Doris Kearns Goodwin stopped by CBS Mornings to discuss her new book for young readers.
The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President, adapted by Ruby Shamir and illustrated by June Bates, is based on Kearns’ 2018 book Leadership: In Turbulent Times. A critic for Kirkus called The Leadership Journey, which is scheduled for publication by Simon & Schuster next week, “a solid exploration of the path from childhood to presidency.”
Goodwin was asked how she came to write her first book for young readers.
“I think it really started because I love history so much, and it makes me heartbroken to see how history’s being diminished all over the country,” she said. “I had a teacher in high school who was magic, and she taught history through biography, and you could feel that you cared about the people. You’d have stories rather than just facts and figures.”
Goodwin’s book recounts the early lives of four U.S. presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Asked what the four had in common, Goodwin said, “They had humility, which meant they could acknowledge errors and learn from their mistakes, because that’s the only way you grow. They had empathy, where they could feel what other people were feeling. They had resilience. All of them went through terrible times, and they were somehow able to get larger as a result.”
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
