Walls

December 1, 2023

Gr 4-8-Craigie's latest details the age-old practice of building walls and the reasons behind them, from ancient wonders like the Great Wall of China to modern border fences. The book explores the many motivations for creating walls, such as protecting communities from invasion, deterring illegal immigration, safeguarding farms from animals, and reversing the effects of climate change. It explores the nuanced consequences of walls, from maintaining safety to fostering inequity and harm. Beyond its research value, this will appeal to geography and travel enthusiasts who seek unique information about locations around the world. The writing adopts an academic tone and within concise, single-page narratives, conveys an abundance of information about unique locations across the globe. The digitally created artwork, featuring earthy tones, adds visual appeal, while the occasional photographs allow readers to observe the actual places firsthand. A table of contents, glossary, further resources, and an index are all included. VERDICT An attractive purchase for larger collections or populations interested in understanding the history of walls, geography, and the human tendency to build barriers.-Kate Rao

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2024
Grades 4-8 This is one of those specialized STEAM offerings that takes a seemingly mundane subject--walls--and turns it into an international survey of ancient through modern-day structures, bringing in elements of architecture, engineering, agriculture, economy, and problem-solving. Each of the 10 chapters is dedicated to a specific aspect of walls, explaining how barriers perform certain tasks (keeping people out, keeping people in, protecting livestock and crops, protecting the planet) and then providing four or five examples, some of which include ancient Ukrainian earth mounds, the Great Wall of China, the Maginot Line, and the Mexico-U.S. barrier wall. Each structure is introduced through a few quick facts followed by considerable information on who built it, when, and why, construction details, archaeological excavations or current applications, and overall effect. Every page includes an illustration, photo, sidebar, or other graphic. Other helpful features include a glossary and list of resources. This colorful and inviting offering fills a void and makes for great middle-school world history curriculum support while shoring up STEAM collections.

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