Theodore Roosevelt: Champion of the American Spirit (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Teedie was four, and he had just bitten his sister on the arm..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, United States, White House (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Roosevelt emerges from the pages of this biography as an exuberant, energetic, larger-than-life personality, making it easy to understand his daughter Alice's description of her father as a man who "always had to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral." Kraft captures his complex character, which encompassed many seemingly contradictory aspects. Although he came from an aristocratic, wealthy background, Roosevelt was determined to make big business abandon corrupt practices and obey the law. He was an avid big-game hunter as well as an ardent conservationist. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic efforts during the Russo-Japanese War, but held a firm belief in U.S. military preparedness. A popular president, a champion of women's and working-class rights, and a devoted husband and father, Roosevelt claimed near the end of his life that "No man has had a happier life than I have led." Richly illustrated with period photos, political cartoons, engravings, and many of Roosevelt's own drawings from letters to his children, this handsome book provides a fascinating glimpse into the public and private life and the wide range of accomplishments of a major figure in American history.
Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-9. In this handsome biography, Kraft presents the life and career of Theodore Roosevelt. A shy, asthmatic child, Roosevelt decided to build himself up through exercises and physical challenges. Later, as president, the same spirit of determination led him to take on cause after cause with energy and drive: wilderness preservation, the Panama Canal, irrigation projects, trust busting, and reforms in the railway, meat-packing, and other industries. Despite his enduring image as the leader of the Rough Riders, he was the first American to win a Nobel Peace Prize or, indeed, any Nobel Prize. Kraft has a knack for beginning chapters with a storyteller's flair, drawing readers in to hear what Roosevelt will do next. Interwoven with the well-told story of Roosevelt's public activities is Kraft's vivid portrayal of his personal life, laced with anecdotes and quotations (mainly from letters) that help bring the famous figure to life. The spacious layout and the many black-and-white reproductions of photos, drawings, and prints add to the book's appeal. Appendixes include source notes for quotations, a bibliography, a recommended Web site, and a short list of videos. An informative and entertaining introduction to one of America's most dynamic presidents. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (June 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618142649
• ISBN-13: 978-0618142644
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #195,252 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #35 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( R ) > Roosevelt, Theodore
  #43 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > U. S. Presidents & First Ladies
  #80 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > Political

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He Tackled the Status Quo, June 21, 2003

By	Van H. Seagraves (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

Even the Presidency did not take the boy out of Theodore Roosevelt. A century ago, when Washington was a simpler place, TR engaged in such youthful sports as wintry swims in the Potomac. President Roosevelt showed similar courage in tackling financial tycoons or forcing Spain out of Cuba. TR was a significant figure on the political stage from the 1880s through World War I. He was an active, early conservationist. Betsy Kraft's well-paced, illustrated biography will engage young (and older) adults. The author brings this man and his era to life. Public libraries and high schools should find it valuable.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars colorful, balanced, engrossing, October 24, 2007

By	Bruce D. Wilner "Bruce David Wilner" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I really can't imagine why this work is indicated as a grade-school level selection ("grades 5-8"), even being tagged as "juvenile" in the Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Print metadata backing the title page. I found the work to be balanced, well-written, extremely engaging, quite informative, and visually attractive. Maybe only dry, stuffy biographies that present eight hundred odd pages of extraneous details--what TR ate for lunch on 1/14/1906, how much the train fare to Syosset was--rate as "adult" works, but they bore me to tears. (Plus, having scored 12+ on the standardized New York State reading tests when I was seven, I believe I am competent to speak with authority about both adult-oriented and putatively juvenile texts.) Of all the myriad works about TR, this is the one that I would gladly choose in exclusion to all others.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, accessible biography of our 26th president, January 20, 2004

By	David Houston (Colorado) - See all my reviews

The choice of Teddy Roosevelt is a good one to get kids to read about this raucous period of American history. Well illustrated with period photos and cartoons, the text is engaging and fast-paced. Perfect gift for that young teenager on your list, I can't wait until my daughter is old enough to read this!