Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille

An inspiring picture-book biography of Louis Braille--a blind boy so determined to read that he invented his own alphabet.

**Winner of a Schneider Family Book Award **

Louis Braille was just five years old when he lost his sight. He was a clever boy, determined to live like everyone else, and what he wanted more than anything was to be able to read.

Even at the school for the blind in Paris, there were no books for him.

And so he invented his own alphabet--a whole new system for writing that could be read by touch. A system so ingenious that it is still used by the blind community today.

Award-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. Boris Kulikov's inspired paintings help readers to understand what Louis lost, and what he was determined to gain back through books.

An author's note and additional resources at the end of the book complement the simple story and offer more information for parents and teachers.

Praise for Six Dots:
An inspiring look at a child inventor whose drive and intelligence changed to world--for the blind and sighted alike.--Kirkus Reviews

Even in a crowded field, Bryant's tightly focused work, cast in the fictionalized voice of Braille himself, is particularly distinguished.--Bulletin, starred review

This picture book biography strikes a perfect balance between the seriousness of Braille's life and the exuberance he projected out into the world. -- School Library Journal, starred review

Author: Jen Bryant
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published: 09/06/2016
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 11.00h x 8.60w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780449813379
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.3
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 184298 / Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille


Award: Schneider Family Book Award - Winner


Review Citation(s):
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 07/01/2016 - Book Of Special Distinction
Booklist 06/01/2016 pg. 100
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2016
Publishers Weekly 08/15/2016
School Library Journal 09/01/2016 pg. 172
Shelf Awareness 09/23/2016
Horn Book Magazine 11/01/2016 pg. 52
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2017 - Recommended, Satisfactory

About the Author
Jen Bryant has published poetry, biographies, picture books, and fiction for young readers. Her picture-book-biography collaborations with Melissa Sweet--A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, and A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin--have all won multiple awards. Jen lives with her family in southeastern Pennsylvania. You can read more about her at JenBryant.com.

Boris Kulikov graduated from the Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since 1997 he's been living and working as an illustrator in Brooklyn, New York. His many acclaimed books include Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and the Max books (Max's Words, Max's Castle, Max's Dragon, Max's Math) by Kate Banks. You can find him at BorisKulikov.com.