What To Do About Alice?
A Review by Amanda Kendall
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. Edwin Fotheringham. New York: Scholastic Press. 0439922313
Plot Summary:
As President, Theodore Roosevelt faced many challenges but none were as challenging as wrangling his free-spirited, dynamic daughter Alice Lee Roosevelt. In What To Do About Alice?, Kerley takes us on a whirlwind adventure through Alice's upbringing and young adult life. The text chronicles her challenges as a child growing up without her mother, wearing leg braces, and fighting to have the to be free of being a "proper young lady". Alice's dynamic personalty and go-getter attitude emanates throughout the book. It showcases her escapades abroad as a young woman in Puerto Rico and Asia as well as her later presence and political involvement in Washington D.C. as a congressman's wife. Always looking for her next great adventure, Alice was a woman ahead of her time, who redefined what it meant to be the President's daughter in the public eye during the turn of the 20th century.
Analysis:
While Alice Roosevelt's story may not be familiar to many, once heard it is a story you will not forget! Kerly's lively and upbeat text allows Alice Roosevelt's larger-than-life personality to leap off the page. With purposeful sentences driven by vivid verbs, the mood of the text is playful and evokes a clear image of Alice to the reader. Alice never wanted to be called "poor little thing" and spent her life "eating up the world." The use of parallelism throughout the text with these lines creates continuity within the text. In addition, Kerly skillfully weaves quotations from her research into the story, crafting an authentic and well researched narrative that maintains charisma throughout. The art of story telling and authenticity have been perfectly blended in this picture book biography.
Fotheringham's illustrations are the perfect companion to this energetic text. Each double-page spread is filled with color, textured backgrounds, and detailed illustrations. The text has been carefully nestled within each illustration, becoming a part of the artwork. Similar to the text, the pictures capture Alice's personality. As Alice zig-zags over the pictures, racing around her father and later around the world, the intersecting dotted lines show Alice always on the move and always looking for fun. Her dynamic personality comes through in every aspect of this book. It is no wonder she was loved by everyone and known as Princess Alice.
The book finishes with a list of references and an author's note elaborating on Alice's relationship with her father, Teddy Roosevelt, her celebrity status, and her role in Washington for the remainder of her life. What to do About Alice? is an unforgettable read that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages for its quality of story, dynamic illustrations, and very memorable character - Alice!
Fotheringham's illustrations are the perfect companion to this energetic text. Each double-page spread is filled with color, textured backgrounds, and detailed illustrations. The text has been carefully nestled within each illustration, becoming a part of the artwork. Similar to the text, the pictures capture Alice's personality. As Alice zig-zags over the pictures, racing around her father and later around the world, the intersecting dotted lines show Alice always on the move and always looking for fun. Her dynamic personality comes through in every aspect of this book. It is no wonder she was loved by everyone and known as Princess Alice.
The book finishes with a list of references and an author's note elaborating on Alice's relationship with her father, Teddy Roosevelt, her celebrity status, and her role in Washington for the remainder of her life. What to do About Alice? is an unforgettable read that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages for its quality of story, dynamic illustrations, and very memorable character - Alice!
Awards & Reviews:
- 2009 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
- Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
- Irma Black Award Honor Book
- Parents Choice Award
- Washington State Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award
- A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year
- A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
- A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
- ALA Notable Book
- New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
From Publisher's Weekly: "It's hard to imagine a picture book biography that could better suit its subject than this high-energy volume serves young Alice Roosevelt."
From School Library Journal: "Kerley's text gallops along with a vitality to match her subject's antics...Fascinating."
Connections:
More Books by Barbara Kerley:
More Books by Barbara Kerley:
- Those Rebels, John and Tom. 0545222680
- The Extraordinary Mark Twain. (According to Susy) 0545125081
- A Home for Mr. Emerson. 0545350883
- Walt Whitman: Words for America. 0439357918
- Clinton, Chelsea. She Persisted: 13 American Woman Who Changed the World. Ill. Alexandra Boiger. 1524741728
- Harvey, Jeanne Walker. Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. Ill Dow Phumiruk. 1250112494
- Hopkins, Joseph. H. The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever. Ill Jill McElmurry. 1442414022
- Keating, Jess. Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist. Ill. Marta Alvarez Miguens. 1492642045
- Levy, Debbie. I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark. Ill. Elizabeth Baddeley. 1481465597
- Shetterly, Margot Lee. Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race. Ill. Laura Freeman. 0062742469
- Stone, Tanya Lee. The House That Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams. Ill. Kathryn Brown. 0805090495
- Wallmark, Laurie. Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code. Ill. Katy Wu. 1454920009
- Yousafzai, Malala. Malala's Magic Pencil. Ill. Kerascoet. 0316319570
- Discuss how Alice "ate up the world" with students. Then, invite students to write their own eating up the world poems, sharing what experience they would like to have and the places they would like to see.
- Write a newspaper article about Alice and one of her many adventures.
- Alice had a pet snake. Research other pets that have resided in the White House over the years.
- Keeping in mind Alice's personality, create a game that Alice would have enjoyed playing with her siblings when she was young.
