105 Ways to Give a Book

Nonfiction Monday: Round-Up

First things first: I’m hosting Nonfiction Monday today, so leave your links in the comments and come back later for a full round-up of nonfiction reviews.

It’s National Women’s History Month, and I have done... hold it, let me see... yes, apparently nothing, nothing at all to bring attention to women in history. I’ve certainly let down the sisterhood. At least I can heap praise on the one site that has books and resources galore, Wild Rose Reader. If March has gotten away from you too, blame the weather and head there for some great reading ideas.

Today I do have a biography about a woman to share. A woman ahead of her time. You might even say a maverick.

What To Do About Alice?The title and subtitle can serve as a decent one-sentence summary: What to Do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! Of course, the title can’t capture the pleasure of getting into the head of a spirited girl who was all about “eating up the world.” While other girls her age went to boarding school to become proper young ladies, Alice joined an all-boys club and used her father’s library to teach herself astronomy. As she grew up and her father became the President, she refused to settle for a supporting role in her own life. While some women were appalled at her behavior, most of the country loved her outrageous ways.

With What To Do About Alice? Barbara Kerley has written a fun picture book about a fun-loving girl, while also conveying the history surrounding the Roosevelt family. The lively illustrations by Edwin Fotheringham are a perfect complement to the story of Alice — and are the most enjoyable when they are in direct opposition to the text. We can laugh at a picture of Alice and her siblings riding trays down the curving White House steps while the sentence above mentions, “She watched her younger brothers and sister so her stepmother could get some rest.” This was one woman in history who was anything but boring.

Since I’m gathering your nonfiction reviews today, I’ll update this post a few times with those links. C’mon and give me something good to read.

Nonfiction Monday Round-Up, 9:00 AM Edition

We have...

Noon Edition

Plus...

5:00 PM Edition

Adding on...

9:00 PM Edition

Closing out with...

23 comments:

StoryForce said...

Claire Rudolf Murphy reviews "Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems"
Written by Mary Batten
Illustrated by Beverly J. Doyle
A serious topic presented in kid-friendly way. It's the "Izaak Walton League of Conservation Book of the Year"

StoryForce said...

Oooops!

Here's the link.
http://storyforce-storyforce.blogspot.com/

BookMoot said...

BookMoot reviews Machines Go to Work by William Low
http://www.bookmoot.com/2009/03/nonfiction-monday-machines-go-to-work.html

Anonymous said...

I've reviewed Fairy Cooking at In Need of Chocolate.
http://inneedofchocolate.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/non-fiction-monday-fairy-cooking/

Anonymous said...

100 Scope Notes reviews "Animals Up Close"
http://100scopenotes.wordpress.com/2009/03/23/nonfiction-monday-animals-up-close/

Jennifer said...

Jennifer at Jean Little Library - Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery

http://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/2009/03/snake-scientist-by-sy-montgomery.html

Andrea -- Just One More Book!! Podcast said...

Thanks for rounding us up.

This week our non-fiction book chat is about Michael Rosen's Sad Book http://www.justonemorebook.com/2009/03/20/michael-rosens-sad-book/
a beautiful, heartbreaking, scary book about the author's life after the death of his son

Abby said...

Thanks for hosting this week!

Over at Abby (the) Librarian, I've got a review of Bubble Homes and Fish Farts by Fiona Bayrock:

http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-bubble-homes-and-fish-farts.html

Unknown said...

Heidi Bee Roemer reviews Animal Poems of the Iguazu by Francisco X. Alacron at http://wildaboutnaturewriters.blogspot.com/.

Lori Calabrese said...

Lori Calabrese reviews Go, Go America! by Dan Yaccarino

http://loricalabrese.blogspot.com/2009/03/go-go-america.html

Anonymous said...

Loved What to Do About Alice. It was a CYBILS nominated book for nonfiction which I reviewed. Here is a new book on dinosaurs: http://maclibrary.edublogs.org/2009/03/23/nonfiction-monday-dinosaurs-in-your-backyard/

Valerie said...

I have a post about Kids Knitting by Melanie Falick
http://notenoughacresfarm.blogspot.com/2009/03/non-fiction-monday-kids-knitting.html

Anonymous said...

Thanks for hosting! I'm in with
Have You Ever Seen a Duck in a Raincoat?

Andromeda Jazmon said...

I've enjoyed reading the Alice book to second graders in the library. Great book!

I'm joining in today with Honda; The Boy Who Dreamed of Cars. Thanks for the roundup!

Jules at 7-Imp said...

I'm in with an interview with the god of picture book biographies, Don Brown: http://blaine.org/sevenimpossiblethings/?p=1609

Anonymous said...

I have a review of A Place for Birds up at A Patchwork of Books. Thanks!

http://apatchworkofbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/non-fiction-monday-place-for-birds.html

Amanda

Tasha said...

I reviewed Nic Bishop's Butterflies and Moths: http://kidslit.menashalibrary.org/2009/03/23/butterflies-and-moths/

Thanks!

Tricia said...

I'm in with Jim Arnosky's new book, Slither and Crawl: Eye to Eye with Reptiles.

Thanks for hosting this shindig!

Mary Ann Scheuer said...

Great Kid Books reviews What's eating you? Parasites - the inside story, by Nicola Davies. It's sure to give you the creeps and crawlies!

Anonymous said...

I reviewed I Face the Wind (Cobb/Gorton) today: http://sixboxesofbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/non-fiction-monday-i-face-wind.html

Barbara Kerley said...

Hey, thanks for the kind words about WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?

MotherReader readers might be interested to know that I have extension activities (for teachers, parents, homeschoolers, etc) posted on my web page:

barbarakerley.com

Barbara Kerley

Unknown said...

Oh, we just returned our What to do about Alice book to the library and I must say we LOVED It. nothing to do with the fact we have an Alice who is eating up the world and she is only 3....

Great selection of non-fiction you have.

caribookscoops said...

What do with Alice sounds like a good read. I am always on the look out for books about strong willed and capable girls.