Theodore Roosevelt: Champion of the American Spirit

Sure, this biography is targeted to a young readership, and covers only briefly the incredible range of exploits of this resounding American. Nonetheless, the style is delightful and straightforward, giving a readability unmatched in presidential biographies. Proves that not all such texts need be dry, complex or exploitative in nature. I'd recommend this effort hands down as the ideal starting point for any age of reader seeking Teddy Roosevelt background. One of the most concise yet informative presidential bios of the dozens I've read across the spectrum. Even includes interesting photos and period cartoons frequently overlooked in the usual tedious biographical fare. Try it.

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.

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!

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.