SERIES MADE SIMPLE

The Bird's Nest

9781629205618. ea vol: 32p. (How Did They Build That?). chron. glossary. photos. Scobre Educational. 2015. lib. ed. $27.99. ebk. $8.99.
COPY ISBN
Gr 4–6—These titles take students on a tour of some of the world's most unique buildings, with short chapters about each edifice's history, reasons for construction, construction materials and techniques, architects, and current uses. Time lines illustrate construction schedules, and "Did You Know?" factoids provide interesting details about the buildings and their locations. Unfortunately, the set has several weaknesses. The chronology in One World Trade Center (which opened in 2014) ends in 2013 and refers to tenants in the future tense. Texts describe numerous architectural and building techniques, some quite complex, but there are no diagrams, cutaways, or exploded drawings to help readers understand them. Colorful photos are attractive but generic and not always well coordinated with the accompanying text.
VERDICT These volumes are unlikely to draw a general audience and will not be especially useful to report writers.

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