Book: BOMB: The Race to Build – And Steal – The World’s Most
Dangerous Weapon
Author: Steve Sheinkin
Publisher: Flash Point
Pages: 272
Grade Level: 6th Grade and up
Rating: 5 Stars
It is December of 1938, and the major discovery, that when a Uranium
atom is placed next to radioactive material, the atom will split in two. Because
of this, spies are flying all over three continents to be the first to obtain
an atomic bomb. This book reads more like a novel than a history textbook, and
it is an in depth story of what really went on behind the scenes during World
War II and this fascinating discovery.
I am not usually a fan of non-fiction, but this book truly blew me out
of the water. I loved everything about it – from the design: the sideways
titles, the cool photos that are not distracting, the primary sources that are
listed in the back coherently along with the documentations, to the fact that
scientific concepts were clearly defined. Who knew there was so much espionage
going on during the War? It is written extremely coherently and sixth graders
and up can easily understand what is going on at all times. Every spy element
is fantastic and every person who reads it will really be surprised at how much
they enjoy and learn from it.
