New York Subway System (Great Building Feats)
Reviewed with Lesley A. DuTemple'sThe Great Wall of China.Gr. 4-7. Books in the Great Building Feats series explore structures that "posed a unique set of engineering and geographical problems" and examine the impact the structures had and continue to have on society. In existence for nearly 100 years, the New York subway system has a checkered history, filled with financial problems, political wrangling, and nightmares related to the construction itself. DuTemple does a fine job of covering it--from idea and the opening of the system, to its renovation and, finally, the damage wrought by the collapse of the World Trade Center. Even more complex is the history of the Great Wall.DuTemple explains the construction and the impact the structure (actuallystructures, as there are many walls built over thousands of years) had on Chinese civilization and culture. The series design is exceptionally nice. Photos (some cleverly served up as background to the text), sidebars, maps, and archival material work beautifully together to supplement the information. These are fine resources for report writers as well as for children who simply like to read about history; they take fascinating subjects and give them a human face.Stephanie ZvirinCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved