Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille

Author Jen Bryant Illustrated by Boris Kulikov

Grades Pre-K-3 Ages 4-8

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

Available Formats

Hardcover 9780449813379
eBook 9780449813393

Awards

Mathical Book Prize - HONOR 2025

Horned Toad Tale List - SELECTION 2018

Illinois State Library Monarch Award - SELECTION 2019

Amazon Best of the Year - SELECTION 2017

Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Book Award - SELECTION 2107

Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year - SELECTION 2017

Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books - SELECTION 2016

NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies - SELECTION 2017

Schneider Family Book Award - AWARD 2017

Random House Children's Books Teachers and Librarians