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Jan 13, 2009

Wendy rated it:

Totally delightful. This story is funny without being cheesy. The text is sort of okay-to-good, and it pleased me by retaining most of its momentum even after Alice grows up (not many children's biographies can do that, which is probably why they published that whole series of Childhood of Famous Americans). But the pictures are terrific--they have a slight Jazz Age feel, and an amazing sense of movement (especially the picture of Alice in the library, and the dockworkers loading the boat ful More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 18, 2011

Sarah rated it:

Genre: Biography
Awards: 2009 Robert Sibert Honor Book
Age Group: Primary - Intermediate

Summary: The illustrated children's book tells the story of Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Teddy Roosevelt. Alice lost her mother shortly after she was born and her father remarried and expanded his family. Alice always had a certain zest for life that was quite uncommon for young ladies at the time. She feared nothing and tried everything, including joining an all-male club. More...

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Nov 09, 2010

N_sally rated it:

"What To Do About Alice?" is a delightful book about a girl who defined herself and lived life to the fullest. The book tells about the life of Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of former president Theodore Roosevelt. As the subtitle says, Alice broke the rules, charmed the world, and drove her father, Teddy, crazy. Her mother died when she was only two days old and it made everyone sad, but Alice wasn't growing up sad and she didn't want to be called "The Poor Little Thing." More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Mar 22, 2010

Jessica rated it:

Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem. Her name was Alice. Alice Lee Roosevelt was hungry to go places, meet people, do things! Father called it running riot. Alice called it eating up the world. Whether she was entertaining important White House visitors with her pet snake or traveling the globe, Alice bucked convention and turned every new experience into an adventure!
- Thank you Scholastic

This children’s picture book would be a very useful tool to help teach a lesson on on More...

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Feb 28, 2010

Ch_jank-caporale rated it:

"Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem..."
This picture book biography of Teddy Roosevelt's oldest daughter, Alice, presents a spirited young woman, determined not to conform to the expectations of "girl behavior" at a time when children were expected to be seen but not heard.
It is a 2010 nominee for both a Monarch Award and a Rebecca Caudill Award for Young Readers. The illustrations, by Edwin Fotheringham, add gaily to the energy and colorful spirit of the tex More...

2 comments like

Feb 18, 2010

Kathryn rated it:

The charming, humorous illustrations really won me over and are my favorite part of this story about Teddy Roosevelt's oldest daughter, who "ate up the world" one (generally improper) adventure at a time yet became the darling of the world and dubbed "Princess Alice." I think it's a really interesting book to share with children in terms of the discussion that could follow--should Alice be seen as a brave young lady who defied the stifling conventions of society or as a diso More...

7 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

SallySnowtiger rated it:

What To Do About Alice?
2009 Sibert Honor
Grades 2-4
The large formatted colorful and animated illustrations done by Edwin Fotheringham capture Alice’s adventurous free spirit. Alice Lee Roosevelt was the only child that President Theodore Roosevelt had with his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee. Alice is clearly described as a bit of a wild child who did not follow the rules and social conventions expected of young ladies of her time. The text on each page is moderately lengthy, and More...

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Dec 16, 2009

Katie rated it:

What to Do About Alice
5 out of 5 stars
Kerley used marvelously descriptive text to tell the splendid story of Alice, Theodore
Roosevelt’s out-of-control daughter. The text was small and it was not outlined in a border;
instead, it was generally embedded into the illustrations. The text only added a bit of clarity to
the illustrations. The reader could have looked at the illustrations, skipped the text, and still
understood the gist of the story. The illu More...

0 comments like

Nov 13, 2011

Andrea rated it:

I found this book very interesting! It was framed around the idea of Teddy Roosevelt not knowing how to handle his oldest daughter's choices in her life. We learned about both Theodore and Alice Roosevelt in this engaging and fun book!

This partial biography was presented in the form of a picture book. It is interesting that Kerley decided to depict Alice Roosevelt instead of her father and president, Teddy. The author's choice in subject allows the young reader to relate to the cha More...

2 comments like

Oct 03, 2009

Becky rated it:

I wanted to read this book to prove to myself that biographies don't have to be in the standard novel, chapter form. I think this book is great and I really enjoyed it. I like how the book did not sugarcoat that Alice grew up spoiled and hard to manage and followed her story into later life. I did do research on Alice Roosevelt after reading to see how accurate the book is and was pleasantly surprised. However, had this book bee written for adult audiences, as many books about her have, it would More...

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Nov 07, 2009

James rated it:

For ages 8 and up, this book is a pure delight. Readers familiar with Eleanor Roosevelt's life and charms will discover quite a contrasting personality in her cousin, Alice Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt's only daughter by his first wife, Alice Lee. The sub-title says it all: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove her Father Teddy Crazy!

The story revolves around contrasts. Teddy Roosevelt--big-game hunter, former cowboy/ranch hand, battle tested leader of More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 18, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

What to do About Alice? is an adorable biography about Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice, and it was a Sibert Honor book. Alice was mischievous and always wreaking havoc around the white house and everywhere she went. This book is very appealing to young readers, especially girls due to the fun and carefree Alice. She was constantly going against what her father said and breaking the rules. I think children can definitely relate to Alice because she just wants to have fun and enjoy hersel More...

2 comments like

May 13, 2008

KT rated it:

I'm a big fan of both Barbara Kerley and Alice Roosevelt Longworth, so I expected to like this book a lot. I suppose her text was fine (it's not as spirited as the title would lead one to believe), but the illustrations were not a good match. Edwin Fotheringham's flat stylized paintings makes Alice look more like a vintage fashion model than a rebellious spirit. a real disappointment!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 27, 2011

Sara rated it:

1.This is a junior book, biography.

2.Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, was a visionary ahead of her time. Her zest for life, love of turning heads and doing things against the grain is what Alice lived for. Her nicknames went from “Sister” to “Princess Alice” and eventually “The Other Washington Monument” and the entire country fell in love with her.

3.A. Barbara Kerley’s biography of the first-daughter Alice Roosevelt is as fun, light and eccentric as Alice her More...

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Feb 15, 2009

Toby rated it:

Sibert Award honor
The funny, lively illustrations mirror the energy of Alice Lee Roosevelt, who wanted to 'eat up the world.' In the best tradition of picture books, these illustrations extend the text. For example, when the Teddy Roosevelt family moved into the White House, the text reads "Alice tried to be helpful. She watched her younger brothers and sister so her stepmother could get some rest" BUT the picture shows 17-year-old Alice sliding down the stairs on a tray, More...

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Mar 05, 2011

L11_Silvia rated it:

What a fun biography to read! President Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem as the book states and that was his daughter Alice! This charming book tells in both text and vivid illustrations the life of Roosevelt's eldest daughter Alice Roosevelt Longworth. It tells of her funny antics and adventures in the White House as well as an adult. It also talks about how she was taught at home and was allowed to be let loose in her father's library teaching herself among other things astronomy, geolog More...

1 comment like

Jan 12, 2009

Jess rated it:

This is a story where the words and pictures really add up to more than the sum of their parts, but each is thoroughly enjoyable in its own way. The style of the illustrations doesn't scream "look at me, I'm so original!" but simply does its job well without fanfare, bringing the world of Alice Roosevelt to life and capturing the zest of the story. It's also hilarious in the details, like Alice's snake named Emily Spinach after its color and resemblance to a skinny aunt. My only qui More...

0 comments like

May 30, 2008

Roxanne Hsu rated it:

This is truly fantastic! The text flows, bounces, jumps, runs, creates havoc -- just like Alice -- and just like the illustration. Wow. Such fun reading and looking at it -- and learning about a pretty remarkable woman in history! My 4th grade students LOVE this book :)

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Nov 09, 2011

Miz Lizzie rated it:

What To Do About Alice? is a delightful picture book biography of Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Teddy Roosevelt. It makes a great read-aloud and the pictures complement and expand on the text perfectly. Quite a bit of information is packed into this slim picture book with a few more expansive endnotes to round it out though the focus is on her life before her marriage to congressman Nicholas Longworth. I was curious about Alice Roosevelt from my readings about Eleanor Roosevelt. Young Eleanor More...

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Mar 24, 2011

Luann rated it:

This is one of the shorter Sibert honor books, but still manages to pack a lot of information in about Alice, daughter of Teddy Roosevelt. The author's note at the end adds a LOT to the information presented in the book. Alice was a feisty, energetic girl who loved to "eat up the world" and who caused her father all sorts of headaches. She was also well-loved by much of the public, helped her father's popularity, and became one of his most-trusted political advisers. She sounds like q More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 28, 2010

Susan rated it:

Alice captivates her father's heart and others' too by "eating up the world". From the time Alice Roosevelt is a little girl to later in her life when she became one of Teddy Roosevelt's trusted advisers and "ardent champions" she meets life with vigor, tenacity and wit. Kerley descibes through vivid language with eye catching text, how Alice was determined to not allow life's road blocks to get in her way of success. Alice, a powerful individual and a girl determined to b More...

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Oct 09, 2009

NS- Sarah rated it:

This is a really unique story about Alice Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's daughter. All components of this book: the story, the illustrations and even the layout of the book are so appealing to read and look at. Theodore Roosevelt's daughter was a bit of a free spirit "who marched to the beat of her own drummer." As Alice would have put it, she "ate up the world." She travled, tried new things, met lots of people and even taught herself by reading famous stories such as T More...

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Apr 07, 2009

Krysten rated it:

Summary: This book describes the amazing and fun life of Alice Roosevelt. She was very spunky and did not behave “like a lady,” but she was very smart and entertained her father, Teddy Roosevelt. She eventually married a congressman and settled into being his wife, but still loved traveling and “eating up the world.”
Evaluation: Alice Roosevelt is a very cool person to learn about. I had never heard anything about her, but she was very interesting. I liked the illustrations that seem cha More...

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Feb 27, 2009

Lisa rated it:

This is a brief child-friendly bio of one of the most impetuous first daughters ever to grace the White House. Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Teddy, was a fun loving vivacious girl. She seemed to be full of impulsive ideas, but in a sweet an innocent way.

I loved the shades of muted primary colors in the pictures and the warmth and inviting tone it set while telling the story of Alice and her ups and downs as the president’s daughter and sometimes representative of the United States. More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 13, 2010

Kathleen rated it:

This book made me smile. I love the illustrations! This is one of my favorite parts:

"Instead of going to school, Alice was taught at home, with lots of time for exploring. In New York City, she watched the students of Miss Spence's boarding school walk oh-so-primly down the sidewalk. That didn't look like much fun to Alice...She came up with her own solution for her education. She said to Father, 'Let me loose in your library.' She taught herself astronomy, geology, even Greek gr More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Sep 05, 2009

Bruce rated it:

Theodore Roosevelt, famously said, “I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both.” While his oldest daughter loved reading the books in her father’s library, she also loved to run through the parks in Washington pretending to be a horse. She roamed over the capital city at all hours of the day and night. She welcomed visitors to the White House draped by her pet snake, Emily Spinach, “named for its color and its resemblance to a very thin aunt.” She More...

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Sep 16, 2011

Kyla rated it:

This picture book was intriguing. Since it was based on the life of Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, the reader is able to see a glimpse of history that would not be discussed in a textbook. The author uses actual historical evidence from Alice's life, including quotes directly from letters written by Theodore and Alice Roosevelt. I really appreciated the historical facts that were presented in "What to do About Alice?" in a way that children can understand and rela More...

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Jan 10, 2012

Angie rated it:

We all know Theodore Roosevelt, but I had little knowledge of Alice Roosevelt. This book wet my appetite for more information on her. She seems like a fantastically interesting character. It appears that she went from a rambunctious child to a real power in Washington. The story keeps your attention from childhood to adulthood. And the illustrations definitely add to the pleasure of reading the book; they show a lot of energy (just like Alice) and really keep the pace of the book going. A great More...

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Jan 10, 2009

Cheryl rated it:

With all attention now on the Obama girls, this wonderful picture book bio tells us about another presidential child: Feisty Alice Roosevelt, Teddy's eldest child. Teddy's first wife died in childbirth, leaving Alice, who never wanted to be pitied. Alice wanted to "eat up the world" says author Barbara Kerley. I checked out B. Kerley's website and followed an "extension" activity with 5th graders--looking at girls' clothing from the 1900s. Love the illustrations merge per More...

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Feb 23, 2011

Abigail rated it:

Alice Lee Roosevelt - eldest daughter of Theodore Roosevelt - was quite the character: always up to mischief, always involved in an adventure, always causing a sensation! From the time she was a little girl, when she refused to do something as conventional as attend Miss Spence's exclusive New York City boarding school for girls, to her days as a young woman traveling abroad, Alice was someone to be reckoned with - a reality best summarized by her father's comment, during his presidency, that " More...

23 comments like (6 people liked it)

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