The Brooklyn Bridge

by Lynn Curlee

Hardcover, 2001

Status

Check shelf

Call number

J 624 CUR

Genres

Nonfiction

Collections

NONFICTION shelves (WHITE label), History

Publication

New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001.

Description

Describes the planning, construction, and history of the Brooklyn Bridge, celebrated as one of the greatest landmarks and grandest sights of New York City.

Local notes

2111-101

Media reviews

Reading Teacher

Lynn Curlee provides a fascinating look into the monumental feat of engineering and craftsmanship that resulted in the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. Impressive full-page paintings chronicle 16 years of inspiration, physical pain, death, and remarkable accomplishment in the building of this

massive structure, sometimes referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. ... Maps, paintings, and diagrams detail the challenges involved in the bridge building and provide the project's specifications and timeline. This well-researched story illustrates how one man's vision became a test of technology and engineering.

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School Library Journal

Gr 3-6 -- A wonderful picture book that tells the history behind the bridge and its construction, complete with the engineering facts and the human-interest anecdotes as well. Using full-color illustrations and diagrams, Curlee explains why the bridge was needed, why the engineering behind it was

so important and innovative, and what the bridge has meant to those living in New York. ... a cross-section drawing delineates the caissons, supply shafts, air locks, etc. ... this title will appeal to audiences looking for report information and to those looking for an exciting story.

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Kirkus Reviews

A goldmine of information in this lucid and elegant recounting of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, with equally resplendent paintings. The story itself is deeply dramatic and set in relief by the author’s straightforward account. ... Curlee does an excellent job not only of describing how the

bridge was engineered and built, but of reminding his audience how different things were in 1870. ... Heavily based on David McCullough’s The Great Bridge, one of four items in the bibliography, this awe-inspiring study provides an excellent resource for young people. (specifications, timeline, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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Publishers Weekly

[Starred Review] ... [This] picture book celebrates a monumental feat of engineering and craftsmanship, and makes clear the human contributions behind it. Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge's "stone towers were the most massive structures on the continent,… its span was by far the longest in

the world." ... Many of those who worked on the bridge incurred injuries, illnesses and even death.... Maps, paintings and diagrams clearly delineate the location, mechanics and challenges described in the prose. Appendix illustrations offer detailed diagrams of suspension and support, specifications and a timeline. Readers fascinated with how things work may well regard bridges with greater respect, and aspiring engineers will gain a strong sense of the all-encompassing process of designing and erecting a suspension bridge. Ages 8-12.

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User reviews

LibraryThing member LDB2009

A few years ago, I watched a PBS special on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Since that time, I have been fascinated with the achievement. Completed in 1883--decades before the Industrial Revolution--it was an engineering marvel. The book gives a lot of background information, includes many

drawings, and tells the story of one of the most amazing structures built by man. Every bridge has a story of its own, though, and this book would be a great lead-in to a unit on bridges or structures.

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LibraryThing member coresonk

I really liked this book. It was full of great information not only about the bridge, but about the people involved in it's creation. It does not hide any of the ugliness that went along with the bridges long build, explaining that many people died or were permanently injured due to the poor

conditions and many safety hazards. The illustrations are amazing and there are several crosscuts of the bridge's construction. I would highly recommend this to any classroom studying US history, architecture, or even workers rights.

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LibraryThing member born1990

Genre: Informational

This book is a good example of an informational book because it tells the facts about how the Brooklyn Bridge was planned and constructed. It tells the history of the bridge as well. It is celebrated as one of the greatest landmarks and grandest sights of New York City. The

setting for this book is extremely important, because the bridge cannot be in a different area and have the same effect or importance that it does/did in New York City.

Level: Intermediate-Middle School

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LibraryThing member rmarcin

Very interesting account of the Brooklyn Bridge, its creation and construction.

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