HANNAH

by Gloria Whelan ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1991

Though she loves to make up stories, blind Hannah, nine, has never been to school; her gruff, undemonstrative mother knows ""there's no point to it."" But Miss Robbin, the new teacher who comes to board with Hannah's farm family, has other ideas: If money can be found for a stylus, perhaps Mr. Braille's new invention will make it possible for Hannah to have an education. Meanwhile, Miss Robbin shows Hannah's family and the other children at school that Hannah is capable of much more than they have imagined. Whelan's easily read story is a little simplistic, but it does voice Hannah's point of view with some insight while depicting the kind of instruction that will lead her to greater independence. The mother's treatment of Hannah is a complex mix of overprotection and neglect, plausible but presented without much depth; other characters are even less rounded. Still, a pleasant story, effective in presenting prevailing attitudes toward the blind in mid-19th-century America. Illustrations not seen.

Pub Date: March 1, 1991

ISBN: 067982698X

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1991

Categories: CHILDREN'S