Barbara Bush: A Biography for Beginning Historians

A brief biography of Barbara Bush for young readers.

Louann Temple is a lifelong Texan with a personal passion for arts and education who believes that biography, with its emphasis on personalities, is ideal for introducing young people to history, with its focus on events. Temple is uniquely situated to write this biography for young readers, as she has been personally acquainted with many important people in presidential history, First Lady Barbara Bush included, and she has mentored countless middle and high school students, preparing them for college admission.

Barbara Bush highlights the key events in the life of the First Lady; explores the life lessons afforded by her legacy; and reflects on the broad historical issues during her time in the White House from 1989 to 1993. Married to the forty-first president, George H. W. Bush, Barbara Bush spent her time as First Lady dedicated to charity work and helping the American people, notably supporting Americans during the AIDS crisis. Enhanced with a carefully curated selection of black and white photographs from three presidential libraries, this biography for beginning historians is poised to bring the best of biography and history to a new generation of readers.

Louann Atkins Temple holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in American civilization, both from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a mentor to young people through Austin Partners in Education, where she aims to pass on her love of history.