-

 

What to do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kerley, Barbara. 2008. What to do About Alice?  How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! New York; Scholastic Press. 0439922313.

PLOT SUMMARY

Since her early years, Alice was a very active child that made her father, Theodore Roosevelt, go crazy.  Alice loved to do things that back in her time were not considered appropriate for a lady, things such as drive her own car at a fast speed, bet on horse races and be out and about at late hours of the day.  Even though many people saw her behavior as inappropriate many people came to love her. After Alice got married, she continued to immerse herself in the things that she enjoyed doing.  Eventually, she became one of her father’s most trusted advisers as politics was one of the things she came to love and was very knowledgeable about.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This picture book would be a great book to introduce young children to biographies.  The book, from the book cover, is attractive to want to read about who Alice is and to learn what the author means by “what to do about Alice?” The illustrations complement the story very well with the use of different lines that show how active Alice was as a young child as well as an adult.   In the text, certain words and phrases such as “eating up the world, unruly, inconsiderate and outrageous” have been bolded to point out how Alice’s energetic and free-spirited character was seen back then by others.  In her author’s note, Kerley gives more insight about historian’s speculation on Alice’s behavior and her life after marriage. 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Sibert Medal Honor Book 2009

KIRKUS review: “Taking her thematic approach from Alice’s own self-description, Kerley’s precise text presents readers with a devilishly smart, strong-willed girl who was determined to live life on her own terms-and largely succeeded.  

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Debut illustrator Fotheringham creates the perfect mood from start:  his stylish digital art sets a fast pace, making use of speed lines (rendered in dots, these earn their names) and multiple vignettes to evoke characters in perpetual motion.”

CONNECTIONS

Read other books on Alice Roosevelt such as:

Kimmelman, Leslie. Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt! ISBN 1561454923

Have student create a timeline of Alice Roosevelt.

Read other books on other strong women who lived in the White House such as:

Cardillo, Margaret. Just Being Jackie. ISBN 0062485024

Rosenstock, Barb. Leave it to Abigail! The Revolutionary Life of Abigail Adams. ISBN 0316415715

Have student compare and contrast Alice Roosevelt with Jacky Kennedy or Abigail Adams.  



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
  Read the following interview with Ashely Herring Blake on her book Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World . https://www.younginklings.org/2018-12-ashley-herring-blake/ BIBLIOGRAPHY Herring Blake, Ashley. IVY ABERDEEN’S LETTER TO THE WORLD. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-316-51546-7. PLOT SUMMARY:  Ivy Aberdeen is a twelve-year-old whose family has lost everything when a tornado destroys her house.  Ivy’s notebook with her special drawing goes missing when her family stays at the local school.  Ivy worries that her notebook will be found and her drawings of girls holding hands will be discovered.  Ivy finds some of her drawing in her locker with notes telling her to be honest about her feelings.  Even though she does not know who is leaving these notes, Ivy starts communicating with this person through notes. During this time, Ivy starts developing a crush on a girl named June.  Ivy is torn on how to handle the feelings she...
Read more
-
Image
Read this interview with Alex Gino on his new book You Don’t Know Everything, Jelly P.! and the book George. https://medium.com/@afalck/trans-author-interview-alex-gino-da00eebf1651 BIBLIOGRAPHY Gino, Alex. GEORGE. New York: Scholastic, 2015. ISBN: 978-0-545-81254-2. PLOT SUMMARY:   George is a fourth-grade student who identifies as a girl.   She has been keeping her secret from her family as well as her best friend.   When her class is preparing for the play Charlotte’s Web, George wants to play the part of Charlotte.   Her teacher does not allow her to audition for the part because she is a boy and George is heart-broken. With the help of Kelly, her best friend, they come up with a plan for her to play Charlotte.   Not only does George get to play Charlotte but it also helps her to show her family who she is.   ANALYSIS:   George has always felt like a girl and wishes she could freely express herself with her family, friends and classmates...
Read more
-
Image
  Listen to Acevedo read the opening of her book Clap When You Land .  BIBLIOGRAPHY Acevedo, Elizabeth. CLAP WHEN YOU LAND. New York: Harper Teen, 2020. ISBN: 978-0-06-288276-9. PLOT SUMMARY :  Camino Rios lives in the Dominican Republic.  Yahaira Rios lives in New York.  One summer day, when Camino is waiting for her father to visit her, the unexpected happens.  The plane he was on crashes.  Without knowing that the other one exists, their lives will be forever changed.  As both girls try to understand their father’s secrets, they go through an emotional rollercoaster as they face life with a new sister and without their father.  ANALYSIS:   Camino is a sixteen-year-old who lives with her aunt in the Dominican Republic.  She always looks forward to the summers when her father visits her.  Thanks to the money that her father sends her aunt, Camino and her aunt can have some commodities that not everyone in their neighborh...
Read more