Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery

I love ER! At 187 pages, this book's way easier to get through than Cook's two volume bio. It's a children's book, but it doesn't gloss over her father's alcoholism or FDR's infidelity.

I loved this book because it was fun to read and it taught me a lot about American history. Eleanor Roosevelt was an extraordinary woman, but at the same time she was down to earth and very human. She's appealing because you can relate to her and many of her personal challenges, and also look up to her at the same time.

This Newbery Honor book takes the reader on a journey of the life of the incredible woman by the name of
Eleanor Roosevelt. Filled with photos of her life and the history of the United States, this is an inspiring book focusing on a wealthy child who had a terrible childhood. Her parents were prestigious, and both were exceedingly beautiful/handsome. When their little daughter is born, from the beginning she was deemed ugly by her mother.

Called "granny" as she stood outside of the library where her mother was inside reading to her brothers, Eleanor believed she was not worthy of attention, and she was indeed ugly and too serious.

Her alcoholic father loved her and provided a sense of a better self concept, but alas, his love of alcohol show more was stronger than his love of Eleanor.

It wasn't until she attended, Allenwood, a elite school outside of London, that she truly came to fruition and gained a sense of stability. The head of the school, Mademoisell Souvestre, was instrumental in mentoring Eleanor who soon became a leader of other students.

When she married her fifth cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, she felt she found stability and love. Sadly, she discovered love letters written to her husband by Lucy Mercer, her social secretary, and her illusion of a solid marriage fell apart. She never forgave him. Telling Roosevelt a divorce was what was needed, his mother Sara, told him if this occurred, all future sources of money would end.

While emotionally distant, she went on to support her husband as he developed a life in politics and eventually became the only United States president who was a three-term leader.

Throughout the depression, World War II, the debilitating dust storm, long lines of many who sought food and jobs, four sons who were in various branches of service, a failed bank system, and a nation that had a long way to go in their treatment of people of color, Eleanor encouraged her husband to enact liberal legislation for welfare benefits and government jobs to build park systems and needed infrastructure. She was her husband's eyes and ears and reported back to him what she saw when she traveled throughout the nation and the world.

When he developed polio and was no longer able to walk, she stood by him and helped him learn what was needed to make America the strong nation it became.

Eleanor was indeed a uniquely intelligent, caring, kind woman who never stopped helping the nation after her husband's death. A strong advocate for the United Nations, before she died she made sure this occurred. show less

I owned this when my children were young. None of us got around to reading it. Now, as an adult, I found it fascinating. The woman was even more amazing than I realized. I'm glad that we're reading it in the Newbery club in the Children's Books group here on Goodreads.

But why was "do-gooder" an insult?

Lots of photos, index, etc.

Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (Non-Fiction, 1994)
Golden Kite Award (Nonfiction, 1993)
Newbery Honor (1994)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (1994)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (1994)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (1993)
A natural follow-up to Freedman's biography of FDR, this impeccably researched, highly readable study of one of this country's greatest First Ladies is nonfiction at its best.

I loved reading about the presidents and their first wives when I was younger so I decided to read one. It's such a new view than when I was younger. Especially with this book, it shows more about Eleanor that just being a first lady, you learn about her as an individual. I enjoyed this book a lot.

This biography about Eleanor Roosevelt was written in an inspiring format. I could picture in my head all the events listed withiin the covers of this book. She had a hard life dealing with the everyday battle of being a policitions wife. She had a hard road ahead of her, but drove with dignity and perserverance.
This book would be great to support the classroom teacher when the US history is being taught.
A scavenger hunt would be great to help the students work with a non-fiction book. Newbery Honor, 1994