Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers

Michelle Obama reflects on her life’s journey and the evolving nature of personal identity. She recounts her childhood dreams of simple things like owning a dog, living in a two-story house, and driving a four-door station wagon, and her ambition to become a pediatrician—a pleasing answer to adults. Her life took many unexpected turns—moving from a working-class student at a predominantly white college to a lawyer, nonprofit director, and ultimately the First Lady of the United States. Michelle emphasizes her contrasting experiences during her tenure as First Lady, from encounters with extreme wealth and privilege to moments of connection with ordinary people and their struggles.

Michelle recounts her early childhood in the South Side neighborhood of Chicago, where she lives with her family in a modest brick bungalow owned by her great-aunt Robbie. The house is filled with the persistent sound of piano students practicing, a backdrop to Michelle’s formative years. Robbie, a strict and formidable piano teacher, demands excellence from her students, including Michelle, who sees her as both a mentor and a challenging figure to win over. Despite the rigidity of Robbie's methods, Michelle finds joy and satisfaction in learning the piano, motivated by a desire to succeed and a love for music inherited from her grandfather, Southside, a jazz enthusiast and carpenter.