Theodore Roosevelt

Children's Literature

This entry in the well-written "Our Presidents" series provides an overview of Theodore Roosevelt's life, his early years in New York and his rise to political life, and important aspects of his presidency, including his role in securing national parks and his assumption of the presidency when McKinley was shot. A variety of photographs show his family, including his childhood friend who became his second wife, early career, and official government activities. Other outtake pages include information about the Rough Riders and his conservationist activities. Sidebars include interesting facts and picture captions are informative and lengthy enough to inform casual browsers. Each book in the series ends with a glossary defining highlighted words in the text, a timeline specific to the president's life, a complete table of presidents through George W. Bush with their home states, life spans, presidential spans, political party and the name of their first ladies. Also included are a page of "Presidential Facts," numerous web sites and relevant suggested other resources, as well as an index. All in all, it's a strong, informative, and very readable contribution to the literature about presidents for upper elementary and middle school readers. 2002, The Child's World, $27.07. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewer: Susan Hepler