1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kerley, Barbara. 2008. WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE Ill.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Some of us have always wondered what it would be like growing up in the White House, being the child of the President. In this delightful biography, readers can gain insight into Alice Roosevelt’s, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, life and happenings. The story begins with “Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem.” After naming all of the amazing adventures that were not the root of his problem, the reader learns the problem is his daughter Alice. Whether she was testing the springs on her grandparent’s sofa or roaming the streets of Washington, Kerley tells of Alice’s bold and courageous lifestyle. At the threat of being sent to boarding school, Alice decides to teach herself all she needed to know by spending endless hours reading anything she could find in her father’s library. By the age of 17, Alice moves into the White House and her adventures continue, or just begin. From entertaining guests with her pet snake, driving her car around town, traveling world wide or advising her father, Alice was definitely a lady who was adored by many, even if her father never could figure out “What to do about Alice?”
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Barbara Kerley has written a number of picture book biographies. In her author’s note, Kerley thoroughly explains some of the information she mentioned in the book. Her accuracy is also shown by her acknowledgement of Carol Felsenthal for fact checking the text and the artwork of the book. The picture book format allows the reader to enjoy listening to a story about Alice Roosevelt’s life. The illustrations accurately depict the clothing and style of the time period, thus enhancing the authenticity of the story and supporting the text. The story follows a clear pattern, beginning with her early years and going all the way through adulthood. The story leaves the reader wanting to learn more about the crazy lifestyle of this president’s daughter.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW: "Irrepressible Alice Roosevelt gets a treatment every bit as attractive and exuberant as she was....The large format gives Fotheringham, in his debut, plenty of room for spectacular art."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL STARRED REVIEW: "Kerley’s text gallops along with a vitality to match her subject s antics, as the girl greets White House visitors accompanied by her pet snake, refuses to let leg braces cramp her style, dives fully clothed into a ship s swimming pool, and also earns her place in history as one of her father s trusted advisers. Fotheringham’s digitally rendered, retro-style illustrations are a superb match for the text."
KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW: "Theodore Roosevelt s irrepressible oldest child receives an appropriately vivacious appreciation in this superb picture book.... 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."
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students can create a timeline of Alice Roosevelt’s life. Depending on the grade level, using either picture cues or facts from the books, students can plot ten important events of her life on the timeline in chronological order. Be sure to include dates where applicable.
*Students can complete a Venn diagram by comparing and contrasting young Alice Roosevelt with themselves. The teacher could require students to have 3 items in each part of the Venn diagram.
*Students could create a collage picture based on Alice Roosevelt. Using facts from the book, students could decide upon various adjectives about Alice (daring, creative, etc.). These adjectives could be typed or written in fun font and pasted on the collage along with various pictures of Alice. Pictures could be drawn or printed from the internet.
*Other books by Barbara Kerley
Kerley, Barbara. THE DINOSAURS OF WATERHOUSE HAWKINS. ISBN 0439114950
Kerley, Barbara. WALT WHITMAN: WORDS FOR AMERICA. ISBN 9780439357913
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