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"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning tobreathe free..."

Nearly 40 percent of all Americans today can trace their ancestry to people whopassed directly beneath the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor afteremigrating from Europe. The most colossal metal statue ever built, Lady Libertyrepresents the freedom and better way of life that immigrants sought in America.This big, elegant book traces the history of the "Mother of Exiles," from herinception at a dinner party in France, to model-building byFrédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, a young French sculptor, to internalengineering by another young Frenchman named Eiffel, to its presentation fromthe French to the American people in 1886. Liberty is chock-full ofcompelling--sometimes overwhelming--details, including Eiffel's revolutionaryuse of iron girders in latticelike grids for the internal support, and thediscord in the American committee charged with raising money for the pedestal.Always beaming through the facts, however, is the passion of Lady Liberty'screators and supporters. Lynn Curlee's gorgeous paintings capture the staggeringsize of both the project and the statue itself. This book is a stunning gift foranyone who has ever been awestruck at the first sight of the majestic symbol ofAmerica's freedom. It includes statue specifications, a timeline, and abibliography. For another Curlee tribute to an American icon, read Rushmore. (Ages 9 to 12)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

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Liberty: A statue born of admiration
The story behind the Statue of Libery is filled with suspense even though the happy ending is well known! This book attempts to have us think more deeply about this well known American icon. Born from a deep admiration for the American democratic experiment, like many other treasures it was conceived of by private citizens and funded in the most democratic way---by the people. The story of its conception and funding is more interesting than the technical details but it is complete in all aspects including the restoration. The illustrations add to the power of the writing. ... Read more

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A Lesson in how to live and work
This book, written by Williams, tells a story of a quiet, deliberate, tenacious, focused, genius of a man who should join the likes of MartinLuther King, Paul Roberson and Jackie Robinson during Black History month. "The Will and the Way" is inspirational and filled with how-to'sthat overcame obstacles he encountered time and time again.His story isone of a gentle man who took a natural talent (drawing) and became anamazing architect.An orphan who didn't let adversity hamper his progressor thwart his dreams.His work ethic and preparedness are unmatched byanyone past or present. He defines "Success".

This is a storyof a man of honor, dignity, integrity, superior intelligence and impeccabletaste.His life was rich in extraordinary experiences and his publicrelation skills were stunning.His ability to draw upside down is the mostamazing thing ever!

The common sense displayed by Williams and themaintenance man at the cotton mill are comforting.Williams's advice ofhow to plan your day and the importance of reading, listening and thinkingare jewels.

Thanks to Karen Hudson for sharing this inspiring story thatmight have been lost to those of us who love Black History. ... Read more

Book Description

This visual dictionary looks at the inner structure of buildingsof all kinds and from all ages, including castles and cathedrals,stately homes and skyscrapers, and more. ... Read more

Book Description

The Native peoples of the Northwest Coast were blessed with a mild climate, waters teeming with fish, and abundant vegetation, including giant cedars, among the world’s tallest and most versatile of trees. With only small handmade tools, these peoples managed to fell the massive trees, transport them back to their villages, build spectacular wooden dwellings, and embellish them with art admired the world over. ... Read more

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Skyscrapers!
My children and I found Skyscrapers to be a wonderful book full of hands-on activities that are meaningful.Book projects and reports are numerous in our school district. My daughter's building project was constructed with information and ideas from this book. The illustrations and directions included in Skyscrapers! are motivating and kid-friendly. Ms. Johmann's writing style is easy to read and understand. My children learn more about the topic because they are interested in this type of non-fiction.

We find this is also true of Ms. Johmann's other books that we have purchased: Going West and The Lewis & Clark Expedition.

We highly recommend all 3 of these books for elementary and intermediate age students!

Carolyn Gershovich from Norris Middle School
The basic purpose of this book is to teach young people the how's and why's of building skyscrapers. Significant information is explained with stunning clarity. For example, "it's not the strength of the steel frame that limits the height of skyscrapers, it's the speed and arrangement of elevators" and "the Empire State Building produces about 100 tons of garbage per month. That is equivalent to the weight of about 20 adult elephants." Who could read that and not want to read more?

This book tells all from taking soil samples before the groundbreaking to maintaining the structure after the building has been completed. All along the way activities are suggested to give emphasis to the topics covered. This is a fun, interesting, and informative book that will keep its value for a long time. It is filled with so much information that children will return to it again and again. ... Read more

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I am trying to make it but my dad is really doing it.......
Ya it seams cool if you like egypt as much as I do but after five minutes I asked my dad to help me.(He is doing it now!) It will be really cool when it is done though. I just think that you would need a lot of adult supervision. Do not listen to the lady from Tex. you should not trust kids with a craft knife,siccors, and glue!!! It is hard but I am learning.(That is amazing because my family says I all ready know everthing about egypt and that I shoud start on somthing else I said I all ready know a lot about Rome,Greece and the ancient world.) Any ways It seems like a good investment. Lou (AKA Pharaoh!)

Now where do we put it?
Sitting high up on the highest shelf of the tallest bookcase in my family room is an almost real looking, miniature Egyptian sarcophagus. Unbelievably, it's made of paper, glued together by my kids from a little Usborne cutout kit called "Make this Model Egyptian Mummy." I was more than a little skeptical when I ordered it. Boy, was I surprised...

First off, for them (and their mom) this was a highlight of our study of Ancient Egypt.

Second, they (and I) learned a lot about how these things actually looked.

Third, they built it without any adult supervision.

Fourth, they actually got along while doing it.

This is the way homeschool should be.
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Excellent, educational & teaches diversity
I found this book quite entertaining and also I love the way it teaches diversity by exposing children to diferent cultures and diferent socio-economic levels. Highly recommend. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

In case you've ever wondered, the walls at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have eyes and ears -- and, what's more, they don't miss a thing. Now, listen up because the walls have a thing or two to tell you!

During President John Tyler's presidency, the White House was such a mess that it was called the "Public Shabby House."

President William Howard Taft was so large that he had to have a jumbo-size bathtub installed -- one big enough for four people.

President Andrew Jackson's "open door" policy at the White House resulted in 20,000 people showing up for his inauguration party. (The new president escaped to the quiet of a nearby hotel!)

President Abraham Lincoln didn't mind at all that his younger sons, Tad and Willie, kept pet goats in their White House bedrooms.

Children all across the country sent in their own money to build an indoor swimming pool for wheelchair-bound President Franklin D. Roosevelt so that he could exercise.

President Harry S. Truman knew it was time to renovate the White House after a leg on his daughter's piano broke right through the floor.

Hear these funny, surprising stories and more about the most famous home in America and the extraordinary families who have lived in it. ... Read more

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An amazing glimpse into history itself
Roman Amphitheaters by Don Nardo is a fascinating and well-researched study for young readers about the history of amazing Roman architectural structures such as the Colosseum, embellished with full-color photographs and illustrations. Touching upon the history of Rome, and showcasing both the splendor of the ampitheaters and the cruelty to which they were sometimes put, Roman Amphitheaters offers children an amazing glimpse into history itself....

A solid introduction to the Amphitheaters of the Romans
The idea behind the Watts Library books about famous structures is to show how looking at buildings like Roman Amphitheaters we can learn much about the architecture, history, and culture of this ancient civilization.Don Nardo traces how the ancient Romans built amphitheaters to hold their public games.The first Roman amphitheaters were made of wood, but they tended to collapse or catch on fire.So the Romans started using stone to create these structures, the most famous of which is Rome's Colosseum.Of course there are several photographs of this structure, but also quite a few of other amphitheaters, most notably the one outside Pompeii that was preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.Nardo looks at the development of the amphitheaters from wooden to stone structures, gives a rather detailed explanation of how they were actually constructed, and talks about the sort of "games" that were put on in such places for the enjoyment of the local citizenry.The final chapter looks at the fate of the amphitheaters as the Roman Empire became Christian, the barbarian hordes descended, and a whole bunch of centuries came and went.Young readers will certainly find all the information they would need for a school report about amphitheaters, whether they are interested in the architecture or the games.The book is illustrated on every page with either contemporary photographs of Roman ruins or other pictures of what went on inside these places in their heydays.Other volumes in this series look at the Pyramids of Egypt and Greek Temples. ... Read more

Book Description

The longest enduring Native architecture in North America was built some three thousand years ago by the first peoples to roam the mountains and plateaus of the southwestern United States. From the ancient pit houses evolved the kiva and above-ground dwellings called pueblos by the Spanish because of their resemblance to the houses and courtyards in Spain. The biggest “great house,” called Pueblo Bonito, had 800 rooms, 32 kivas, housed a thousand people, and took years to build. How the people lived and adapted to their natural surroundings is described with a simple text, drawings, and colored illustrations. ... Read more

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Everything you wanted to know about Greek Temples
The first temples built by the Ancient Greeks to honor and worship their gods were small buildings made largely from mud-bricks.These humble structures gave wave to magnificent stone temples, such as the Parthenon in Athens, considered by many experts to be the most beautiful and perfect building ever erected.The idea behind Don Nardo's look at "Greek Temples" is that from examining such structures, young readers can learn not only about architecture but also about the history and culture of the ancient civilization that built them.

Nardo explains how the earliest Greek temples were built as special places where the patron deity of a particular city-state could dwell and look over the community.Detailing how Greek temples developed, Nardo covers not only the key change was the development of roofing tiles: the heavier tiles, used to replace the perishable thatch roofs originally used, required stronger structure to hold them up, thus necessitating a movement from wooden supports to those made of stone.One the basic structures were developed, then thoughts turned to questions of style and ornamentation, represented by the Doric and Ionic traditions.This is the sort of information, indicating how even things like buildings evolved as civilization moved forward, that are most useful to young readers.Understanding this process might be more important than learning all the details such as all of the parts of a Greek temple.

Chapters are also devoted to the specific process of building these temples as well as the religious rituals that were performed inside the completed structures, although such things are skewed towards what was done in Athens with the Parthenon and Erechtheum, both of which are located atop the Acropolis.The final chapters looks at how neglect, earthquakes and war took their toll on the ancient temples of Greece, leaving us with the ruins we can still view today.Nardo does an excellent job of presenting all this information in a dynamic manner, so that young students understand the hows and whys of these ancient structures."Greek Temples" is illustrated with contemporary color photographs of temple ruins around Greece as well as with illustrations suggesting what these temples looked like in their color days and various Greek cultural artifacts.Other books about famous structures in the Watts Library are devoted to Roman Amphitheaters and the Pyramids of Egypt. ... Read more