Great Engineering Fails

April 1, 2020

Gr 3-5-"When a player fails, it's just one moment and one loss in a long career." This quote from Great Sports Fails best encompasses the uplifting tone of this series. These unique books repackage failure from something kids fear into an unavoidable part of life that can lead to eventual success. Fascinating examples include the original use of bubble wrap (textured wallpaper), the first synthetic dye, and unbelievable sports losses. Exciting pictures of football games, early airplanes, and mammoth bridges accompany the text. A glossary, resources, and an index are included. VERDICT This series will lift the spirits of any child worried about their own failures.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2019
Grades 3-5 While it might seem odd to pay tribute to errors, this entry in the Celebrating Failure series sees mistakes as part of the process to reaching success. With a focus on engineering, four chapters relate the setbacks and victories that led to the first successful airplane flight, the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and other suspension bridges, the construction of a winter-proof stadium, and the safety improvements made to passenger ships after the Titanic disaster. Complemented by reproductions and numerous period and modern photographs, each chapter discusses the engineering goal, what went wrong, and how engineers learned and improved from their mistakes. For instance, after snow continuously ripped a hole in and deflated the roof of Minneapolis' Metrodome, engineers designed and completed a new stadium in 2016, with a stronger roof that doesn't inflate and can withstand the city's heavy snowfall. Its sleeker design even lets in more light. Sidebars with additional examples, a glossary, and related resources round out the accessible text. These recognizable failures and marvels offer a high-interest approach to technology.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)