What To Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley

1. Bibliography:

Kerley, Barbara. 2008. What to Do About Alice? New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 0439922313.

2. Plot Summary: Theodore Roosevelt’s oldest daughter causes him a lot of grief as she grows up with a wild side and a mind of her own. Whether sliding down the stairs of the White House or greeting company with a snake draped over her shoulders, Alice could not resist living life to the fullest. Eventually serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for her President father, Alice made headlines dancing the night away or skipping church. Even marriage couldn’t tame the “other Washington Monument” as she continued to eat up the world.

3. Critical Analysis:

What to Do About Alice? is a fresh and entertaining look at the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. This beautifully illustrated biography details the wild life of Alice Roosevelt and her antics before, during and after her father’s presidency. The variety in text font and size keeps the reader engaged and helps convey a sense of the fast paced world that Alice created for herself.

The author’s notes in the back of the book attribute to the careful details placed throughout the story. This artistic and accurate literary work breathes new life into the genre of biographical texts.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· Starred Review, Kirkus: "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."

· 2009-2010 Bluebonnet Nominee

· Starred Review, Booklist: "Irrepressible Alice Roosevelt gets a treatment every bit as attractive and exuberant as she was.”

5. Connections:

· Read other biographies by Kerley, such as The Extraordinary Mark Twain (2010) or Walt Whitman: Words for America (2004).

· Compare with other works about Alice Roosevelt. Examples include Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt! by Leslie Kimmelman and Adam Gustavson or Princess Alice: The Life and Times of Alice Roosevelt Longworth by Carol Felsenthal.

6. Personal Response:

I really enjoyed this book. Honestly, I had never heard of Alice Roosevelt before reading this story. She was so ahead of her time and seems to relate well to young girls everywhere. I love that she didn’t lose her zest for life or sense of humor as she aged. I wish that What to Do About Alice? had been around when I was in school and needing a biography to read. Very fun and entertaining. My students in grades 3-5 are studying biographies right now so I will be recommending this one to anyone who asks!