Book Discussion Guide

Theodore Roosevelt: Twenty-Sixth President 1901-1909 by Mike Venezia

Theodore Roosevelt: Twenty-Sixth President 1901-1909

Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt spent a few years as a cowboy in the Wild West? Theodore Roosevelt was a fascinating president with unique passions and interests. In this book, you and your family will learn about President Roosevelt’s childhood and how these experiences prepared him to become a bold leader. Roosevelt was constantly surprising people, and always tried to do what he felt was right, even if it wasn’t popular. After reading this book, your child will know about this American President’s amazing accomplishments and contributions to environmental conservation and foreign diplomacy. Mike Venezia, the author, will have you laughing and learning as he introduces unique facts about Roosevelt, and uses humorous cartoons and historical photographs to draw you into history.

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Questions To Talk About
While Reading

Vocabulary

It's important to make sure that your child has an understanding of key words in the book. Talking about words while reading is a great way for your child to learn new words.

In this book, you might talk about these words:

  • generous (pg. 8)
  • scrawny (pg. 9)
  • naturalist (pg. 10)
  • retreating (pg. 15)
  • hasten (pg. 16)
  • disturbed (pg. 26)
  • conservation (pg. 28)

You might use a question like:

In the book, what does the word “generous” mean? How do the words and images on page 8 help you to understand what this word means?

Key Ideas and Themes

In addition to words, it's important to talk about key ideas and themes and how they develop over the course of the book.

Here are some examples to get you started:

  • 1

    On page 4 the author says, “Theodore Roosevelt was probably the most energetic president the United States ever had.” As a family, talk about the examples and evidence the author gives to support his claim. What does he mean by energetic? What did Theodore Roosevelt do that shows he was an “energetic president”?

  • 2

    What were President Roosevelt’s challenges and interests as a child? How do his childhood experiences connect with his accomplishments as an adult?

  • 3

    Take some time to go over page 12. Ask your child what the main idea is on this page. First, ask your child to list the details the author talks about. Then, ask him or her to summarize these points as a single idea. What does the author want you to know about Theodore Roosevelt’s early career as a politician?

  • 4

    What was Teddy Roosevelt’s career path? Talk about the experiences that led and prepared him to become the President of the United States. How does the author describe Teddy’s character? How does the author make it seem like Teddy was born to work in politics? How did people respond to Teddy Roosevelt’s leadership?

  • 5

    The author uses a variety of illustrations, cartoons, and photographs to go along with the information in the book. As you read, ask your child to explain how the pictures support or add to the words on each page. For example, on pages 20-22, there are several images showing the Rough Riders. How do these pictures help you better understand what this group of soldiers was like? What does this tell you about Theodore Roosevelt?

Extra Activities

  • 1

    Mike Venezia uses a lot of political cartoons to help readers understand how people thought about Theodore Roosevelt’s leadership. Throughout history, political cartoonists have used humor to get at some pretty serious issues. Learn more about how cartoon artists work. As a family, check out the Library of Congress site called “It’s No Laughing Matter.” There, you’ll find tons of cool information about how cartoonists craft their messages. Then, go back to the cartoons used in the book on Roosevelt. Talk about the techniques used in these cartoons and what message each is sending about Theodore Roosevelt.

  • 2

    Environmental conservation was incredibly important to Roosevelt. As a family, find out
    more about conservation by searching the web for more information. Here are a few ideas to get your family started:
    a. Look at national parks by visiting the National Park Service.
    b. Find out more about conservation by visiting The Nature Conservancy.
    c. Check out what the National Bison Range, which Roosevelt helped set up, is doing now.
    d. Meet Ranger Rick and follow him on his many conservation adventures at the National Wildlife Federation website.