Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
- Subject
- Biographical - United States
- Age
- 9-12 years
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- Atheneum Books for Young Readers
- Size
- 13.2 cm Ă 19.7 cm
- ISBN
- 9781442408517
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, sheâd taken on a seemingly impossible jobâteaching a child who was deaf, blind, and as ferocious as any wild animal. But if anyone was a match for Helen Keller, it was the girl whoâd been nicknamed Miss Spitfire. In her efforts to reach Helenâs mind, Annie lost teeth to the girlâs raging blows, but she never lost faith in her ability to triumph. Told in first person, Annie Sullivanâs past, her brazen determination, and her connection to the girl who would call her Teacher are vividly depicted in this powerful novel.
About the author
Sarah MillerAuthor
Sarah Miller began writing her first novel at 10 years old, and has spent half her life working in libraries and bookstores. She is the author of Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller, which was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and nominated for numerous state award lists. Sarah lives in Michigan with her family. Visit her online at sarahmillerbooks.com.
Data provided by BiblioShare.
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What reviewers said
"This moving storyâfor all agesâis about how Anne an underprivileged young woman awoke Helen Keller, the most famous woman of her time, to life and learning. Miss Spitfire is high drama about how language unlocks the world.â
"Miller's accomplished debut imagines Annie Sullivan's first experiences with her famous pupil, Helen Keller⊠encouraging readers to think about the small miracles of connection they can accomplish with words every day."
"Details drawn from Annie's letters and Helen's autobiography are fleshed out engagingly in the first-person voice of Miller's imagined Annie, the young "spitfire" who overcomes obstacles no matter the power of the adults in her life."
"Children encountering [Annie and Helen] for the first time will feel an overwhelming sense of wonder and delight when Annie helps Helen make a communication breakthrough. School Library Journal Readers will appreciate Annie's devotion to her pupil and how her tenacity makes a difference in the young girl's life."
"Miller brings history to life."
--Voya
