What to do About Alice? by: Barbara Kerley

1. Bibliographic Data
Kerley, Barbara. What To Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.

2. Plot Summary
What to do About Alice? is a cute story of Alice Roosevelt and her childhood, teen, college, and adult years. Alice had been a mischievous, bright child all her life. She was a tomboy who loved exploring and being outside. Alice attended a boarding school briefly, before she came back home to finish her studies. Her father, Theodore, soon became president, and Alice had the entire White House to wonder around, and of course get into to trouble in. Alice traveled all over the world, and everybody she met loved her. She was outspoken, and had a passion for politics. She married a congressman, and continued her wild ways.

3. Critical Analysis
What to do About Alice? portrays accurate events in Alice Roosevelt's life. It recounts her father's second marriage, his presidency, and her marriage to a congressman. The organization of the book chronicles Alice's wild childhood to her adult years. The illustrator, Edwin Fotheringham, provides color and illustrations that compliment the story, and make it entertaining. The text also makes the book appealing because of its bold words, different font, and text in different areas of the page. This short information book is a great read for children about one our great president's daughters, who was just like them.

4. Awards and Review Excerpt(s)
*Cybil Award, 2008
*Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, 2009
*Childrens Literature..."Social Studies teachers of primary classes will find Alice an interesting subject that kids will admire as they learn about a family that lived in the White House in 1901."

5. Connections
*Read stories of other president's children, and their experiences in the White House.
*Have the children discuss or write down some of the things they would like to do in the White House if they lived there.
*Ask the children what they would do if their parent was president.