September 3 is Skyscraper Day. What two inventions made skyscrapers possible? How high can they go? How do they keep these tall buildings from swaying so much people get seasick?

I love kid's books, so many have such nice pictures! Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building, by Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome is full of facts that are woven into this simple story, and then a nice explanation at the end of where the name 'Sky boys' came from. Nice pictures, too! :-)

Stewart: the Skyscraper Falcon, by Linda Birman reminded me of when Stewart was making the nightly news. He and his mate, Bell were the falcons who had the nest on a skyscraper in Seattle. Illustrated with photographs.

For everything about a skyscraper ... history, construction from the foundation to the skin, elevators, plumbing, concerns about weather, wind ... it's here! The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper, by Kate Ascher was one of those books that unexpectedly caught my interest. Who know plumbing could be so interesting?! ;-) Be sure to read all the bits of trivia in the index.

For a simpler look at what goes in to building a skyscraper try Skyscraper: From the Ground Up, by Susan E. Goodman and Michael J. Doolittle. I liked the comments from those who do the work (such as a piece of plywood can turn into a sail in the high wind) or learning that extra weight is added to a work belt when it's windy.

Reading Hermit With Dog