Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 5-8. "You must always remember that . . . [he] is about six." "He wanted to put an end to all the evil in the world between sunrise and sunset." Fritz quotes Roosevelt's contemporaries to build her affectionate portrait of the ebullient Teddy Roosevelt, the wildly popular president who considered himself a "true American," macho, red-blooded, honest, optimistic, superpatriotic, driven to reform corrupt government, to conserve the environment and the wild animals he loved, and to assert the U.S. as a world power. Like her fast and furious subject, Fritz's style is full of action and drive, with vivid pictures of him "racketing all over the country talking nonstop from the rear platforms of trains." Her descriptions of him itching to get into war, terrified it would be over before he got there, show the absurdity of his zeal; but she's also clear about his deep sense of comradeship and ecstasy in battle, where he felt "the wolf rising in him." Fritz does include sudden glimpses of his vulnerability (his childhood struggle with severe asthma, his grief at the loss of his father), but, like Roosevelt himself, she never lets this side take over. Nor does she include much detailed criticism. Why did Mark Twain attack Roosevelt's militarism? What did the Indians think about his heroic view of how the West was won? Fritz provides a long bibliography, and, as always, her notes are filled with entertaining anecdote and research, but she doesn't include source notes, even for direct quotes. Junior high readers deserve more documentation than "A friend once said." What Fritz communicates best is how Roosevelt saw himself and why he was adored in his time. This lively, sympathetic portrait will interest young people in the man, and it will stimulate them to read more about the history. ~--Hazel Rochman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
``On the whole,'' Theodore Roosevelt once wrote, ``I have continued all my life to have a better time year after year.'' Roosevelt lived his life like the hero of a classic children's tale: he was a small, ailing boy who overcame his physical problems--seemingly by sheer enthusiasm and will power--to achieve a career filled with adventure, fun and success. As usual, Fritz ( The Double Life of Pocahontas ; Shh! We're Writing the Constitution ) makes the most of her material, as she presents an irresistible portrait of a unique, larger-than-life American. Roosevelt comes alive through such telling details as the clothes he wore (ever the dandy, he strutted through his stint as New York City's Police Commissioner in pink shirts and ``a black silk cummerbund with tassels reaching to his knees''), the lively games he played with his children and homely observations: ``Teddy couldn't get along without a rocking chair. Even when he sat down to rest, he liked to feel that at least his chair was on the go.'' Fritz also chronicles T.R.'s political career and his impact on the nation through his work in conservation, legislation and tax reforms. This thoroughly entertaining biography can be summed up in one word: Bully! Ages 10-14. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-- This very fine biography captures the exuberance and enthusiasm of Teddy Roosevelt without resorting to the fictionalization and unrestrained hero worship that has been so common in biographies for children in the past. It covers Roosevelt's entire life from his sickly childhood through his political career and presidency to his last expedition in the jungles of South America shortly before his death. Fritz discusses both his personal life and public achievements, emphasizing his role in the early conservation movement and his drives for reform in government and industry. She quotes him frequently, using letters, speeches, and memoirs (all documented in notes). She also includes a strong bibliography. The real strength of this book, however, is its look into Roosevelt's spirit. It communicates how his determination and drive changed both politics and the presidency, and how those changes helped create what we know as the modern presidency. Fritz is admiring of Roosevelt, but she also points out his weaknesses and faults. As usual, her writing and organization are excellent. An outstanding portrait of one of America's favorite characters that should have a place in all children's collections. Bully for this book! --Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High Sch . , MO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Fritz's lively style is perfectly suited to the daunting task of capturing in print the energetic personality of our twenty-sixth president. Readers will immediately be drawn into the drama of Roosevelt's life and will find the book both informative and entertaining. Bibliography, index. From HORN BOOK 1991, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Concluding her first chapter with the death of Roosevelt's father while Roosevelt was still at Harvard, Fritz includes a telling quote (``I felt stunned...he was everything to me''), then telegraphs her theme in her uniquely lucid, succinct style: ``In his distress, Teddy may have felt that...his boyhood was gone. If so, he would have been wrong. [He] would always be a boy. And...his father would always be looking over his shoulder.'' With judicious balance, Fritz surveys the salient facts-- Roosevelt's political rise, his groundbreaking work as reformer and environmentalist, his sturdy militarism-- illuminating them with revealing incidents especially interesting to young readers, from his early interest in natural history (at seven, he was diligently recording animals' measurements; he learned taxidermy just a few years later) to his indulgence toward his children's White House escapades. Each entrancing detail contributes to the larger picture of Roosevelt: active, imaginative, indefatigable, a man who left law school when he found that law ``had less to do with justice than he thought it should'' and diverted himself from grief with hard work. This colorful, idiosyncratic President, long a biographers' favorite, has never been portrayed with more beguiling wit, precision, and honesty. An excellent book, one of Fritz's best. Notes; bibliography; index. (Illustrations not seen.) (Biography. 10+)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
