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

What To Do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!. Barbara Kerley. Illus. by Edwin Fotheringham. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008. 42 pages. $16.99 (Hardcover). ISBN 978-0-439-92231-9. Grades K-3.

“Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem,” and that problem was his energetic, independent, and rambunctious daughter Alice. Although Teddy Roosevelt was capable of leading an army and the United States, raising his daughter did not come easily to him. Award winning author Barbara Kerley playfully depicts some of Alice’s shenanigans and the important role she played in terms of her father’s popularity, politics, and presidency. Kerley seamlessly incorporates elements of history, society, and politics all while making readers laugh with examples of Alice “eating up the world”. Edwin Fotheringham’s picture book debut is a huge success as he exemplifies the emotion evoked by Alice’s fast paced lifestyle in color and detail. The illustrations and text tell two great stories independently and one brilliant one combined. Readers will love to learn about Theodore Roosevelt and his infamous daughter while also wanting to be her best friend or sidekick. This is not only a fantastic, fun story but a great educational tool. Highly Recommended 

My Thoughts…

I am going to say it again. I should have paid better attention in U.S. History! I had no clue that Teddy Roosevelt had an infamous daughter and that she ended up being quite influential in his popularity and politics. I loved this book and I know this is bad reviewing, but I loved it first because it was cute and secondly because I want to be Alice Roosevelt’s best friend. I loved reading about Princess Alice and her shenanigans! She is much more interesting to me than any of the president’s daughters of my lifetime. I caught myself saying wow and laughing out loud at both the texts and the pictures. I was absorbed in the story itself because it flowed so well, but also because the publisher/author (?) played with the fonts to keep me engaged. I love how the emotions and feelings of certain situations and chastisements came out in bold or in little font. I also enjoyed how I got to learn about Theodore Roosevelt and his daughter in terms of social and political history, if only briefly. It seemed to me almost, however, that the story was too fun to even be true. I would have been more impressed if the author had included more references and notes rather than just a thank you to her fact checker because I would be confident in knowing all of those fun events happened. I think I will take this book at face value, however, because it is fun. I don’t know if there was anything I didn’t like about this book and I was surprised to enjoy it so thoroughly.

Potential Reaction…

I think all little girls go through some sort of eating up the world phase where they want everything and anything and they want it now. Unlike Alice, however, all little girls do not get given piggyback rides every morning, freedom to stroll around the capital, the opportunity to jet across the world, etc. In addition to being able to identify with the desire of Alice, I think Alice’s interest in knowledge, exploring, fun, and being her own person is a great role model! I think girls will laugh at some of her stunts, like being a part of an all boys club and requiring them to dress in disguise! I found myself laughing and wanting to be fun and adventurous and I think young female readers will too. I don’t think male readers will enjoy this book as much, but I don’t think they will hate it. They do get to learn about Teddy Roosevelt and some of the badass things he did. This might encourage them to do more research about his presidency or the acts in general. I think readers will enjoy this biography more than some others because it is so story like. I think it will be easy to read and follow due to the style of writing and the way the words are on the page. I think the big, detailed, emotion showing illustrations are also fun and will entertain readers. I can see this book lighting sparks in reader’s curiosity about the Roosevelts and the historical period, especially about the different countries Alice visited and the gifts she got when she got married.

Reminds Me Of…

This is the book reminded me of a few of different things, so I am super duper excited. The first book this one reminded me of was The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. Alice Roosevelt and Calpurnia have a few things in common; one is that they have a curiosity and thirst for knowledge, two is that they would rather not conform to society’s predefined gender roles, and a third (of what I am sure I could make many) is that they were both ahead of their times. The reason one book reminds me of the other is because it is about a strong female character and how they live by who and how they are, not by how they are told to. I also think the relationship between Calpurnia and her Grandfather is similar to the relationship between Teddy and Alice. The younger Alice Roosevelt definitely reminded me of the Madeline stories and how Madeline was not as prim and proper as the other girls in school. I think that the headstrong, independent female character is here again. One picture in particular in the story reminded me of Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I know this is a movie, but it is for youth, and while I made the connection from an illustration in the library, the strong independent character of Belle can totally be seen throughout the text and parts of the film. In terms of genre, I have read a few other juvenile biographies, but this is the first one I think I would enjoy on my own. Other similar books are too educational and teachy, but in this one the main subject is like a character who you just learn to identify with and follow. It was definitely more entertaining and fun than other similar books.