Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Dwight D. Eisenhower: Young Military Leader
Illustrator: Meryl Henderson
Nonfiction
For ages 8 to 12
Simon and Schuster, 2006 ISBN: 978-1416912576
Dwight was the third son of Ida and David Eisenhower, a young couple who had very little money but who somehow always managed to care for and provide for their every growing family of sons. Not only did Dwight grow up having to learn how to do without but he also had to learn how to do many of the chores that a sister would have done. At times Dwight resented having to do chores that were typically done by a girl or woman, but he then began to see how useful it would be to be able to cook and otherwise take care of himself.
Taking care of himself was something Dwight became very good at. When he was still a little boy Dwight allowed himself to be pushed around by his elder brothers. But, after defeating some angry geese which had chased and frightened him, he decided that it was important to stand up for himself. Thereafter he always believed that it was important to be ?stronger than your enemy.?
Being one of so many boys and also growing up on the ?wrong side of the tracks? Dwight learned how to show a good account of himself in a fight. He also learned that it was important to have a good education and he did especially well in math and loved history. It was his intelligence and hard work which ended up giving him the means to get a good education at West Point and which launched him in a career which would lead to the American presidency.
In this excellent biography readers will get an interesting picture of what Dwight D. Eisenhower was like as a child. In addition readers will see how Dwight?s childhood influenced his later life and how he ended up choosing a military career.
