Rushmore: Monument for the Ages

by Lynn Curlee

Describes how this patriotic shrine and tourist attraction was conceived, designed, and created by the dedicated artist Gutzon Borglum

Genres: Picture Books, History, Nonfiction, Childrens, American History, Biography, Historical

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Nancy Perez Morales]

Rushmore by Lynn Curlee, is nonfiction book that tells the story of how Gutzon Borglum created one of the worlds most famous landmarks. This picture book contains illustrations that show the progress of the sculptures, showing how workmen would climb and work on the sculptures. This book also informs readers about the obstacles that Gutzon Borglum had to face and how he overcame them to complete this famous landmark. I actually really enjoyed reading this book, I was fascinated by the details of how the sculptures were being developed, what Borglum had to do to complete the sculpture, and what time was like during the building of the landmark. The illustrations help make the book more engaging and interesting, which I also liked. I think this book can be an excellent resource to add when teaching about the presidents or when learning about the country’s famous landmarks and their history. Overall, this book is very useful to educate students about the history of this famous sculpture.

[Debra]

This is very short on pictures and long on story. Definitely for an older audience or used in conjunction with additional actual photos of Rushmore and the work and workmen completing the project. I thoroughly enjoyed the background information. I do not recall knowing the sculptor's connection to Stone Mountain.

[Danette]

Beautifully done. I learned something new.

[Stephanie Watson]

Interesting account of how Mt. Rushmore was built
Less of a picture book than a long essay

[Sarah]

A long read and a tad dry, but still some interesting facts.

[MacKenzie Wyatt]

Absolutely beautiful art.

[Virginia Burnham]

This is an awesome book. It is very informative. I loved it.

[Emily]

I've been to Mount Rushmore but knew very little about the process. Lynn Curlee's books are always fascinating.

[Andrew Schoenfelder]

There are many ways this book can be incorporated into a curriculum especially since I am from South Dakota and would have great relevance to children in the state. This book could be read when talking about national monuments, presidents, or state history. Something teacher’s must discuss with their class before reading the book is where Mount Rushmore is, what it resembles, and a picture of it to build up their background knowledge. The pictures in the book are very vivid and provide great detail describing the text and what the mountain looked like before and after it became a national monument.

[Marissa J.]

This informational text it the true story of how Mount Rushmore became to be such a wonderful tourist attraction.

I found this book to have many different styles within it's pages. The use of maps and other illustrations allows the reader to see what the factual text is referring to. The author also uses quotes and letters to allow the reader to get to know Gutzon Borglum (the creator of Mount Rushmore) as an individual. They also get to see his plans and goals develop and executed. I think the author does an awesome job of using these different literary elements to keep the reader engaged in a factual text.

[Stephen Hero]

You guys have it real easy. I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here. Because the fact is, whether you deserve it or not, you go to one of the best schools in this country.

Rushmore. You lucked out.

Now for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the cross-hairs. And take them down.

[Jackie]

An interesting factual book about one of the country's most treasured landmarks. With a vision and skill, this wondrous work of art became a labor of love for those that worked on it. Rushmore is full of information that most of don't really know about its creation, the length of time it took to complete, and the obstacles that got in the way. Beautiful illustrations and a timeline accompany this informational text.

[Amy]

A informational book written for "older" children (probably at least grade 4 and up) about the planning, designing, and building of Mount Rushmore. Went into lots of detail about the sculptor hired to undertake the project and the "why" behind the monument. I read it out loud to our family as we were driving to see the monument this summer!

[Ashley Whiteley]

This book is very informative. There are many people that know that mount Rushmore is important but they don't know why. I don't know if all kids would have the patience to read it because it is long, but it is very interesting read. There are very few pictures and definitely not bright pictures.

[Megan Farmer]

I thought that this book was very informative. I loved the story of how Mt Rushmore came to be. It is a long read and could be difficult for some children to read. But I still think that it would be a good resource when teaching students the history of Mt. Rushmore.

[Sarah]

An interesting look at the history of Mt Rushmore and the man who sculpted it. It might be a bit hard for elementary students to read, but would be a good read aloud.

[Lauren Brown]

I loved the illustrations in this book. They were beautiful. It told the story of how Mt. Rushmore was created. Good book for a history class starter.

[Beth Pearson]

This book is so detailed and I learned a lot I didn't know. Use this book when teaching about different monuments in the states.

[Allison W]

Great information