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

Quick-Witted, intelligent, an excellent leader, Theodore Roosevelt could control almost anything but his spirited daughter Alice. This book focuses on Alice's early years. It was said that Alice "Ate up the World." She did indeed gobble up whatever came to her path. She was not a dainty, lovely society charmer. She was smart, boisterous and not afraid to speak her mind.

Her father admonished her when the newspapers highlighted her actions and travels on the first page.A strong multi-tasker, she could handle most anything that came her way.

This lovely illustrated book shows today's women that to be a wall flower gets you no where, but rather to present yourself with humor and self confidence won many people who wanted very much to hear show more her speak, and to learn how her father dealt with her.

To her amazing credit, Alice was way ahead of her time. She cared little regarding the opinion of others. show less

Barbara Kerley, accompanied by Edwin Fotheringham's delightful illustrations, writes about one of the most remarkable women of the 20th century: Alice Roosevelt. Kerley writes about Alice's exploits, her relationship to her father, and her many accomplishments in the early part of the century starting from when she was a little girl and continuing until her marriage to Nicholas Longworth.

Both Kerley's text and Fotheringham's illustrations reflect the essence of Alice herself: energetic, vibrant, and colorful. The change in fonts to emphasize words or quotes and the often quirky illustrations create a vibrant, whirlwind experience in reading the book. In one scene, five Alice's romp through the library, with direct paths showing her maze show more of motion, and the accompanied text is silhouetted by a moosehead gazing out at the havoc.

Kerley also shows an excellent eye to quotes, sprinkling accurate, sourced quotes throughout the text that aptly sum up Alice, such as the facetious and famous, "I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both" (p. 25). Fotheringham's illustrations are a delight, making Alice a larger-than-life figure with adventures on every page. In one scene, she chases after her brother with a leg brace, face pursed and determined as he flees. In another, she gleefully sails down the stairs on a serving tray. Fotheringham's stylization of Alice recalls old Hollywood star Katherine Hepburn: a classic beauty who gives the impression of quick wit and whip-smart intellect. Kerley's recountings of her many adventures during her life bears this out.

However, in order to keep the tone light and fun, Kerley may give the impression of Alice being happier than she was, when in Kerley's own author's note, she acknowledges historical evidence that Alice never felt a part of her family, and her own father's refusal to call her by her name or acknowledge her in her early years due to the death of her mother. Though she glances on this in the author's note, the illustrated text certainly does not give the full story and may paint a not-entirely-accurate story through omission.

Additionally, the decision to stop at Alice's marriage, beyond a glancing "she still ate up the world" (p. 40) also erroneously gives the impression that Alice ceased being as fun when she married Nicholas Longworth. If nothing else, it was a disappointment not to see the aged Alice's quip, "If you haven't got anything good to say about anybody, come sit next to me" depicted in the text, even if it was included in the author's note.

The author's note itself gives more context to the story and Alice, including the full-text of a letter excerpted in the main portion of the book, and several quotes that could not make it into the story. A section listing where children - or adults - could go for more information about the irrepressible Alice would have been appreciated.

Aside from these problems, What to Do About Alice? is a faithful recounting of the life of a truly remarkable woman, and the book excels in embodying the spirit of its subject through well-chosen quotes, details, and lively illustrations. show less

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 "I can be president of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly DO BOTH."

I enjoyed this picture-book biography of a figure that was very well-known in her own day - dubbed "Princess Alice," she was often in the newspaper for her show more various antics, and was a true celebrity - although I do wonder, from the little I have read, whether the "real" Alice Roosevelt was such a happy person. Leaving that aside, What to Do About Alice? does introduce younger readers to a historical figure about whom they probably know little, and Edwin Fotheringham's illustrations have a frenetic energy that suites the fast-paced narrative. Recommended to young biography lovers, and to anyone who appreciates stories about feisty girls. show less

Type: Non-Fiction
Recommended for- P-A
This book was a lot of fun to read. It was an easy read, but still informative, and a great pick for early readers interested in history. The book provides an excellent example of a historical woman who had real social and political power. The book would be a great choice for a lesson n women's history or as a reading for a class about the many children who have lived in the White House over the years. The art was simple and cartoonish which lent the book a nice, lighthearted feel. Naturally, the author chose to do a majority of the book in red, white, and blue so all the drawings really jump off the page. I will say that the book lacked historical context, and was more of a story book than an show more informative one. A reader looking for a lot of factual information should probably look elsewhere. The book contains mostly fun tidbits of information, which makes it better for a read aloud or pleasure reading than research, but it could serve as a great jumping off point! For younger readers, this is a great little book for the kid that wants a little history. show less

This book brilliantly tells the story of Alice Roosevelt and her upbringing as a outgoing and "peculiar" young girl. Growing up with her father, Theodore Roosevelt, he always wondered "what to do about Alice." She was not the typical lady like woman at the time, which arose lots of concerns from her father and everyone else. Though by the end of the novel she successfully shows how she can still maintain her quirky and fun personality while be successful in politics alongside her father. Overall this book was a fun and entertaining way to tell of influential women in history.

Honestly, this book made me laugh out loud the whole way through it! It perfectly captured the adventurous essessence of Alice Roosevelt. I loved the artwork, as it complimented the action of the story line. One of my favorite pictures was Alice cruising down the stairs of the whithouse on a cookie tray! How funny! In a time where women just did not prance around like this, Alice was unique. In today's world she would be lauded, but then she was the object of a lot of gossip. Her poor dad must have just been pulling his hair out. I have a daughter just like this, and while we celebrate her adventurous spirit, it can be quite irritating at times. Overall this book was quite entertaining, which was I believe the intent of the book, that show more and celebrating the unique nature of this young lady. show less

This little story offers an exceptional introduction to Alice Roosevelt - Theodore Roosevelt's oldest child. She was a feisty child, very sure of herself and what she wanted from life. She also seemed very sure that what she wanted was not a bad thing, no matter who told her otherwise. While the illustrations are not the strongest I've ever seen, the clear, concise wording makes the story approachable to very young readers.