"Do something every day that scares you."
This picture book biography of Eleanor Roosevelt is chock-full of important information about the woman who would become First Lady. Eleanor grew up in a wealthy but unloving household as a shy and unhappy girl, but her world was turned upside-down when she was sent to England to study with a teacher who encouraged her to think for herself. Her marriage to Franklin Roosevelt was a happy one, and it was at the time that she began her own political activities - teaching history and government, giving public speeches, and encouraging women to vote and participate in politics. Her activities increased as First Lady - visiting unemployed workers during the Great Depression, speaking out against segregation, and visiting soldiers fighting in WWII. She was an humanitarian with strong beliefs that others were not always happy to hear. But she never stayed quiet. After her husband died, she went on to work at the United Nations and continued to speak out on subjects in which she believed. It's a strong testament to the achievements of women in politics and introduces a wonderful role-model to young children. The sparse text makes this easy-to-read, although the vocabulary reaches a fourth-grade level. The accompanying illustrations by Gary Kelley show everything the text does not, and each of Eleanor's quotes added on each 2-page spread perfectly complement the topic being discussed. A timeline is included at the end of the book along with additional sources and web sites for further study. Highly recommended for Women's History Month, biography reports, and anyone looking for a strong female role-model.
