(2) 4-6 It's an unhappy summer in the town of Sycamore Lake, where the lake itself, which the town depends on for tourism, has been drained to prevent the dam from collapsing. Lolo, having failed a state test, is stuck in summer school with "mean" Mrs. Cryer. She's also worrying about her mother's precarious pregnancy and, along with the rest of her family and especially her grandmother, grieving the recent loss of her grandfather. There's one problem Lolo believes she can solve: Hank, her grandfather's foster dog, is now in a new placement across the lake for reasons she thinks are her fault, so she sets out to retrieve him. The resulting adventure--told mostly in Lolo's affecting first-person narration, with interspersed journal entries from the classmate who is Hank's new owner--involves a fair amount of humor (a skunk plays a significant role). But the emotional core of the novel lies in the acknowledgment that life isn't perfect, and the reassurance that Lolo doesn't have to be, either. Bittersweet and heartwarming.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Levi Pinfold. During their final visit to an abandoned Northumberland, England, settlement before a dam floods the valley, a young fiddler and her father make music inside the boarded-up houses. The narrative, based on a true story about real-life folk musicians Kathryn and Mike Tickell, is elegiac and melancholy; dark and moody pictures in shades of gray and sepia break into joy with a serene blue lake reflecting a light-filled sky.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Catherine Lazar Odell. Little Beaver endures multiple scoldings when playing distracts him from assisting in the completion of the family dam. Luckily Bird, Otter, and Fish happily help him "Nibble nibble snap / scoop scoop pat" until he can (honestly, this time) declare "I'm done!" Odell's careful drawings with watercolor washes add drama and perspective to an otherwise repetitive and slight tale about pitching in when there's work to do.

Reviewer: Erica Wetter

(3) K-3 Super Simple Engineering Projects series. This series clearly explains engineering principles through hands-on projects. Six-page introductions define each engineered structure, briefly describing its construction, uses, and different types. Five or six activities follow, and "Digging Deeper" sidebars expand on the science involved. Simple directions, inexpensive materials lists, and plenty of helpful photographs make this series a good choice for budding engineers. Each book concludes with a three-question quiz. Glos. Review covers these Super Simple Engineering Projects titles: Engineer It! Bridge Projects, Engineer It! Canal Projects, Engineer It! Dam Projects, Engineer It! Road Projects, Engineer It! Skyscraper Projects, and Engineer It! Tunnel Projects.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) 4-6 Young Pig is the all-important Dam Keeper--protecting town from "the sea of deadly black fog"--since his father disappeared. When Pig, friend Fox, and school bully Hippo wind up far from home, they embark on an eye-opening return journey. This beautifully realized graphic-novel adaptation of the animated short film's first part utilizes light to accentuate the known and unknown of this mysterious, dangerous world.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) K-3 Engineering Super Structures series. Each book in this series superficially introduces newly independent readers to a different type of engineered structure, noting its history, construction, uses, and maintenance. Every spread contains a few simple sentences--with new vocabulary in bold--plus accompanying photographs (including an awkwardly superimposed image of a child). A concluding "Think About It" question offers an opportunity for a bit of deeper reflection. Glos. Review covers these Engineering Super Structures titles: Dams, Bridges, Canals, Roads, Skyscrapers, and Tunnels.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) K-3 Engineering Marvels series. These books provide brief accounts of major engineering feats--three transportation marvels and three iconic structures. Each book includes the project's purpose, how it was built, personnel involved, and physical challenges encountered. Archival and recent photographs give insight into the construction process. The lackluster texts are enhanced with sidebars providing statistical data and examples of similar projects. A short quiz is included in each title. Glos. Review covers these Engineering Marvels titles: Building Route 66, Building the Channel Tunnel, Building the Panama Canal, Building the Empire State Building, Building the Golden Gate Bridge, and Building the Hoover Dam.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Tina Macnaughton. Some woodland animals try to track down a mysterious red-hatted creature who's making noises by the river at night. When the water rises dangerously, two beavers in red hats reveal themselves and save the day. (They've been building a dam nearby.) The writing is rather awkward, but the mystery and the appealing illustrations (featuring fuzzy touch-and-feel hats) are engaging.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) 4-6 American Places: From Vision to Reality series. This series highlights six of America's most famous and symbolic landmarks, touching on their history, the individuals involved in their creation, the engineering challenges faced, and the eventual construction and completion of these national icons. Sidebars and plentiful illustrations and photographs add clarity to the succinct, direct texts; historical images of construction are especially appealing. Websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following American Places: From Vision to Reality titles: The Golden Gate Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, The White House, Colonial Williamsburg, The Empire State Building, and The Hoover Dam.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Great Idea: Engineering series. Miller does a good job of explaining the reasons why the Hoover Dam was constructed in the 1930s and the step-by-step account of the building process is clear. While the book does not mention any of the adverse effects of the dam, it's otherwise a comprehensive introduction. Diagrams, maps, and historical photos helpfully amplify the account. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) YA Building America, Then and Now series. These books highlight the histories, construction, and impact of four mammoth American development projects that changed the communities around them. Photos, maps, and informative sidebars supplement the densely detailed writing. American history buffs will find these volumes useful for doing research. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Building America, Then and Now titles: The Hoover Dam, The Eisenhower Interstate System, The Empire State Building, and New York's Central Park.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Our Environment series. These four titles discuss human interference with the ecosystem due to dam building, slash-and-burn farming, pesticide and herbicide use, and pollution of the waterways. Helpful background and history of the issues is included. The photos are useful, but their captions do not always extend the text. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Our Environment titles: Dams and Levees, Rain Forests, Pesticides, and Water Pollution.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Great Building Feats series. The books in this series provide in-depth overviews of the need for, construction of, and modern usage of three architectural milestones. These generally well-written accounts, illustrated with reproductions and photos, should fascinate budding architects and historians. Maps, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Great Building Feats titles: The Channel Tunnel, The Hoover Dam, and The New York Subways.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 American Disasters series. The 1889 Johnstown, Pennsylvania, flood that resulted in over two thousand deaths is surveyed in a brief, occasionally repetitive text. The book recounts the construction--and eventual failure--of the South Fork Dam, includes anecdotal information about those caught in the flood, and explains how the town recovered from tragedy. Adequately reproduced color photos and reproductions add drama. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Smart Structures series. Crowded double-page spreads explain why dams are necessary; discuss how they are used for irrigation, as flood barriers, and for generating electricity; and describe basic engineering principles used in their design and construction. Although the book is generally informative, both the text and the color photos are bland. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(1) 4-6 Told in the idiosyncratic voice of young would-be poet Mary Ann Alice McCrank, this is the story of a town faced with the coming of the government dam that will subdue their river and submerge their land. The Quebec setting is beautifully evoked; familiar characters are larger-than-life; plot is discernible but hardly a driving force. Doyle negotiates this novel as one would a changeable river, shifting pace and focus and tone with unerring control.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002

(2) 4-6 Wonders of the World series. Illustrated by Alan Witschonke. 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.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2002