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Parents' Guide to

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Inspiring tale of landmark's construction.

Book Deborah Hopkinson History 2006
Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

BlueJade
BlueJade Parent of 10-year-old
July 16, 2009
age 5+

Fine for New Yorkers

This is a well developed book. But its primary appeal will be to New Yorkers who want to understand how the Empire State Building was constructed. It may also fit into a historical unit about the time period. The illustrations are fine. Even up to fifth graders may find this book good because of its informative pictures and text. I just wish there were more books about people who live outside New York City.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In the winter of the Great Depression, a boy scavenges for firewood on the streets of New York before school. He finds a big pile at a new construction site where the Empire State Building is about to be built.

Over the next year he watches and describes the process of building the giant skyscraper. In May he is one of the first people to ride the elevator up to the Observation Deck. Includes sources, an author's note about the project, and archival photographs on the endpapers.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is a fascinating, nonfiction book about the building of the Empire State Building, framed by a fictional story about a boy watching the process. His part, giving a few details of the Depression and including an out-of-work father, is told in an odd, second-person style that's distracting, but the framing device provides context and draws younger readers in.

Author Deborah Hopkinson tells the nonfiction part in clear prose that doesn't get in the way of the dramatic story, and gives plenty of facts without being overwhelming. But it's James Ransome's glowing oil paintings that make this slim volume soar. Pictures, large and small, from a variety of perspectives, culminate in a gorgeous two-page spread of the finished building at sunrise that gives a sense of the awe and majesty of the building, and the pride New Yorkers felt at their achievement in the depths of the Depression.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about skyscrapers. Why do people want to build something so big and difficult to construct? Why do they inspire us? Why would people want such a dangerous job?

Book Details

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