Book excerpt: A historian once said of Theodore Roosevelt's education that it had been "the best kind, for he was both teacher and pupil." by the time he went to Harvard, he had preserved several hundred birds for a collection. How did he become an accomplished scientist at a young age? He: --was curious, always wanting to know more and find out the "why" of things. --learned from playing: imitating animal sounds and habits and making up his own games. --looked up to mentors, including his father, uncles, and a companion of Audubon's. --read deeply from fiction and nonfiction. --continually made observations, filling diaries and notebooks with charts and essays. --sketched nature in letters and notebooks. --took risks, ready to pay the piper if he thought something was worthwhile. --customized learning to his own needs, starting a natural history museum at home when he was eight and inventing a code for bird songs. --studied the real thing, with "being there" experiences in the outdoors. --shared information with family and friends. Look for more in this book, and get to know a unique boy who still inspires others today.