Brainstorm 168: Theodore Roosevelt Tales for President's Day

Next Monday is President’s Day in the US and I’ve had a group of books on a US President just waiting for the right time to become a Brainstorm. President’s Day seems like that right time to share several nonfiction books about former US President Theodore Roosevelt, a man who stood out for his conservation efforts and his love of adventure. He definitely had his flaws (don't we all?), but reading about his life and antics is never dull.

Nonfiction Picture Books

Teedie: the Story of Young Teddie Roosevelt by Don Brown
A very simple picture book introduction to one of the more colorful Presidents of the United States.

Target Readers:

• Quick Read Fans/Just the Basics Seekers/US History Buffs: This is just the most simple of quick overviews of Theodore Roosevelt's life. (Make sure to read the author's notes in the back for a few more details.) If you're looking for a quick read-aloud for kids with short attention spans or for a short time space before talking about this man in a history class, this would be a good pick. This would also be a good book to read along with a book about the first Teddy bear, or if you were just doing a quick survey of the US Presidents.  And if you want more details on Roosevelt’s life, there are more books recommended in the bibliography.

Camping with the President by Ginger Wadsworth, ill. by Karen Dugan
A picture book retelling of Teddy Roosevelt's visit to the West, especially his time in Yosemite with John Muir.

Target Readers:

• Unstoppable Roosevelt Story Fans/National Park Fans/John Muir Fans/Conservation History Buffs: I've always liked stories of Theodore Roosevelt and how he probably gave his social planners and security detail ulcers. This fulfills all those desires. It also relates how he helped campaign for more National Parks. A delightful read for nature enthusiasts or history fans. Definitely read this to kids before visiting Yosemite to spark their interest. There's more info on Yosemite, Teddy Roosevelt, and John Muir in the back of the book

Middle Grade Nonfiction

Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt by Jean Fritz, ill. by Mike Wimmer
A chapter book biography of US President Teddy Roosevelt aimed at middle graders.
Note: Some violence.

Target Readers:

• Quick Read Fans/Biography Lovers/Just the Basics Seekers/History Buffs: This is succinct but sufficient. It tells all of Roosevelt's major accomplishments, introduces his family members, and allows you to get to know the man from his childhood to his death. It is a super quick read, and given that other biographers have been able to spend whole books on just a section of Roosevelt's life, you know this is just the basic facts. But it still gives you a good taste of who Roosevelt was from author to conservationist to soldier to outdoorsman to politician bent on sniffing out corruption. When you think about it, that's quite an amazing piece of work Fritz has accomplished. Anyone can ramble on for pages about someone. Not everyone can consolidate their obvious depth of research into a mere 120-ish pages and keep it engaging for kids. 

Who Was Theodore Roosevelt? by Michael Burgan, ill. by Jerry Hoare
A biography of Theodore Roosevelt for middle grades.
Note: Some violence.

Target Readers:

• Bully for You Readers/Quick Read Fans/Just the Basics Seekers/Biography Lovers/History Buffs: I picked this up wondering how it would compare to Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt. It turns out the two complement each other quite well. They both cover several things the other missed. This one focuses more on Roosevelt's family life and political highlights. The other one gives more details about his life out West, the tricky spots of his political career, and adventures in war and abroad. So it turns out, if you read both you get a fuller picture of the man and some behind the scenes things about different highlights. Of course, both cover all the biggest events in Roosevelt's career but they do so from different angles. This one is more cut and dry in style, the other is more emotive. They are both about the same length and illustrated. I really can't say which one is a better biography because I think they are pretty equal but better when you read them together.

Young Adult Nonfiction

Death on the River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Amazon Adventure by Samantha Seiple 
Former President Theodore Roosevelt was invited down to Brazil to give a series of lectures. While down there, he was invited to join an expedition to explore and map what was believed to be a new branch of the Amazon, the River of Doubt. Never one to say no to a good adventure, Theodore and his son Kermit joined the expedition led by renowned Brazilian explorer Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon. Instead of finding a nice easy river, though, the expedition encountered numerous difficulties and all of them were in danger of not making it out of the deep jungles of Brazil alive.
Note: Some violence.

Target Readers:

• Adventure Story Fans/Thrilling True Story Fans/Survival Story Fans/History Buffs/Amazon Exploration Buffs: This expedition is referenced a few times in The Lost City of Z so my interest in it was first piqued when I read that book. This story did not disappoint as an exciting true life exploration/adventure/survival story. It's well-written and outlines a crazy adventure! It is just plain miraculous Theodore Roosevelt lived as long as he did. He must have been part cat or something with all his near-death experiences. (The book does give some background on his life but basically just 2 chapters before jumping into the Rondon/Roosevelt expedition.) Hand this to teens or adults who like exciting and adventurous stories or survival stories, they should eat it up and go away hunting for more info on Amazon exploration or Theodore Roosevelt.