Annie Finds Her Magic

Annie Finds Her Magic, is a detailed, delightful and richly woven biography of Helen Keller’s brilliant teacher, Anne Sullivan. But it is much more than that. It is an exploration of possibility, of discovery, and of determination. While it informs young readers about the life of this extraordinary woman and her remarkable student, it also challenges them to think deeply about their own lives. While it explores Sullivan’s gifts, it asks children to consider what their special gifts are.

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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars
Students and teachers will love this book with built-in reading comprehension supports! March 27, 2015
By Judy Arkwright
This is a must read. Author Cullen captures the historical Annie Sullivan and her personal challenges to overcome her own disabilities before becoming Helen Keller's teacher. Cullen presents a great reading comprehension scaffold for the young reader. Asking them questions to ponder as they read along, drawing them into personal reflection of how the story may compare to the challenges they face in their own lives. Cullen ends on a high note as she encourages all readers to not only dream big, but dream really big because everything starts as our own vision. After all the magic exists in each and everyone of us! Teachers the lesson plan is embedded across the pages for all to experience.

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5.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Annie Finds Her Magic. March, 2015
By Jill Jepson
Collette Cullen’s children’s book, Annie Finds Her Magic, is a detailed, delightful and richly woven biography of Helen Keller’s brilliant teacher, Anne Sullivan. But it is much more than that. It is an exploration of possibility, of discovery, and of determination. While it informs young readers about the life of this extraordinary woman and her remarkable student, it also challenges them to think deeply about their own lives. While it explores Sullivan’s gifts, it asks children to consider what their special gifts are.
Annie Finds Her Magic is about the value of learning, of teaching, and of teachers. It is also about the quest we must all undertake: A quest to find our life’s purpose, to discover our gifts and then use them as well as we can. That discovery, as Keller so beautifully put it, is the “soul’s birthday”: The day when we truly waken to ourselves.
Told in simple, supple language, and graced with lovely, evocative photography, Annie Finds Her Magic draws in readers by addressing them directly. Cullen encourages young readers to write. “Now I must tell you about the secret ingredient,” she writes in Anne’s voice. “Both Helen and I always wrote journals. Every day we wrote about our lives.” Then she asks readers to “try this bit of magic” for themselves. For each chapter, she poses a question for readers to ponder and write about. There are no “correct” answers, no fill-in-the-blank. The questions are designed to get children to think about their own journeys, and their own magic.
“Dream big,” writes Cullen at the end. “Write your own ending…” After reading Annie Finds Her Magic, young readers will certainly be dreaming big, learning to write, and creating magic in their lives.