Theodore Roosevelt

by Michael L. Cooper

Overview

Two-term president. Nobel Peace Prize winner. Commander of the Rough Riders. Avid conservationist. Adventurer. All of these and more, Theodore Roosevelt lived his long life to the fullest and left a legacy still remembered more than ninety years after his death. He started his long, successful political career at just twenty-three in New York State, and continued working in the public arena until well after his second term as president. Up Close biographer Michael C. Cooper takes readers beyond T.R.'s bold-faced achievements and explores the driving forces behind one of this country's greatest leaders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101162781
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	07/09/2009
Series:	Penguin Up Close Series
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Michael Cooper is the author of fifteen nonfiction books for children, including Dust to Eat. He lives in southeastern Kentucky.

Editorial Reviews

. . . a solid portrayal of this noteworthy American president.

Booklist

A rousing tale...that captures the sum of the man's personal failures and political ambition.

Horn Book

Gr 7–10—This trim and extremely readable biography portrays the 26th president's full and varied life. Cooper draws on many sources to weave a story of the sickly child who grew into a robust, energetic man with seemingly boundless energy. He covers various facets of TR's life: naturalist, cowboy, soldier, author, loving husband, doting father, civil servant, and unexpected (but very successful) president. While striking an admiring tone, the author stops short of painting only a glowing picture of Roosevelt. He discusses his subject's abuses of power and often-foolhardy behavior. Colorful quotations demonstrate TR's humor and character. Black-and-white photos and reproductions illustrate the volume. This title is more concise than Betsy Harvey Kraft's Theodore Roosevelt: Champion of the American Spirit (Clarion, 2003) or Matt Donnelly's Theodore Roosevelt: Larger Than Life (Linnet, 2002). It is a compelling summary of a man who is credited with enlarging our national parks, beginning the construction of the Panama Canal, ending a war between Russia and Japan, "busting" trusts and cracking down on corrupt big business, and being "the most popular man in America" at the end of his administration.—Lisa Crandall, formerly at Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI

School Library Journal

In a superb biography both personal and opinionated, Cooper calls Theodore Roosevelt "the hero America needed." At the beginning of the 20th century, the United States was becoming a nation of big cities and huge corporations, and the major issue Roosevelt faced will sound familiar to readers today-the role of a strong federal government in dealing with the "unrestricted and ill-regulated individualism" of banks and corporations and ensuring a vital economy and social justice at the same time. Written with a vigor and enthusiasm to match the subject, the volume is well-researched and documented, incorporating many direct quotations to make Roosevelt accessible and knowable. Not just a "road to the White House" biography, this is a look at the full life and times of the 26th president, his family, his enthusiasms and losses and the significance of his presidency. Readers will absorb much about history and politics as they learn the story behind the face on Mount Rushmore. Another strong entry in the fine Up Close series. (Biography. 11 & up)

Kirkus Reviews