Sheinkin, Steve. 2012. BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD –AND
STEAL–THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596434875
[Suggested Grade Levels 6-10]
REVIEW
In 1938, German chemist Otto Hahn wondered what would happen
when neutrons sped out of a radioactive material and crashed into a uranium
atom. “The answer was shocking.” Hahn
found that the atoms split and that great energy was released. This
discovery within the earth’s tiniest particles launched a worldwide race to
build the first atomic bomb.
BOMB tells the captivating story of this race to create the
world’s most powerful weapon. The action involves scientists, spies,
intelligence agents, military commanders, and world leaders from around the
globe. Settings include German, Russian, and American laboratories as well as
the White House, the Norwegian wilderness, a ranch school in Los Alamos,
Arizona, and an unsuspecting home in Hiroshima. Less than seven years after
Hahn’s discovery, the first atomic bomb is dropped. The war ends with the “knowledge that that
the world would never be the same.”
This well-researched, engaging book provides historical
information in an accessible format for teen readers. Direct quotations and
first-hand accounts are incorporated seamlessly into text that reads more like
a spy novel than a nonfiction piece. Photographs, diagrams, and thorough back
matter are utilized effectively. The book provides enough information to
satisfy history buffs and science enthusiasts without overwhelming the casual
reader.
CONNECTIONS
Readers can map the locations where action took place.
Fiction selections portraying different points of view can be read. The
devastation of Hiroshima can be further studied. Readers can also research more
about the science behind the bomb.
RELATED
BOOKS
Fictional stories about teens living these
events: Klages, Ellen. THE GREEN GLASS SEA. ISBN 9780670061341
Preus, Margi. SHADOW ON THE MOUNTAIN. ISBN 9781419704246
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