He is an exceptional student at the Royal School for the Blind, but he finds reading the large wax letters too cumbersome. For this, he needs to attend a special school in Paris that has special books written for students who are blind. Despite his accomplishments, Louis longs to learn to read and write. But with the support of his family and community, Louis overcomes many obstacles. Tragically, Louis’s curiosity leads to an accident that eventually results in him being blind.Īt first, Louis struggles to adapt to darkness. Readers follow along with Louis as he grows from a small baby into a healthy, curious toddler.

He won’t survive!” cluck visitors looking into Louis’s bassinette.

'This picture book biography strikes a perfect balance between the seriousness of Braille’s life and the exuberance he projected out into the world.For our last My Take/Your Take discussion of Schneider Family Award winning picture books, Mary, Christopher and Leslie share their takes on Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Boris Kulikov. 'Even in a crowded field, Bryant’s tightly focused work, cast in the fictionalized voice of Braille himself, is particularly distinguished.'- Bulletin, starred review 'An inspiring look at a child inventor whose drive and intelligence changed to world-for the blind and sighted alike.'- Kirkus Reviews Boris Kulikov’s inspired paintings help readers to understand what Louis lost, and what he was determined to gain back through books.Īn author’s note and additional resources at the end of the book complement the simple story and offer more information for parents and teachers.

A system so ingenious that it is still used by the blind community today.Īward-winning writer Jen Bryant tells Braille’s inspiring story with a lively and accessible text, filled with the sounds, the smells, and the touch of Louis’s world. He was a clever boy, determined to live like everyone else, and what he wanted more than anything was to be able to read.Įven at the school for the blind in Paris, there were no books for him.Īnd so he invented his own alphabet-a whole new system for writing that could be read by touch. Louis Braille was just five years old when he lost his sight. **Winner of a Schneider Family Book Award!** An inspiring picture-book biography of Louis Braille-a blind boy so determined to read that he invented his own alphabet.

Six dots a story of young louis braille