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esdeecarlson's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
[This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review]
White House Wild Child isn’t a full biography of Alice Roosevelt, but rather a focused, partial biography of her childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood during her father Theodore Roosevelt (TR)’s rise to and occupation of the office of the Presidency. Ostensibly this serves a twofold purpose, Mickle’s aim being to illustrate Alice’s impact on her father’s Presidency and the impact of a father’s Presidency on a love-starved child. Unfortunately, I never felt as though these points were adequately illustrated or examined, and I found myself wishing I had just picked up a full biography of Alice Roosevelt instead. Much is made of Alice being a rule-breaker who was able to escape consequences for her daring, but I wish we were given more context about the usual consequences for breaking ‘the rules’ of Victorian society that Alice was risking, and about other contemporary women who were breaking those rules successfully that Alice may have known about.
Mickle also spends a great deal of time on Bamie (Anna Eleanor) Roosevelt, Alice’s aunt, and seems to have realized midway through the book that she’d rather have chosen to write about Bamie instead. I think I might have enjoyed the book better if it were a history of the Roosevelt women (Bamie, Alice, Eleanor, and more) and not merely focused on a limited period of Alice’s life (and regularly taken over by the indomitable Bamie).
That said, I did enjoy my time with this history. Mickle’s narrative voice is engaging and easy to read, almost like listening to gossip imparted by a well-spoken friend. I liked her descriptions of the private lives of the Roosevelts and how she addresses and illuminates common anecdotes and myths about the family. Her affection and enthusiasm for her subject (Alice, and Bamie as well) is infectious, and I certainly learned a great deal about TR’s politics and Alice’s personality. I simply wasn’t sold on the intersection between the two as the driving force of the book. There is a lot of speculation about how Alice and TR may or may not have felt about various things; I would have liked more history and footnoted explanations as to what led Mickle to draw these conclusions about the Roosevelts’ thoughts.
It’s a quick read, informative and enjoyable, though not as comprehensive as a history buff may wish for. I’d recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in Victorian-era American women or the Roosevelt family who isn’t looking to dive into a brick of a biography.
[This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review]
White House Wild Child isn’t a full biography of Alice Roosevelt, but rather a focused, partial biography of her childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood during her father Theodore Roosevelt (TR)’s rise to and occupation of the office of the Presidency. Ostensibly this serves a twofold purpose, Mickle’s aim being to illustrate Alice’s impact on her father’s Presidency and the impact of a father’s Presidency on a love-starved child. Unfortunately, I never felt as though these points were adequately illustrated or examined, and I found myself wishing I had just picked up a full biography of Alice Roosevelt instead. Much is made of Alice being a rule-breaker who was able to escape consequences for her daring, but I wish we were given more context about the usual consequences for breaking ‘the rules’ of Victorian society that Alice was risking, and about other contemporary women who were breaking those rules successfully that Alice may have known about.
Mickle also spends a great deal of time on Bamie (Anna Eleanor) Roosevelt, Alice’s aunt, and seems to have realized midway through the book that she’d rather have chosen to write about Bamie instead. I think I might have enjoyed the book better if it were a history of the Roosevelt women (Bamie, Alice, Eleanor, and more) and not merely focused on a limited period of Alice’s life (and regularly taken over by the indomitable Bamie).
That said, I did enjoy my time with this history. Mickle’s narrative voice is engaging and easy to read, almost like listening to gossip imparted by a well-spoken friend. I liked her descriptions of the private lives of the Roosevelts and how she addresses and illuminates common anecdotes and myths about the family. Her affection and enthusiasm for her subject (Alice, and Bamie as well) is infectious, and I certainly learned a great deal about TR’s politics and Alice’s personality. I simply wasn’t sold on the intersection between the two as the driving force of the book. There is a lot of speculation about how Alice and TR may or may not have felt about various things; I would have liked more history and footnoted explanations as to what led Mickle to draw these conclusions about the Roosevelts’ thoughts.
It’s a quick read, informative and enjoyable, though not as comprehensive as a history buff may wish for. I’d recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in Victorian-era American women or the Roosevelt family who isn’t looking to dive into a brick of a biography.
bmpicc's review against another edition
3.0
I want to rate this higher, but I can't. It is supposed to be about Alice. 200+ pages and I think I learned the most about Teddy.
It is an interesting story and believe me, there are bits about Alice that are 100% worth knowing. Her snake named Emily Spinach, smoking on the White House roof, why Teddy never said her name until she was an adult to name a few. If anything though, it made me question the title and purpose by the time I finished. It left me wanting to learn more about Aunt Bamie instead. Talk about a strong female in history. Auntie Bye for the win!
It is an interesting story and believe me, there are bits about Alice that are 100% worth knowing. Her snake named Emily Spinach, smoking on the White House roof, why Teddy never said her name until she was an adult to name a few. If anything though, it made me question the title and purpose by the time I finished. It left me wanting to learn more about Aunt Bamie instead. Talk about a strong female in history. Auntie Bye for the win!
bookedonbooks2020's review against another edition
4.0
Alice Roosevelt was ahead of her time and a truly interesting woman to read about. She lives up to the Wild Child title and kept her family on their toes. Shelley Fraser Mickle's writing kept me enthralled with Alice's escapades.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
heisereads's review against another edition
4.0
This board book series from Grace Lin is fantastic! Perfect way to intro mathematical concepts for our youngest readers, with tips for their grown ups to keep encouraging math development in everyday situations. Adding to my baby shower gift go-to list!
abigailbat's review against another edition
These super cute board books, one for each season, introduce math concepts in a toddler-friendly way. Grace Lin's illustrations are vibrant and appealing to a child audience. Each book includes information for parents in the back, explaining the math concept that they're introducing and giving ideas of how to further reinforce it. These books are winners, especially with parents that want their kids to grow up excited by, not intimidated by, math.
jpalomav's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Cute book, showing how to share and count.
antlersantlers's review against another edition
4.0
This rating/review is based on an advanced copy from Netgalley and Charlesbridge Publishing.
I am huge into early math so I was VERY excited to get my hands on these Grace Lin board books. It touches on fractions/division and sharing which is always wonderful. The illustrations are lovely and it has great math and seasonal appeal.
I am huge into early math so I was VERY excited to get my hands on these Grace Lin board books. It touches on fractions/division and sharing which is always wonderful. The illustrations are lovely and it has great math and seasonal appeal.
lohn's review against another edition
3.0
I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love the illustrations in Grace Lin's books; they are so vibrant, yet simple. This is a cute book about counting and sharing with friends.
I love the illustrations in Grace Lin's books; they are so vibrant, yet simple. This is a cute book about counting and sharing with friends.
librarianryan's review
3.0
How do little girls split 3 marshmallows between two cups. This toddler book is an early look at math. It works well so a simple story. I do like that the illustrator used POCs in his illustrations
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