The Story of Hard Times, Tough People and the Taming of a Wild River
The story of the construction and engineering of the Hoover Dam with the Great Depression as a background.
December 1, 2001
Gr. 3-6. From the author's Wonders of the World series, this book describes the building of Hoover Dam. The text clearly explains the aims of the project, the design challenges it posed, the difficulties and dangers of its construction, and how the dam works, as well as the social context of the Great Depression. The large format offers a spacious setting for the many illustrations: photographs, maps, diagrams, and drawn and painted pictures of the site, including a double-page fold-out showing the length of the canyon during the dam's construction. The book concludes with fast facts and a list of those who died during the project. Visually impressive and well designed, this will be a useful addition to library collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2002
Strong on the symbolism of the Hoover Dam ("its dedication meant that the hard times were really over") but weaker on human contributions, the text nonetheless offers a clear explanation of the planning, purpose, construction, and social conditions that influenced the building of the dam. Archival photos complement sidebar oral histories. Diagrams clearly show the inside workings of the dam, allowing readers a virtual tour of the site. Ind.
(Copyright 2002 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)