Robert Bellarmine, a sickly child who loves learning, attends a new school in his hilltop town of Montepulciano; it is run by the young order of Jesuits. The order is just two years older than Robert, who was born in 1542 to a noble but impoverished Italian family. The early association with the Jesuits gives Robert a direction for his future because he loves their life of voluntary poverty and refusal of Church honors-it's against their rules for a member to be named bishop or cardinal. Entering the Jesuits in 1560, Robert proves himself an effective preacher and teacher employing both humor and intelligence, even though he is so short he sometimes needs to stand on a box to be seen by his listeners. His books also help bring clarity in the turbulent times between Catholics and Protestants, and the Pope relies on him for many important tasks. In fact, being a Jesuit does not protect Robert from receiving Church honors, although he may have been the only cardinal who gave away his own mattress to the poor-twice! This biography for young readers paints a picture of St. Robert Bellarmine-later proclaimed a Doctor of the Church-as a man of intellect and generosity, steadily serving God in humble and exalted positions alike.