The lives of great figures in history are full of inspiring and moving episodes. Young people especially can learn from these stories, gaining hope, courage, and even hints on how to live their own lives. Children everywhere benefit from reading about the lives of heroic achievers, and indeed, these stories are an important part of their education and growth.

Shogakukan Biographical Comics is a series of biographies of inspirational historical figures in an easy-to-read manga format. These books are as fun to read as any manga, but the stories they tell are based entirely on historical fact. Every volume includes a map and a historical timeline, rounding out a package that teaches even as it entertains.

It is impossible to imagine the anguish and suffering young Helen Keller endured when she lost both her sight and hearing as a young child. “Helen Keller: From Darkness to Light” is the miraculous but true story of how the wholehearted devotion of a brilliant tutor, Anne Sullivan, helped Helen overcome these terrible disabilities and live a vital, fulfilling life.

Anne, known to Helen as “Teacher,” first taught her student discipline, then “finger-spelling,” and finally, language itself. Eventually Helen learned how to actually speak. After graduating from college, she traveled and lectured around the world, devoting her life to the creation of a society where people with and without disabilities could live together. Her efforts spurred the development of educational and welfare programs in many countries. Helen’s story is an inspiration for young people everywhere.