Description
★“This great STEAM offering has multiple applications and will be useful for report writers and aspiring architects alike.”—Booklist, starred review
★“Finely detailed inside and outside...Broad in scope, perceptively organized, and enriched with fascinating entries.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Why did they build it so high?
People have been constructing tall buildings for thousands of years, for many different reasons. Castle walls kept people safe. Utility towers transmit TV and cell-phone signals. Observatories give people a bird’s-eye view of the world. Beautiful buildings stand out in the crowd. Skyscrapers provide housing for a lot of people. There are some good reasons for building up, and a few bad ones as well.
With a growing global population, we will need more and more space to live, learn and work in. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Can we do it sustainably? Tall buildings may be part of the answer. From the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai Tower, Why Humans Build Up asks why and how we build higher and higher, and what that means for the planet.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Author Bio
Gregor Craigie is a radio journalist and writer. He has worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for many years. Before that he worked in several cities, including London, England, where he was an announcer for the BBC World Service and a reporter for CBS Radio. Gregor’s first book for adults, On Borrowed Time: North America’s Next Big Quake, was a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Balsillie Prize for Public Policy and the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. He is also the author of Why Humans Build Up: The Rise of Temples, Towers and Skyscrapers and Walls: The Long History of Human Barriers and Why We Build Them, both part of the Orca Timeline series, as well as Saving Wolfgang, his children's fiction debut. Gregor lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Prizes
- Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book AwardShort-listed 2024
- Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-FictionShort-listed 2023
- CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selectionCommended 2023
- Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC) Red Cedar Book AwardsNominated 2024
- Forest of Reading Yellow Cedar AwardNominated 2024
- BC Books for SchoolsCommended 2022
Review Quotes
“An inquisitive look into the history of building structures toward the sky in cities all around the world. Gregor Craigie sparks intrigue by providing clear, concise facts about famous tall structures that will leave students wondering and wanting to know more.”
— BC Books for SchoolsBiographical note
Gregor Craigie is a writer and journalist. He wakes up at 3:45 every weekday morning to talk on CBC Radio in Victoria, British Columbia. Despite the early hours, Gregor loves his job because he gets to ask questions and write for a living. Before his current job at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, he worked for the BBC World Service in London and traveled to several different countries, telling stories for radio listeners. Why Humans Build Up is his first book for kids.
Kathleen Fu is a Canadian illustrator based in Toronto with a background in fine art, architecture and urban design. She is a graduate of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture and her current work is heavily inspired by her time studying architecture, city life and storytelling. She enjoys creating intricate illustrations with a Where’s Waldo-esque style, injecting each piece with as many unique characters and different shapes as possible. Her work has been published in the New York Times, Reader’s Digest, the Globe and Mail, The Walrus and many other publications.
