | Alabama, 1887. Twenty-year-old Annie Sullivan, newly hired to teach a six-year-old deaf, blind, and thoroughly spoiled girl, Helen Keller, finds she must contend with Helen's indulgent parents as well. Sign language finally becomes communication when Helen makes her first breakthrough. For grades 5-8. A fictionalized account. | RC065467, BR017490 |