Remarkable Rough-Riding Life of Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of Empire America, The: Wild America Gets a Protector; Panama's Canal; The Big Stick & ... Much, Much More (Cheryl Harness Histories) - Hardcover

Harness, Cheryl

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1426300085 ISBN 13: 9781426300080

Publisher: National Geographic Kids, 2007

Synopsis

The eagerly awaited third title in the Cheryl Harness Histories series paints a vibrant portrait of Theodore Roosevelt—Rough Rider, trustbuster, explorer, President, and more—whose bullish attitude forever changed America.

How did a sickly boy transform himself into one of the country's boldest leaders? You'll get the full story—front page and behind-the-scenes—as only Cheryl Harness can tell it. Through her lively narrative and engaging artwork, readers will see Teddy riding the range in South Dakota, charging up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War, climbing the political ladder all the way to the White House, breaking up big business, building the Panama Canal, and big-game hunting in Africa. They will also experience life in America when the telephone, airplane, and automobile were all brand-new, when women, blacks, and laborers were demanding equal rights, and when the cry for expansion stretched the borders from Maine to the Philippines and from Puerto Rico to Alaska. This was an age in which Roosevelt's promise to give every American a "square deal" and to "walk softly and carry a big stick" helped build the country into a world power.

With a new adventure on almost every page, readers will find themselves "wowed" by this true story of a larger-than-life American hero, and the country and times in which he lived.

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About this title

About the Author

Cheryl Harness is the author and/or illustrator of some 35 books for children, including 7 picture book biographies for National Geographic. She lives in Independence, MO. Visit Cheryl Harness on the Web at www.cherylharness.com.

Reviews

Grade 5–8—The appeal of this title lies in its folksy recounting of Roosevelt's very full life. That folksiness, however, sometimes gets in the way of strict nonfiction by including the author's personal opinions (our current day is termed the "dark and stormy 21st century"), uncited quotes (Which rancher wrote down "hasten forward quickly there" when TR called it out?), and fictionalized thoughts and incidents. A time line trails the bottom of the book's pages, highlighting major world events that occurred during Roosevelt's lifetime, but it does so independently from the text above it. For example, where the sinking of the USS Maine in 1898 is mentioned, the time line is stuck in 1889, so readers attempting to make a connection between the two may be confused. Black-ink drawings are copious—and based on material Harness used to "visualize" the scenes, basically amounting to a fictionalizing of the illustrations as well, and the maps and family tree are crowded and difficult to interpret. The straight facts about the man are correct, though, and this is a balanced account, as the author points out some ironies in Roosevelt's life, such as the fact that although he was a great conservationist, he used an elephant foot as a wastebasket. So while not the soundest biography, this is more enjoyable than most series titles, and readers will come away knowing and understanding the man and his times.—Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
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Edition details

• Publisher: National Geographic Kids
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1426300085
• ISBN 13: 9781426300080
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144