What To Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove her Father Teddy crazy!

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kerley, Barbara. 2008. What to do about Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt broke the rules, charmed the world, and drove her father Teddy crazy!. Ill. by Edwin Fotheringham.  New York, NY:  Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439922319

 

2. PLOT SUMMARY

 This picture book biography describes the life of Alice Roosevelt. It begins with some of the accomplishments of her famous father alluding that those were nothing compared to raising Alice. Her birth is, fittingly, mentioned in the same sentence as her mother’s death. She died 2 days after Alice was born and she seemed to not want others to focus on it. Her father’s remarriage is mentioned along with the constant moving and the curiosity she had for the world. The leg braces she wore for a brief period of her life were also mentioned along with her tendency to roam the streets of Washington. She was allowed to guide her own education through her father’s library. When her father became president all of “princess Alice’s” antics were described. Her travels, her marriage, and her role in politics finish off the biography.

 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

 Kerley has written a number of well-known and credible picture book biographies. This certainly adds to the credibility of this work. Kerley does include some sources for the quotes that are used at the end of the book. There is also a letter referenced at the end.  

She also mentions speculation at the end that she didn’t directly reference in the book. The events follow Alice Roosevelt’s life, so they go in a logical order. Kerley makes the story really interesting to follow. Introducing Alice as a problem really sets up her personality well. The reference to her “eating up the world” also helps the reader understand more about what motivates her. Roosevelt not wanting to be a “poor little thing” also adds an important element to her story. The adjectives used to describe Alice “unruly”, “inconsiderate”, and “curious”, all paint a very lively picture of the woman she must have been. Kerley does a great job of animating Alice Roosevelt’s life. She includes important events like her birth, schooling, time in the white house, her marriage, her travels, and her involvement in politics all in a fun and engaging way.

Fotheringham captures Alice’s personality really well. The images are always moving from one event to another. There is a row of black dots that follow Alice around and share her restless nature. Despite her constant movement, she is always composed and confident. Her head is held high and she doesn’t seem to be too worried about what anyone will think. Her eyes are striking and are the only ones that are colored blue throughout the whole story.

 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Reviewed in AudioFile

Starred review in School Library Journal: “Packed with great vocabulary words such as "gamboled" and "voracious," this lively read-along picture book biography is an excellent introduction to a rabble-rousing woman who is often overlooked in American history.”

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*Invite students to write letters to Alice Roosevelt asking her any questions they still have about her life.

*Invite students to find information about Alice online and compare that information with what they found in the book.

*Other nonfiction books written by Barbara Kerley:

Kerley, Barbara. Walt Whitman: Words for America. ISBN 9780439357913

Kerley, Barbara. The extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy). ISBN 9780545125086

Kerley, Barbara. Those rebels, John & Tom. ISBN 9780545222686

Kerley, Barbara. You and me together: Moms, dads, and kids around the world. ISBN 9781426306235

Kerley, Barbara. A home for Mr. Emerson. ISBN 9780545350884