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

1. Bibliography

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

2. Plot Summary

What To Do About Alice? details the life of Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of former United States president Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. She had big dreams and big fantasies that she was determined to fulfill, giving her father quite the headache. He could not stop Alice from "eating up the world" as she grew. She did things a proper lady of the time would not do, such as driving a car and betting on horse races. Despite some criticisms that she received from conservative women, she was well-loved by the country as she served as an important ambassador and political confidante to her father and continued to shake up the world, even after her father was no longer in office. 

3. Critical Analysis

The book is laid out in a two-page spread, making it logical and easy to read for young readers. Alice's life is detailed in sequence, from when she was a young girl to becoming an adult. Throughout the book, there are quotes that came directly from Theodore and Alice such as Alice calling "Now, pig!" when she wanted a piggyback ride from her father and when she asked her father, "Let me loose in your library" so that she could avoid going to the girl's boarding school. These quotes sprinkled throughout add to the author's whimsical style of detailing Alice's life while adding hints of the real Alice. The author's note at the end of the book also provides more direct accounts from Teddy and Alice Roosevelt. 

The design is attractive, with big and bold illustrations that capture the text beautifully. Some illustrations span both of the pages, giving them an inviting appeal that allows young readers to fully absorb the big life of Alice Roosevelt. While the girls from Miss Spence's boarding school walk along the street, the illustration depicts Alice daydreaming about owning a pet monkey and wearing pants, as noted in the text. The illustrations, coupled with the dynamic text that provides just the right amount of information without overloading the book, do a spectacular job of capturing the true essence of Alice Roosevelt. 

4. Review Excerpts

Sibert Honor Book
Parents Choice Award
"Fascinating." -School Library Journal

5. Connections

Read some of Barbara Kerley's other biographies such as: 

• Eleanor Makes Her Mark. ISBN 9780545826129
• Those Rebels, Tom and John. ISBN 9780545222686

Recreate one of Alice's adventures in the form of a drawing.