Book Review - Bomb

Bomb

Bomb is a nonfiction text that details the timeline of the atomic bomb, from the origination of the idea to the devastation it caused in Japan.  The book provides facts about the people involved, the arms race between the United States, Germany and the Soviet Union.  The first part of the book focuses on the beginning of Hitler’s reign, double agents being enlisted in the United States and the early advances within the scientific community.  As the book moves on you see the fear of Hitler rise, Britain and the United States alliance and the enlisting of scientists to help further the atomic technology.  Readers find out about Richard Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project and the double agents that were employed by the Soviet Union.  Many physicists, chemists and scientists worked from several years to build the atomic bomb.  The last part of the book details how the United States warned Japan to back down and their refusal.  It also discusses the actual dropping of the bomb.  The most fascinating part of the book was the round up of double agents after the war by the FBI.

Bomb, was a book that I had purchased from Scholastic for my classroom, but had not read.  When I was researching the various types of awards, I realized that Bomb, had been honored by group, Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults.  The cover and title do not do the content of the book justice.  The book covers so much more than the actual atomic bomb and provides a look into the tense times that surrounded World War II.  Also, it provides information that helps explain the cold war.  I realized that there were many ideas and that would interest a certain type of reader and allow them speculate about philosophical ideas.  I believe that students beginning in middle school would understand and enjoy the content within the book. As, I was reading this book, I was picturing some on my students that were huge history buffs and then I began to think that this may be one of my favorite nonfiction books.

Sheinkin, S. (2012). Bomb: The race to build—and steal—the world’s most dangerous weapon. Broadway, NY: Scholastic.