Super Skyscrapers

Gr 6–9—Coherent narratives and excellent, if sometimes vertigo-inducing, camera work distinguish this four-part PBS miniseries. First aired in February of 2014, the stand-alone episodes offer inside looks at the designs, intended purposes, materials, and histories up to, roughly, mid-2013 of four skyscrapers currently still under construction: the Shanghai Towers, London's "Cheese Grater" Leadenhall Building, and New York City's One World Trade Center and the hyperluxurious One57. Though the profiles all include views of massive steel mazes and hard hatted workers intrepidly clambering about at dizzying heights, each also has a particular focus of its own—selecting the Carrara marble and other sleek materials for One57's astronomically priced residences, for instance, or highlighting the revolutionary use of prefabricated elements in Leadenhall. Refreshingly, though the overall approach is positive, there are occasional confrontations over shoddy workmanship or other issues captured on screen. Some suspense is manufactured by the narrator and music, but overall the tone is less hyperbolic than the infotainment that is produced for cable TV. Nonetheless, few viewers will fail to be awed by the sheer scale of these projects.—John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City