What to do about Alice?

Written by Barbara Kerley

Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

Bibliographic data

Kerley, Barbara. 2008. What To Do About Alice? Ill. by Edwin Fotheringham. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439922319

Plot Summary

Alice, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, “was hungry to go places, meet people, do things!” This book talks about the problems she caused her father by breaking the rules to become her own person. Through her journey of life she “charmed the world” by ways that were unconventional for women. This biography is a fun an energetic way to display life of an influential woman.

Critical Analysis

This picture-book biography of Alice Lee Roosevelt is fun and entertaining, as well as, informational. The whimsical cartoon-like illustrations are eye-catching and help guide the reader through the book. Barbara Kerley’s text is easy to read and fun. She uses different sizes and fonts to emphasize quotes and facts.

This book is far from ordinary. With the interesting arrangement of the text and the comical illustrations, the reader can experience pieces of Alice’s busy and robust life. The sequence of the story is very simple and easy to understand. Kerley starts the story of Alice as a little girl and continues through her life experiences in sequential order. Following the end of the story are Author’s Noes, credits, and copyright data. Kerley is thorough by making note of who was responsible for fact checking of the text and artwork for the book. The question throughout the book that is consistent is that Theodore Roosevelt never figured out “What to do about Alice?”

I would recommend reading this story aloud to a young audience. They will enjoy the colorful illustrations and Alice’s hunger for life.

Review Excerpts

• Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor 2009
• "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." Booklist 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." Kirkus 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." School Library Journal starred review

Connections

• Have the students research other children of US presidents.
• Introduce the students to other books on Alice Roosevelt, like Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt! by Leslie Kimmelman.
• Have the students think about what hey would like to do or accomplish is they were the child of a president.