Eleanor Roosevelt, Fighter for Justice by Ilene Cooper was one of my favorite books to use in my classroom. Cooper did a wonderful job researching and crafting her text to pull students in and engage them. Students loved using Cooper's work as a mentor text to write their own biographies.

"Todo cambia, todo sigue igual" are lyrics to a popular song in parent's time. Translated it means "Everything changes, everything stays the same. Eleanor Roosevelt's fight for civil rights mirrors some of the issues we are still arguing for today. I love that Cooper took the time to humanize Roosevelt--every hero has her/his flaws--and understand why she shied away from talking about the First Lady's extramarital affairs--the book is aimed at younger readers. All in all, a great introduction to one of the greatest first ladies in history.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: FIGHTER FOR JUSTICE by Ilene Cooper is a biography focusing on Roosevelt’s lasting impact.

Designed for intermediate and middle grade readers, this biography includes the basics of Roosevelt’s life. However this work of nonfiction places emphasis on her transformation into an advocate for social justice. The author uses a conversational approach to describe how Roosevelt overcame her own prejudices and used her powerful position to promote important causes such as the Civil Rights Movement. Historic photographs and other illustrations will contribute to the appeal of this title. The book includes a timeline, biography, and index.

Librarians will find their collection filled with books on Eleanor Roosevelt. What makes this book unusual is its emphasis on her national and international contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and other efforts related to social justice. Students doing reports on both Roosevelt and the Civil Rights Movement will find the book useful.

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers on August 7, 2018. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Eleanor Roosevelt was a social activist when activism was considered unAmerican. Although from a wealthy family, she was lonely as a child. She was sent from her New York State home to Europe for boarding school, and it was there she met the teacher that instilled in her the courage of her convictions.. When she returned home and married, she would draw on this inner strength to power through life with FDR's overbearing mother. She became the eyes and ears that FDR needed to keep track of the needs of the nation. This is a great title to have in every library as well as your personal library !

It was an absolute pleasure to read Ilene Cooper's book about Eleanor Roosevelt. She is an impressive and much-admired historical figure.

I did not know much about Eleanor's childhood and youth. Also, after reading the book, I am thoroughly convinced that Eleanor is one of the main reasons that her husband, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, had four successful presidential terms.

Ilene Cooper's biography of Eleanor specifically emphasizes her work in the spheres of social justice, civil rights, and racial equality. I really like how Cooper conveys Eleanor's growth in terms of these issues. She was not a perfect person; she held racial prejudices that were wrong and needed to be overcome. I was so impressed by Eleanor Roosevelt's willingness to listen and learn from other people. This is a trait that I deeply admire.

Eleanor Roosevelt, Fighter for Justice
Her Impact on the Civil Rights Movement, the White House, and the World
by Ilene Cooper
ABRAMS Kids

Abrams Books for Young Readers
Children's Nonfiction , Middle Grade
Pub Date 07 Aug 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Eleanor Rosevelt, Fighter For Justice through Abrams Books for Young Readers and Netgalley:



Eleanor Rosevelt went from poor little rich girl to a woman who gave a voice to the voiceless. The wife of Franklin Delano Rosevelt and First Lady, she choose to use her voice in a way many in her era were afraid too!

Despite her families wealth in her childhood, it was not exactly idyllic, her Father battled addictions and would be gone for long stretches at a time, but he was the one that also showed her that not everyone was as blessed as she was. When she was only six her Father took her to help feed a couple needy boys Thanksgiving dinner, which likely was a large part of the reason she fought so hard for those in need throughout her life.

In 1892 when her Mother was only twenty nine she came down with Diptheria and the disease eventually ended up killing her. Leaving the children with only their troubled Father to care for them. A few months later her younger brother Elliot would die of Scarlet Fever, a little more than a year later she would loose her Father to Suicide!


At fifteen her Grandmother Hall sent Eleanor to a boarding school just outside of London.



After having some marriage trouble, Eleanor developed a form of Anorexia. By 1919 Eleanor had dismissed all the white servants and replaced them with a black staff.


Eleanor Rosevelt showed that by overcoming her fears and insecurities and prejudiced she could and did make a difference for Civil Rights Movement as well as many other important movements.



I give Eleanor Rosevelt, fighter for justice five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

Eleanor Roosevelt has always been one of my favorite historical figures; my daughter is named Eleanor, since it's a good, solid name if she ever wishes to become president or a corporate bigwig. Her difficult childhood, the way people treated her because of her looks, and the enormous amount of work she did on behalf on all manner of groups of people are all fascinating topics. I am not surprised, given the recent increased interests in women's issues, that there is a new biography of her. This aptly discusses her background, including her marriage to Franklin and her experiences of motherhood, but also discusses the wide range of social issues for which she fought.

I learned a lot of things I didn't know, and thought that the way Cooper talks about some of the more difficult, adult issues was well done. It is mentioned that Franklin had affairs, but the discussion centered on how this affected Eleanor's life, as it should. I hadn't known about her mother-in-law, Sarah, and how overbearing she was, and there was just enough coverage of that topic to make sense of some of Eleanor's later actions. Her relationship with her children was rather sad, but not terribly unusual for the time. I didn't know that she taught, or that she enjoyed it so much! Had circumstances been different, perhaps that would have been her career path.

It is difficult to judge the actions of people 90 years ago. There is a mention that, mainly to spite her mother-in-law, Eleanor replaced that household staff with all African-American employees. She was publicly brought to task for using the word "darky" in her writing; it had been used by a relative in what she had assumed was a term of endearment, and when someone corrected, she apologized and asked for a better term. She was always a champion of the underdog, which makes perfect sense, so her interest in the Civil Rights movement is not surprising.

I'll definitely purchase this book for my school library, and it gives a nice overview of the state of what life was like for many groups in the early part of the 1900s. Seeing what Eleanor's views of how other people treated different groups was somehow illuminating, since despite being a product of her time, she does seem to have many modern sensibilities.

My mother, who grew up in the Depression, idealized FDR. She instilled that in me as well. FDR could do no wrong. He ended the Depression, he lead the US through WWII. Praise, Praise, Praise.

But, she never talked about Eleanor Roosevelt.

I knew about Eleanor, for her work after FDR died, her work with the UN, but this book is following her work for Civil Rights, which I was unaware of. The author uses a lot of background information, siting sources through out, from her autobiography, to her columns, from other books about her, to letters written to her and from her.

Very easy to read. A good introduction to an amazing woman, and the work she did pushing for civil rights, including integrating the army during World War II.

Oddly, even though FDR's affair is touched on, nothing is said about the relationship Eleanor had with her press secretary. It is sort of how biographies talked about Tove Jansson, without mentioning her wife.

And one other problem I had with this book, which is a minor one, is that it says that World War II began with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, as though the rest of the world was playing tiddly sticks the rest of the time.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I loved this book! The author speaks to the middle school reader without ever being condescending or talking down. When historical background is needed, it is simply included in the text.

Eleanor Roosevelt comes alive with her bravery, deep desire to do right and also in her doubts and difficulties. The reader learns the basics of Eleanor's biography; not being beautiful for her mother, having a father who was an alcoholic, being orphaned. There is an excellent chapter or Eleanor's schooling in England and its impact on her. The joys and imperfections of her relationship with Franklin are acknowledged. The young reader learns of affairs but gently.

The author shows the ways in which Eleanor's consciousness was raised. She describes the prejudices with which Eleanor grew up and how she began to overcome them and fight for her beliefs.

I have read a number of books on the Roosevelts so felt knowledgeable going in. Yet, I still learned a lot. Of note, too, are the illustrations which make historical personages real and present.

I recommend this book highly for readers from middle school through adulthood.