Sisters First is a
delightful collection of stories told by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce
Bush, the daughters our former president, George W. Bush. These twin girls are
now adults and have families of their own, but they wanted to share with us
what it meant to be the famous granddaughters and daughters of ex presidents.
“They share some family secrets, some family bloopers, and some inside jokes”
(Bush, 2017, p. xii). One might think that they had a fancy life and that they
grew up feeling entitled. On the contrary, these young ladies grew up, as good
Texans, with the desire to work hard. Jenna became a school teacher. She shares
an anecdote in which one of her students finds a picture of her in a magazine.
The media made it seem she was dancing inappropriately and drinking alcohol. It
was false; she was drinking Diet Coke. This is an example that fame comes with
a price and the risk of hearing stories that are completely untrue. Jenna
admits to never Googling her name, for she feared what negative things she
would find. Barbara shares a story of when her father was the governor of
Texas. DPS agents would drive Mrs. Bush around. One day, the twins accompanied
her to run errands. When they arrived, the girls’ mom asks them to go with her.
Both girls refused and acted bratty. Mrs. Bush had to walk alone. The driver, a
DPS agent, turned around, scolded them, told them to get out, and ordered them
to apologize to their mom!
These little twin
girls grew up and are now living their lives and fighting for their dreams.
Jenna is a mother and Barbara is the head of Global Health Corps. And because
their love and connection is strong, they live four blocks away from each
other.
This book is truly enjoyable, and I am sure students would love
it as well. If students are interested in learning more about the lives of
Jenna and Barbara Bush, they can visit the library and research. A great
activity would for students to role play and pretend they are interviewing the
authors. Students can also create a timeline or a map of the places the sisters
have visited. This would be a great social studies activity. After their
research is complete, the can use that knowledge and create their own book
trailer. The students can either act it out or use technology to create it. The
librarian can post it on the school’s website or Facebook page.
Both sisters did a
wonderful job in giving us an idea of what it is to be presidential children.
This book is fun, easy to read, and enjoyable. Jenna is also the author of Our
Great Big Backyard, Read All About It, and Anna’s Story. If you are
interested in watching the trailer, click the link below:
If you have fallen in
love with the Bush family and you wish to learn more about them, you may also
read Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush, A Portrait of My Father
by former President George W. Bush, The Perfect Wife: The Life and Choices
of Laura Bush by Ann Gerhart, Barbara Bush: A Memoir by Barbara
Bush, and My Father, My President: A Personal Account of the Life of George
H. W. Bush by Doro Bush Koch.
Hager,
J. B., & Bush, B. (2017). Sisters first: Stories from our wild and wonderful life. New York, NY: Grand Central
Publishing.
Nine
Books To Read If You Adore The Bush Family. (2017, October 30). Retrieved
November 9, 2018, from http://futurefemaleleader.com/9-books-read-adore-bush-family/
New
York Best Seller List
No comments:
Post a Comment