I love giving books to customers that transcend their age categories. There are books in the young adult section that I give to adults just as often as I give to teens, and vice-versa. There are stories hidden in a certain genre that are actually a combination of genres and could easily be placed in two or three other sections.
Then there are books shelved in juvenile fiction that should be read by all. Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller is one such book, as I reviewed on my blog recently.
Miss Spitfire covers the first month of Annie Sullivan’s work with Helen Keller:
Sarah Miller’s debut novel shows a great deal of compassion. You can tell that the author has done her research, and that she wanted to stay true to the real events in Annie’s life. The relationship between Annie and Helen was rocky at the start, and though Miller handles it with care, she never idealizes it nor sensationalizes it.
This is not only about teaching Helen how to spell "doll" or "water," but about reaching her. Annie wanted Helen to really know what she was spelling – to honestly communicate – to fully understand.
Miss Spitfire will be the spotlighted title in the December issue of readergirlz.
At her website, Miller shares what inspired her to write Miss Spitfire.
–Little Willow, YA outreach henchwoman
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