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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Eleanor Roosevelt?
For a long time, the main role of First Ladies was to act as hostesses of the White House...until Eleanor Roosevelt. Born in 1884, Eleanor was not satisfied to just be a glorified hostess for her husband, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Eleanor had a voice, and she used it to speak up against poverty and racism. She had experience and knowledge of many issues, and fought for laws to help the less fortunate. She had passion, energy, and a way of speaking that made people listen, and she used these gifts to campaign for her husband and get him elected president-four times! A fascinating historical figure in her own right, Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of First Lady forever.
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First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
September 23, 2024
What a wonderful little book. I purchased it a few years ago on my visit to Campobello. Never got around to reading it until now. I was out of library books, so I dug around in my own bookshelves!
It was very concise and informative, and although it was written for children I thoroughly enjoyed it. A quick way to get the highlights of history.
Mrs Roosevelt was a truly remarkable woman, in spite of a childhood filled with death and loneliness. I never realized that she had grown up with so many tragedies. She was definitely the woman behind FDR. She made him what he became.
The best man for the job is a woman. Let’s hope this is realized in the upcoming election!! Go Kamala👍
It was very concise and informative, and although it was written for children I thoroughly enjoyed it. A quick way to get the highlights of history.
Mrs Roosevelt was a truly remarkable woman, in spite of a childhood filled with death and loneliness. I never realized that she had grown up with so many tragedies. She was definitely the woman behind FDR. She made him what he became.
The best man for the job is a woman. Let’s hope this is realized in the upcoming election!! Go Kamala👍
January 8, 2017
I figured a children's book might not be a bad place to start with reading about Eleanor Roosevelt. And, really, it was a pretty decent overview. It maybe glosses over Franklin's affairs, but it didn't totally ignore them. Which is a probably appropriate for a children's book.
But, hey, I would love "adult" Eleanor Roosevelt book recs!
But, hey, I would love "adult" Eleanor Roosevelt book recs!
April 19, 2016
An informative, graphic-filled page-turner that taught me about the most important first lady in American history!
January 10, 2026
Who was Eleanor Roosevelt? A pretty amazing lady. ☺️
October 13, 2011
This probably one of my favorite Who Was books for two reasons. The first reason is that I love Eleanor Roosevelt. I think she was a kick-ass lady, and I consider her one of my heroes. She had an interesting but hard life filled with both joy and sorrow. She was an orphan by ten with only her little brother left to take care of. Eleanor fell in love with her distant cousin Franklin, but that relationship was doomed from the start. With a mother in law like Sara Franklin, I'm surprised the marriage even lasted.
Which leads me to the second reason why I like this book: It was the first time I'd ever read about a president lying or being dishonest. When you're a kid, you look up to presidents as gods. You put them on a pedestal and then say that they surely couldn't have done anything too horrible. It's really a pivotal moment in your life when something pushes a president off the pedestal. Reading about FDR's affair with his secretary was my moment. Of course, this didn't go into nearly as much detail about that as it could've, but I guess we don't want to push the presidents off the pedestal too fast. We might scare the kids into thinking that they can't trust adults. *mock-gasps* And then maybe they'll think about all the lies they're told and realize that Santa's not real. *dramatic background music* Oh my god, how ever could we live in such a world? *rolls eyes*
I'd definitely recommend to younger kids learning about first ladies or who just like history. And yes, those kids do exist. Trust me, I was one of them. We're a rare species, but we still exist nonetheless
Which leads me to the second reason why I like this book: It was the first time I'd ever read about a president lying or being dishonest. When you're a kid, you look up to presidents as gods. You put them on a pedestal and then say that they surely couldn't have done anything too horrible. It's really a pivotal moment in your life when something pushes a president off the pedestal. Reading about FDR's affair with his secretary was my moment. Of course, this didn't go into nearly as much detail about that as it could've, but I guess we don't want to push the presidents off the pedestal too fast. We might scare the kids into thinking that they can't trust adults. *mock-gasps* And then maybe they'll think about all the lies they're told and realize that Santa's not real. *dramatic background music* Oh my god, how ever could we live in such a world? *rolls eyes*
I'd definitely recommend to younger kids learning about first ladies or who just like history. And yes, those kids do exist. Trust me, I was one of them. We're a rare species, but we still exist nonetheless
January 3, 2020
Good children’s biography. Makes me want to read more about her and FDR.
March 6, 2023
I just love her!
April 29, 2025
The book was amazing to read. Her life was filled with events that will be in history. She has gone through so much and is so strong.
Perfect for young readers! The print size and organization of book makes it enjoyable and easy to read. A great way to introduce biography to a young reader.
This series of books is wonderful.
Perfect for young readers! The print size and organization of book makes it enjoyable and easy to read. A great way to introduce biography to a young reader.
This series of books is wonderful.
January 26, 2016
I read the book/ written documentary, Who Was Eleanor Roosevelt? I rated this book a 2 out of 5 stars because personally, I don't really like documentaries, because I get really bored after a while, because there's not a lot of action in it. The genre of this book is non-fiction. The main characters are Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt. The setting is the White House, Eleanor's childhood home, and the places she keep moving. This book is about the First Lady and all about her and her husbands life, before and after they lived in the White House. This is why I chose this book to write a book review on.
June 24, 2016
Great story about a inspirational woman. Who was acting a president . When her husband the president was going through polio. She was awesome and I look up to her way more now that I know more about her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2014
I loved this book!
A great story, with lots of facts but still pleasant to read.
And nice illustrations.
A quick read too!
There was so much that I didn't know :)
A great story, with lots of facts but still pleasant to read.
And nice illustrations.
A quick read too!
There was so much that I didn't know :)
March 8, 2016
I want to live my life as she did
April 17, 2020
At three years old Eleanor was on a boat that was rammed by another boat. Her family was in the lifeboat but Eleanor wasn't there! She was still up on the deck and her father was begging and begging her to jump into his arms. She finally went down, but that's why she was so scared of water for a long time.
When Eleanor was traveling in France with her family she was put in a school run by nuns. Always a lonely girl she just wanted some attention. One day a girl got a lot of attention because she told everyone that she swallowed a coin. Eleanor decided to try the same thing for some attention but the nuns knew she was lying and let her mother know. Her mother was furious.
On that same trip Eleanor went on a donkey ride. Her guide had no shoes and his feet were often bleeding. Eleanor made sure he got a pair of shoes.
I loved reading these little anecdotes about Eleanor's life. This was a well done book, though I was disappointed at how fast they skimmed through her works after Franklin died. Still, it was very appropriate for kids. Eleanor is such a great role model because of all the things she overcame. I know she was born rich which definitely gave her a leg up but there were things that were difficult for her, like gaining confidence and believing in herself. Those are lessons we can all learn.
When Eleanor was traveling in France with her family she was put in a school run by nuns. Always a lonely girl she just wanted some attention. One day a girl got a lot of attention because she told everyone that she swallowed a coin. Eleanor decided to try the same thing for some attention but the nuns knew she was lying and let her mother know. Her mother was furious.
On that same trip Eleanor went on a donkey ride. Her guide had no shoes and his feet were often bleeding. Eleanor made sure he got a pair of shoes.
I loved reading these little anecdotes about Eleanor's life. This was a well done book, though I was disappointed at how fast they skimmed through her works after Franklin died. Still, it was very appropriate for kids. Eleanor is such a great role model because of all the things she overcame. I know she was born rich which definitely gave her a leg up but there were things that were difficult for her, like gaining confidence and believing in herself. Those are lessons we can all learn.
January 11, 2018
I recently finished reading the book Who Was Eleanor Roosevelt. It was amazing Eleanor was a very shy child and had a very bad childhood. Over time though she became on of the most famous women in the world. She was a great speaker and helped her husband Franklin D Roosevelt win the presidential election. She was a very hard working woman who never gave up!
What I liked about the book was that they talked about how Eleanor gave many speeches. I thought that was a very important part of the book because as president her husband had to give many speeches. What I dislike about they book is that they didn't talk about Franklin's life a lot. If I could change any part in the book it would be to talk more about Eleanor's kids. I want to know what they were like.
I think anyone learning about presidents or their wives would love this book. It talks about Franklin Roosevelt who was a president and talks about how Eleanor helped his elections and helped him in life.
What I liked about the book was that they talked about how Eleanor gave many speeches. I thought that was a very important part of the book because as president her husband had to give many speeches. What I dislike about they book is that they didn't talk about Franklin's life a lot. If I could change any part in the book it would be to talk more about Eleanor's kids. I want to know what they were like.
I think anyone learning about presidents or their wives would love this book. It talks about Franklin Roosevelt who was a president and talks about how Eleanor helped his elections and helped him in life.
May 6, 2019
Who WAS Eleanor Roosevelt? Known as “the First Lady of the World, Eleanor was married to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States. Eleanor was more than the President’s wife. Eleanor was kind and caring, a writer, a reader, and worked while she was First Lady. Through her life, she met with many hardships: her mother’s lack of love and affection for Eleanor, the death of her father, living with her stern grandmother. Eleanor did have joy in her life: her father, her favorite uncle Teddy, The Allenswood School in England. Towards the end of her life, she worked at the United Nations, representing the United States. There she worked on education and human rights, something she felt passionate about. A mini-biography. Timelines. Illustrations to critical to the story. Historical biography. Ages 9-12. Illustrated by Elizabeth Wolf.
May 17, 2017
Who was Eleanor Roosevelt by Gare Thompson was very informative. The book was about Eleanor Roosevelt and the influence she had on the presidency. Also how different of a first woman she was. She did things for the country during her husband's presidency.
My personal opinion on the book was that it was that it was a little bit slow and repetitive. Although I am proud of Eleanor for being so influential on first ladies to come and how much she did for the country.
I would recommend this book too people that like America because it is a very important part to history of America. If I could change anything about this book I would make it less slow but that is it I loved this book.
My personal opinion on the book was that it was that it was a little bit slow and repetitive. Although I am proud of Eleanor for being so influential on first ladies to come and how much she did for the country.
I would recommend this book too people that like America because it is a very important part to history of America. If I could change anything about this book I would make it less slow but that is it I loved this book.
February 6, 2023
"Eleanor Roosevelt paved the way for the first ladies who followed her."
Eleanor Roosevelt is a much talked about First Lady, but often it is her personality, and her relationship with her mother-in-law that is focused on. In this guided tour through her life the author highlights pivotal moments and events that helped shape Eleanor Roosevelt as a person, notable for me was when she gained confidence and started standing up straight and tall instead of slouching her shoulders.
This book also does a great job of noting Eleanor's actions, independent of FDR (though often in service of him and his Presidency) while he was President, as well as exploring her remarkable life after his death.
Well written and definitely worth picking up.
Eleanor Roosevelt is a much talked about First Lady, but often it is her personality, and her relationship with her mother-in-law that is focused on. In this guided tour through her life the author highlights pivotal moments and events that helped shape Eleanor Roosevelt as a person, notable for me was when she gained confidence and started standing up straight and tall instead of slouching her shoulders.
This book also does a great job of noting Eleanor's actions, independent of FDR (though often in service of him and his Presidency) while he was President, as well as exploring her remarkable life after his death.
Well written and definitely worth picking up.
May 14, 2019
It's probably time to mention that I often don't care for the kitschy caricatures on the covers of these Who books. Poor Eleanor! They're trademark though, recognizable as part of a fun educational series, one I'm a big fan of. (I often call them bobblehead books, or hear them referred to as big-head books.) But really, sometimes the covers are a little ostentatious.
Cover aside, this is a good introduction to the "First Lady of the World," and how Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of First Lady by becoming a strong voice and leader herself.
Information on her life, including her husband, the president's affair with Lucy Mercer, are delivered with age appropriateness, but with honesty.
This is a light biography summarizing her life from early childhood and being orphaned by age 10, to becoming one of the most esteemed and respected women in the world. Mainly and most importantly, it tells of her activism and achievements for human rights - important for people of all ages to learn about.
Cover aside, this is a good introduction to the "First Lady of the World," and how Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of First Lady by becoming a strong voice and leader herself.
Information on her life, including her husband, the president's affair with Lucy Mercer, are delivered with age appropriateness, but with honesty.
This is a light biography summarizing her life from early childhood and being orphaned by age 10, to becoming one of the most esteemed and respected women in the world. Mainly and most importantly, it tells of her activism and achievements for human rights - important for people of all ages to learn about.
August 12, 2019
I wish the book had been a little more about her and her accomplishments as an adult. The author also spent over half the book talking about just the first 19 years of her life, when what she is known for occurred in the latter 59 years. They also focused on FDR a lot. Only one chapter covers the White House years, despite the fact that she was the longest serving First Lady in the history of the US and championed many causes during that time.
So I would probably say that this is an okay introduction to Eleanor, but in terms of conveying what she's known for, how important she was/is, and her contributions to society, I feel like it fell short and kind of trivialized it.
So I would probably say that this is an okay introduction to Eleanor, but in terms of conveying what she's known for, how important she was/is, and her contributions to society, I feel like it fell short and kind of trivialized it.
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November 19, 2019I think Eleanor Roosevelt is a very supportive person. One example of that is in the book, it says, "Still, Eleanor kept him going. She also made sure that the voters did not forget about her husband." Another example of that is in the book, it says, "He counted on Eleanor to convince women to vote for him. She did." A third example of that is in the book, it says, "Once again, Eleanor campaigned hard for Franklin." A fourth and last example of that is in the book, it said, "He want to run for president, and he needed Eleanor's support. That's why I think Eleanor Roosevelt is a very supportive person.
June 27, 2022
People who are afraid, but choose to do things afraid anyway, are my kind of people.
While I don't agree with all of FDR's politics, I have always had an interest in Eleanor. She was such a get out there and DO something lady! I didn't know anything about her childhood, or that Teddy was her favorite uncle. I didn't know that Franklin had an affair but begged her her to stay with him because he KNEW he would never rise in politics without her!! An interesting read that gave me a lot of facts I didn't know and a deeper interest to learn more about this lady.
While I don't agree with all of FDR's politics, I have always had an interest in Eleanor. She was such a get out there and DO something lady! I didn't know anything about her childhood, or that Teddy was her favorite uncle. I didn't know that Franklin had an affair but begged her her to stay with him because he KNEW he would never rise in politics without her!! An interesting read that gave me a lot of facts I didn't know and a deeper interest to learn more about this lady.
February 8, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this book because she did all the amazing things in her life.What I liked about the book was all the amazing facts about her and I felt sorry for her son and her bother and mother and differently her father that died at a younger age,she was so heroic to others but some did not like her very much.
she was a brave and fearless woman. loved her speeches about her husband and after first lady years she continued her writing her books.
I THINK ANY GIRL THAT READ THIS BOOK WOULD LIKE TO BE HER:)
HAVE A GOOD DAY EVERYONE.
she was a brave and fearless woman. loved her speeches about her husband and after first lady years she continued her writing her books.
I THINK ANY GIRL THAT READ THIS BOOK WOULD LIKE TO BE HER:)
HAVE A GOOD DAY EVERYONE.
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March 24, 2020I read Eleanor Roosevelt autobiography about her life. She was alone in her childhood because her father and her mother also her brother was gone from their disease. When she was teenager found her love life with her cousin Franklin Roosevelt . She wrote the letter love to him. He was running as lawyer able to be senator then government to be democratic president. She has daughter with Frank. Her name is Anna Roosevelt Halsted. She has son was pass away with his disease on his six month.
August 9, 2021
Although Eleanor Roosevelt was not the very first, First Lady of America, she was one of the most productive of all that have come since. She helped her husband win all of his elections, she raised her family, she raised the moral of America and she helped to get the ball rolling on many social issues of her time. This is a very good overview of her life before during and after becoming America's First Lady.
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February 6, 2024What I thought of the book was it was amazingly wonderful about how she did all the amazing things in her life.What I liked about the book was all the amazing facts about her and I felt sorry for her son that died at a young age,she was so heroic to others. I loved how she help other candidates win their election.I would recommend this book because she was a brave and fearless woman,I loved her speeches about her husband and after her first lady years she continued her writing her books.
February 22, 2021
Eleanor Roosevelt had a very interesting life. I enjoy the informative, straight-forward style of these books, and the facts are easy to understand. I learned that as a girl, Eleanor was quite shy and timid, but when she studied at a boarding school in England, she became more friendly, courageous, and happy. It sounded like she was an excellent First Lady!
December 1, 2022
I enjoyed this book because I got to learn about Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt is a person who helped people. For example, she made factories safer for the women and the children that was in a dangerous situation. She was well known as the first lady of the U.S longer than anyone. She was a leader to many people. This book made it very easy to understand her better.
August 31, 2026
Very informative biography of Eleanor Roosevelt who dramatically changed the role of First Lady from a mostly ceremonial role to one of great change and influence on American society. She took up great causes such as poverty and racism and encouraged the President, to enact policy to improve the lives of all Americans. One of the most influential women of the 20th century.
September 18, 2020
I had to read this one after reading about FDR. Though this disclosed something negative about Franklin Roosevelt that wasn't mentioned in the book about him. Seeing as they are written for kids, I guess I can understand that. Good little book about Eleanor.
April 23, 2023
A great book for children and young adults about Eleanor Roosevelt. Even though it was for children I learned so much about it. One thing I hadn't realized was that she was the US delegate to the United Nations.
A very well written and informative book.
A very well written and informative book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews