The Brooklyn Bridge

Review by Booklist Review

Gr. 4^-7. Both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Great Pyramid inspire viewers to wonder how men could possibly have created such massive, gravity-defying structures, each having been built with a combination of determination, courage, and incredibly hard work. Mann conveys the stories as adventures without ever resorting to melodrama and explores the history and architecture of each structure in highly readable form. Centering on a family in the first book and a society in the second, the stories are told in handsomely designed volumes with an enlivening combination of historical pictures, photographs, and paintings. Each volume, part of the Wonders of the World series, also features a gatefold illustration. --Susan Dove Lempke

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

This first volume of the Wonders of the World series offers an uneven account of the problem-plagued construction of the renowned suspension bridge. Brief, choppy sentences and too much extraneous technical detail slow the narrative's pace considerably, while sidebars prove distracting. Yet Mann includes some lively analogies (describing the anchorages, she says, "That's like having 12,000 large elephants hanging on to the main cables"), and she succeeds in giving young readers a close-up, on-the-scene view of a complex engineering project. The unfortunate design presents a visual hodgepodge of simple, uncluttered pages and busy spreads featuring illustrations of various media. These include period drawings that range from delicately detailed to blurry; photographs; and disappointingly stiff original art by Witschonke. Two gatefolds, one vertical and one horizontal, are similarly disjointed, not visually integrated into facing spreads. Ages 7-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6‘Two eye-catching titles that feature an informative mix of historical reproductions, striking illustrations, and clearly presented texts. Each book opens with an attention-grabbing fictional scene. The Brooklyn Bridge begins on the Fulton Ferry, where John Roebling and his son discuss the need for a more efficient method of crossing the East River. The design, step-by-step construction, personalities involved, multiple setbacks, and ultimate completion of this New York City landmark are all presented in a readable narrative, supported by diagrams and dramatic illustrations. In the first pages of The Great Pyramid, an enthusiastic farm boy leaves his small village to help construct the tomb of the pharaoh Khufu. The book touches briefly on the religious beliefs and social structure of ancient Egypt, while focusing on Khufu's reign and the construction and design of his 50-story monument. The full-page paintings are stunning; touched with tones of gold and textures that reflect a desert setting, they point to the mystery of this ancient civilization. Captioned, full-color photos of artifacts also enhance the well-written text. Both of these beautifully designed titles include fold-out sections that give readers a sense of the size of these structures. Although they include enough information for homework assignments, these books are a browser's paradise.‘Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Horn Book Review

I1="BLANK" I2="BLANKFleischman's innovative short novel is the story of an urban garden started by a child and nurtured by people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. Each of the thirteen chapters is narrated by a different character, allowing the reader to watch as a community develops out of disconnected lives and previous suspicions. Although the total effect of the brief chapters is slightly superficial, some of the individual narratives are moving. The opening chapter about nine-year-old Kim, a Vietnamese immigrant, is a vivid portrait of a child who longs for the approval of her deceased father. The novel is didactic in purpose-folks of all ages, economic backgrounds, and ethnicities put aside their differences to create a beautiful, rich harvest-but effective in execution. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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In the winter of 1852, John Roebling and his 15-year-old son, Washington, were riding a Fulton Ferry boat across the East River from New York to Brooklyn. The day was bitterly cold. The ferry inched along, bumping against huge chunks of ice. The trip seemed to take forever. John paced up and down the deck. "This ferry just isn't good enough, Washington!" he exclaimed. "There should be a bridge here." John Roebling was an engineer. His specialty was building bridges. As he looked across the East River, he could picture the bridge that he wanted there. He knew that it would be the most important one he would ever build. For years after that, John tried to convince people that his plan for a bridge across the East River was a good one. Many liked the idea, especially those who lived in Brooklyn. They knew that as long as they had to depend on ferry boats to reach New York, Brooklyn would never become an important city. But most people thought it was impossible to bridge the wide and powerful river. John knew it would be difficult. There were many problems to solve. The bridge would have to be strong enough to withstand the swift currents and powerful winds of the East River. It could not get in the way of the hundreds of boats that traveled on the river every day. It had to be so high that the masts of tall sailing ships could easily pass under it. And it had to be long. The East River was nearly half a mile wide at that point. But John also knew about a type of bridge that could solve all these problems. It was called a suspension bridge. Excerpted from The Brooklyn Bridge: The story of the world's most famous bridge and the remarkable family that built It by Elizabeth Mann All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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