Mackinac Bridge : The Story of the Five Mile Poem

Set in the late 1950s, this is the moving story of a young boy whose father operates a ferryboat between Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas. As young Mark witnesses the building of the new Mackinac Bridge, he is torn between family loyalty and eager anticipation. He can't help being awestruck by the majesty of the five-mile-long bridge that will connect the two peninsulas and change the lives of so many. But the Mighty Mac will also put Mark's father out of business. As his father struggles with the flow of progress, Mark dreams of future bridges he will build. Details of the complex construction of the bridge will fascinate children as they learn an important part of America's history and come to understand the meaning of change. The Mackinac Bridge Authority provides history notes at the back of the book.

The Mackinac Bridge, the five-mile visual poem at the center of this charming story, spans Michigan's two peninsulas. Arching above the waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, this graceful suspension bridge energized the economy of the Midwest, but it also changed the lives of people in the region. Mackinac Bridge: The Five-Mile Poem tells the story of two young boys — who are enthralled by the prospect of the great bridge — and their father, whose ferry business is facing ruin. A bittersweet story of a historic achievement.

Although it will mean that their father can no longer make a living running a ferry boat, thirteen-year-old Mark and his brother Luke are excited about the building of a five-mile bridge across the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan in 1957.