Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady

Michelle obama has been by her husband's side throughout his historic presidential campaign, a dynamic personality whether she is delivering speeches or hitting the dance floor on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Follow the story of a hardworking girl growing up on the South Side of Chicago and how she has inspired our nation to believe in the American Dream that her life exemplifies. In her own stirring words: America should be a place where you can make it if you try.

Written by David Bergen Brophy, this in-depth biography captures the heart and soul of the First Lady behind the campaign for change.

A great choice for reluctant readers, this title introduces the First Lady with accessible language and anecdotes from Obama’s friends and family. From descriptions of her childhood bedroom to her Princeton dorm room decor, the small details contribute to a larger sense of the First Lady in various stages of her life. It’s the direct quotes, though, including many from Obama herself, that will draw readers most. Many of these quotes have been repeated in other youth biographies about Obama, and in fact, one quote is repeated within the pages of this volume. Still, for readers encountering them for the first time, the quotes add immediacy and personality to what could otherwise have been a somewhat dry presentation in a title that lacks photos. Many young people will enjoy his-and-her remarks about the Obamas’ first impressions of each other, and Brophy is frank about the strains that political life places on a family, particularly when one parent hits the campaign trail. Contrast this with David Colbert’s Michelle Obama: An American Story (2009) for a fuller portrait of the First Lady’s family of origin and her remarkable road to the White House. Grades 4-8. --Gillian Engberg