Fantastic Feats and Failures (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards)) [Hardcover]

Editors of YES Mag (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards)

Astronauts on Apollo 13 averted disaster with the help of duct tape. The design of the Sydney Opera House was based on the segments of an orange. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge swayed so much it was nicknamed "Galloping Gertie." From genius designs to deadly design-flaws, the story of engineering is full of oddities and surprises. Fantastic Feats and Failures includes bridge and dome-building projects, and other activities to test your engineering know-how.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 4-8. From the editors of the Canadian magazine YES Mag: Canada's Science Magazine for Kids, this large-format book spotlights 20 notable highs and lows in engineering. The "feats" celebrated include the Sydney Opera House, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Canadarm (a huge, Canadian-built robotic arm used for repairs in space). Among the "failures" are the space shuttle Challenger, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, and the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Hubble Space Telescope fall into both categories. Well organized and engagingly written, the one- to four-page chapters present good overall views of these endeavors as well as amusing and intriguing details of their design and construction. Excellent photos, most in color, illustrate the places and events discussed, while colorful drawings visually represent concepts such as the elevations of water and locks along the Panama Canal. There isn't much about engineering in kids' books; this is a lively introduction. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Well organized and engagingly written, the one- to four-page chapters present good overall views of these endeavors as well as amusing and intriguing details of their design and construction. Excellent photos, most in color, illustrate the places and events discussed, while colorful drawings visually represent concepts such as elevations of water and locks along the Panama Canal. There isn’t much about engineering in kids’ books; this is a lively introduction. (Booklist )

Thickly illustrated with bright color photos and lucid diagrams, this will be popular with casual browsers and all fans of large-scale human endeavor. (Kirkus Reviews )

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 52 pages
• Publisher: Kids Can Press (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553376331
• ISBN-13: 978-1553376330
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,814,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Really Good Book!, August 20, 2005

By 

Lynn Ellingwood "The ESOL Teacher" (Webster, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fantastic Feats and Failures (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards)) (Hardcover)

I thought this book would be boring because I am not generally interested in archetecture, but it wasn't. I found myself being absorbed and actually learning about a topic that I didn't know much about. I highly recommend this book and will share it with my students.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Feats, April 21, 2010

By 

Samantha (Utah) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fantastic Feats and Failures (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards)) (Hardcover)

Highly enjoyed the book, and think it is a shame it is out of print and only available on a used book basis. I am using this book in the capacity of an English teacher to show kids the purposes of sidebars, etc., in writing. The book is published in Canada and does seem to have a small anti-USA bias, and I am also using it as a sample of objectivity vs subjectivity.