Briefly traces Rooselvelt's life and recounts her accomplishments as First Lady, American goodwill ambassador, and representative at the U.N.
Subtitle on cover : Diplomat and humanitarian.
Includes bibliography : (p. 106) and index.
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School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-- Toor does a more than adequate job describing Eleanor Roosevelt's life and character. Her account is quite accurate--more so than most Roosevelt biographers writing for teens--and fairly complete. Her writing is a bit pedestrian, and the narrative is not terribly exciting, but Toor sticks well to her theme of ``a lifetime devoted to humanitarian principles.'' The book is attractively packaged, and the numerous black-and-white photographs are generally pertinent. Thoughtful bibliographical essays are advantages of two other recent biographies, Jacobs' Eleanor Roosevelt: a Life of Happiness and Tears (Coward-McCann, 1981) and Whitney's Eleanor Roosevelt (Watts, 1982; o.p.). Unfortunately, these both contain numerous factual errors; Jacobs' book, for a slightly younger age group, is moralistic and doesn't provide as much detail as Toor, while Whitney's, which is written in a casual, conversational style with good analysis of Roosevelt's personality, suffers from jumpy chronology. McAuley's Eleanor Roosevelt (Chelsea House, 1987) is very readable, flows well, and covers all the basics, but is filled with an amazing number of misspellings, incorrect dates, and minor misconceptions. --Ann W. Moore, formerly at Lane Road Library, Columbus (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6-10. Roosevelt's character can be summed up in her favorite tribute, which came from a Maine lobsterman: "She ain't stuck up, she ain't dressed up, and she ain't afeared to talk." This fine addition to the American Women of Achievement series is a chronicle of a distinguished first lady, diplomat, and humanitarian. Toor describes the upbringing of a painfully shy Eleanor, the emergence of her confidence at a London boarding school, and FDR's proposal of marriage. The author is candid in reporting the possessiveness and meddling of her mother-in-law and the devastation Roosevelt felt when her husband's affair with Lucy Mercer came to light. The presidential years are covered from the first lady's perspective, as she exerted her influence subtly and judiciously, adapting official responsibilities and FDR's needs to her own desires. After World War II, Roosevelt's life was dedicated to the promotion of international understanding. Readers will feel a vibrance in Toor's word portrait in which Roosevelt's hopes, trepidations, compassionate drives, and myriad pursuits shine forth. A thought-provoking and inspiring effort, liberally illustrated with photos of Roosevelt and her times. --Phillis Wilson
