The Wild River and the Great Dam

Honors for The Wild River and the Great Dam:
Booklist Editors' Choice
An NSTA-CBC Best STEM Book
A School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Middle to High School
A Booklist Top Ten Sci-Tech Read of the Year
A CCBC Choice
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year

"In this detailed and informative work, Boughton chronicles the construction of the Hoover Dam via compellingly comprehensive text…. Personal stories from the men who built the dam feature throughout and provide context surrounding the consequences of such a drastic change on the natural environment."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This engaging history of the construction of the Hoover Dam does a very good job of recreating the political, social, geographic, and environmental scenarios that swirled around this daunting and ambitious project.... This well-written narrative is bound to become the authority on this modern American marvel—and its devastating effects on the environment."—Booklist, starred review

"An extensively researched exploration into the people, the river, and the economics behind the creation of Hoover Dam…. Visual aids add immediacy, including maps, construction plans, advertisements, and black-and-white photos showing the vast scope of the project, the powerful white men in charge, the workers and their families, and the devastating environmental consequences. A fascinating blend of social and environmental history and engineering."—Kirkus Reviews

"Weaving compelling facts and human stories into a cohesive narrative, Boughton explores the dam’s political, economic, social, and environmental impacts on the region. He traces the need for a system of dams to control and regulate water; the engineering feats and specific labor skills that would be required to build the great dam at such a breakneck pace; and how the experience shaped the lives of those who built it…. The book includes numerous well-chosen black-and-white photographs, maps, diagrams, and primary source quotes throughout the text."—The Horn Book

"A fascinating, and at times heartbreaking history of the building of the Hoover Dam…. This book discusses geographical issues of flooding and water conservation, and the human impacts of the building of the dam…. The book features period photos in black and white, and several maps to help readers understand the geography of the region…. A great addition to nonfiction collections covering dams, ecology, and history of the Southwest."—School Library Journal

"Truly breathtaking. This is a powerful story and like the water slowly rising behind that concrete barrier, it becomes more powerful with each page turn."—David Macaulay, two-time recipient of the Caldecott Medal and creator of the bestselling The Way Things Work

"An exciting mix of research, storytelling, and an astounding true story—one that’s still unfolding today."—Steve Sheinkin, three-time National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor author of Bomb