The amazing story of Emily Warren Roebling, the woman who stepped in
to oversee the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, which was completed
in 1883.
Emily was not an engineer, but she was educated in math and science. She
married Washington Roebling, the chief engineer of the famous bridge.
When Washington became ill from decompression sickness, Emily stepped
in, doing everything from keeping the books, to carrying messages for
her husband, to monitoring the construction of the bridge. She was the
first person to cross the Brooklyn Bridge when it opened.
Emily, who went on to study law among many other accomplishments, is an
inspiration to all, as demonstrated through Frieda Wishinsky's
informative and engaging text and Natalie Nelson's distinctive collage
illustrations. Speech bubbles revealing imagined dialogue add a playful
note to this historical account, which includes fascinating facts about
the Brooklyn Bridge and a further reading list.
Key Text Features
further reading
speech bubbles
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language
Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to
demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama,
drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts,
words, or actions).