(3) K-3 Illustrated by Natalie Nelson. Wishinsky's straightforward, text-heavy picture-book biography places particular emphasis on Roebling's critical role in bringing her husband's engineering feat, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, to completion after he fell ill. Taking inspiration from nineteenth-century newspapers, Nelson's collage illustrations draw from photographs, giving the book an air of historical authenticity. Speech bubbles with imagined dialogue make Roebling and her milieu accessible to today's readers. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) YA Illustrated by Andrea Offermann. Jin, a Chinese immigrant skilled with fireworks, unites with Coney Island gambler Sam; both find creative ways to fight the sinister magic woven into the corruption in and around 1870s New York City. Detailed line drawings reflect the mingling of fantasy and historical fiction in this riveting good-versus-evil, stand-alone prequel to The Boneshaker.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) 4-6 In 1903 Brooklyn, fourteen-year-old Joe dreams of Coney Island. Interspersed throughout the story of Joe's family (based on Russian Jews who created the first teddy bear) are third-person segments that poetically describe homeless children living under the Brooklyn Bridge. The narrative includes tightly interwoven elements of multiple genres--adventure, romance, comedy, drama, ghost story--without compromising authenticity of plot or character.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(4) K-3 Buddy Books: All Aboard America series. Each of these books features a geographical and historical U.S. landmark. Short chapters cover history, triumphs, challenges, and present-day status of each subject; "Detour" spreads provide additional facts, though in some cases the information is not very well organized. Historical illustrations and average-quality photos break up the text nicely, but captions are not consistently clear or accurate. Glos., ind. Review covers these Buddy Books: All aboard America titles: Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Jamestown, Monticello, Niagara Falls, and Oregon Trail.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(2) 4-6 The story begun in Nory Ryan's Song continues: it's now 1875, and Nory is a hardworking healer/midwife; her thirteen-year-old daughter Bird aspires to be just like her. The barely nascent Brooklyn Bridge serves as a metaphor for Bird's coming of age--and for the fortunes of her family and friends. Though the plot in this optimistic novel is tidily symmetrical, Giff sidesteps predictable situations.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2006

(3) K-3 Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. When the Brooklyn Bridge is completed in 1883, Hannah can't wait to cross it, but her father, and many others, say it isn't safe. Only when she asks P.T. Barnum to march his elephants across the bridge does her father change his mind. Based on an actual event, Hannah's story is told with humor, and the sepia-toned watercolors lend an old-fashioned flavor. Bib.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 Building America series. Illustrated with black-and-white and color photos, these books effectively trace the histories of building two American architectural landmarks. Gresko details how the Grand Coulee was built to harness the water resources of the Columbia River for generating electricity and supporting agriculture. Pascoe emphasizes the roles of businessman (and spiritualist) John Roebling and his engineer son Washington in designing and constructing the Brooklyn Bridge. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman