Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
What To Do About Alice?
Unavailable
What To Do About Alice?
Unavailable
What To Do About Alice?
Audiobook15 minutes

What To Do About Alice?

Written by Barbara Kerley

Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem…his daughter 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. Brimming with affection and wit, this spirited biography gives readers a peek into family life inside the White House.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 1, 2010
ISBN9780545521550
Unavailable
What To Do About Alice?
Author

Barbara Kerley

When she was a baby, Barbara Kerley shared nap time and her crib with a cat named Mrs. Hancock. Barbara now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Scott, and their dog, Seamus—who, she is pretty sure, understands everything she says. Barbara is the award-winning author of numerous books for kids, including Following Baxter, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, What to Do about Alice?, A Home for Mr. Emerson, and A Cool Drink of Water. You can learn more about her pets and her books at www.barbarakerley.com.

Related to What To Do About Alice?

Related audiobooks

Children's Biography & Autobiography For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for What To Do About Alice?

Rating: 4.173076806410257 out of 5 stars
4/5

156 ratings26 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A funny and informative biography of Theodore Roosevelt's oldest daughter.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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 grammar. She read Twain, Dickens, Darwin, and the Bible, cover to cover. Every morning she told Father what she had learned the day before."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a great and informational book about Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of Teddy Roosevelt. This book was full of information that would be useful for a report or biographical information, but it also contained very interesting information about Alice. I would reccomend this book to anyone. It was very interesting!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was wonderful! It had amazing illustrations that captivated me as a reader and presented information in a very interesting fashion. It is a wonderful informational text for young readers, but can certainly be enjoyed by anyone!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the story of amazing Alice, Teddy Roosevelt's irrepressible daughter. She would not be tamed, ever. As a young girl she ran roughshod through the White House, refused to go to school, joined an all-boys club , to name just a few of her antics. As she grew up, this extroverted, pushing-the-limits-of-convention behvior simply never let up. Alice wowed the world and the tabloids with her exploits. all were not frivolous, however. She become one of her father's trusted advisors, in fact. The deligthfully active illustrations that run off the pages in all directions lends a quality of energy to match that of the effervesecent Alice. The reader can't help but be pulled into her rollicking ride through life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This historical book chronicles the life of Alice Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. With her insatiable thirst for life, and her knack for breaking down social conventions, her life was full of adventure, often to the chagrin of her father. The book offers a glimpse of what its like to live under the microscope of the press, as well as other aspects of growing up in a presidential family.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Alice Roosevelt's mother died when she was small, and her father really let her have the run of the house. Alice had an unconventional childhood, and seemed to make up for her wild antics with a lot of charm.I wondered what the point of this biography was. It seemed a bit flippant to me. The illustrations convey a sense of fun, and the layout also supports the light-hearted tone.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Meet Alice, Theodore Roosevelt's eldest daughter. She was America's sweetheart before the advent of the movie celebrity, and this picture book gives modern day readers a view into the life of a president's daughter a century ago. The book concludes with a chronological synopsis of Alice's life in addition to the sources of the quotes used throughout the text. The text is embedded within whimsical spreads of illustrations that both compliment the storyline and highlight the personality and spunk of Alice Roosevelt. The book will satisfy some of the curiosity evoked by the Bush twins and the Obama girls as America's youth try to make sense of what life must be like with your Daddy as president. A must for elementary school libraries.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is an awesome children's book; the illustrations convey the liveliness of their subject. Alice herself is not someone I've ever read about and was not terribly interested in - this book made me interested in learning more about her! Alice is very sassy and charming.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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 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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very cute little educational book. My daughter really enjoyed listening!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This biography about Alice Roosevelt is truly amazing. I did not know anything about Alice Roosevelt before reading this story. I really enjoyed the illustrations that Fotheringham had done. This story tells the life story of Alice from the time she was a little girl until she was a young adult. Alice never once let what others said about her get into her head and made her loose he fun and adventurous side. Although she was questioned many times about it she proved that it was part of her identity.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Delightful, truly makes history come alive... I wish we had books like this when I was a kid, maybe about 9-11 years old. The only problem is that the fine print bio, the 'author's note' section, is printed on the endpaper directly, and so much is hidden in a jacketed library edition. I know authors would like us to buy our own copies, but a biography? Naw, that's a library book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is about Alice Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's daughter. The biography informs the reader of Alice's unusual antics as a president's daughter. She was adventurous, independent and very smart. She had a pet monkey and pet snake and educated herself by spending hours in the library of the white house. I liked his book for three reasons. One reason I liked this book is for the way the biography was presented. It is very similar to a Contemporary Realistic fiction book due to the dialogue and short stories, which captured my interest. For example, in the book it says, "The boys arrived in disguise...until Father discovered the ruse. He grumbled. Alice was 'UNRULY' and 'INCONSIDERATE'." The second reason I liked this book was for the illustrations that enhanced the book. Some of the pictures told stories on their own such as Alice sledding down he stairs of the White House in her proper attire. Lastly I felt this was a good biography because it was appropriate for the young readers but did not leave out important information because the back of the book includes a more formal biography of the characters which also features a personal letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Alice about her visit to Puerto Rico.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This biography is presented in a fun and exaggerated version of the Life of Alice Roosevelt. I think young readers, particularly young girls, will be delighted in reading a book about an historical figure as she progresses though her formative years. In the story, Alice seems to have many advantages that come with being the president's daughter. She gets to travel the world. She has a larger than life personality whose ambitions and passions were too much for her father to handle. She always wanted to be in the social circuit and move to her own tune. I believe that this book is a great tool to use in teaching children that doing something which they are passionate about while having fun is okay. It also can be used as an encouraging motivator for young readers to be themselves.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Summary:A biography about Alice Roosevelt, the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. Alice did not have a typical childhood, and this book tells her story of growing up with her father after her mother died with her step-mother and new siblings. The book focuses on Alice's experiences from her pet snake, to leg braces, to home studies, to world travels, and eventual marriage. While most students will learn about President Theodore Roosevelt, this book allows us to learn more about his family and relate to him as a father figure too.Personal Reaction:Alice sounds like a very exciting young lady who was quite mischievous. Learning about Alice Roosevelt in this book is like reading about a girl I might know in real life. It is exciting to learn about her adventures keeping in mind she was also the President's daughter. Classroom Extensions:1 - Alice had a pet snake named "Emily Spinach" - after learning about Alice's pet, students can draw their own pet and write about their pet's name explaining how their pet got it's name. If they do not have a pet, they can draw and name the pet they would like to have.2 - Alice liked to travel. Using a map as a reference tool, students can plan Alice's next trip and decide what she will pack in her "two large hatboxes, four trunks, oodles of boxes and bags." A travel station with hatboxes, (cardboard) trunks, and oodles of boxes and bags can be arranged for student inspiration in the classroom. This story could be paired with other books about people (children) who traveled around the world, to add an additional dimension of geography lessons to the curriculum.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Narrated by Katherine Kellgren. Theodore Roosevelt led the Rough Riders up Kettle Hill, captured outlaws, and even became president of the United States, but the one thing he can’t control is his lively daughter Alice. Alice lived with zest, exuberance and an appetite for doing things her way, and was beloved by the nation. Jaunty period music and sprightly narration by Kellgren present an enticing picture of one of America’s first celebrities.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What to do about Alice is about the story of Presidents Roosevelt's daughter and how many crazy things she did while he was president, something that would drive the president crazy and always thinking about what he could do about her.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Informational, biographical. Roosevelt's daughter, Alice, likes to do things her own way, without so much as a care to what others think. A great story of independence.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    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.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a fun story that's a great read for the biography shelf. It's a good book to read if you're looking for some strong women to include in your women's liberation unit. I really liked this one and it connects to presidential families as well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “What To Do About Alice?” was such an informational book to read. I had a great time reading this book to my roommate and learning about Theodore Roosevelt’s eldest daughter, who was very wild child. This picture book is great for any grade above the fifth grade because that is when students begin to learn about presidents. Taking a sneak peak at a president’s child is fun for children because it helps them understand that even Alice, Roosevelt’s daughter, got in trouble and messes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This story serves to refute stereotypes of women in the Victorian age, when women were supposed to be relegated to their “separate sphere” of home and hearth while men went forth into the world. Alice proves that some women let their minds free and had fulfilling, adventurous lives, even if that was not the norm.The historical nuances and information about the time period are found in the pictures. The last picture is wonderful: it shows Alice walking away across the surface of the earth as her father eyes her somewhat nervously from his post on Mt. Rushmore. She has a huge spoon slung over her shoulder, the better to “eat up the world” with. It sums the story up perfectly.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is not a typical story about a President’s daughter. This is a story about Alice, the daughter of Teddy Roosevelt, who was also a President of the United States. Alice Roosevelt was a charming, adventurous girl. She never did things just because everyone else did. She left her mark everywhere she went. She became a goodwill ambassador for her father and the United States. Her outrageous antics drew media attention, yet all who came in contact with her could not resist her. This is a fun story. I had never read about Alice Roosevelt before, but it has inspired me to learn more. She never let anyone tell her she could not do something. The style of the story is fun, but is interspersed with “live” history. I would use this book when teaching about Presidential history and remind the students that presidents have families while leading our country. I would also use this book to teach about women’s rights and how times have changed. Even though we may still have far to go with equality, we have come a long way.