Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

Bibliography

Sheinkin, S. (2018). Bomb: The race to build--and steal--the world's most dangerous weapon. Square Fish.

Plot Summary

Sheinkin’s nonfiction Bomb details the race to build the atomic bomb and to stop Hitler

from building his own atomic bomb. There are three different story threads that unfolds

as the story progresses. The first thread follows as Soviet informants infiltrate America’s

Los Alamos laboratory. The second thread tracks the heroism of Knut Haukelid as he

parachutes into Norway to destroy Germany’s heavy water plant. The last thread follows

Robert Oppenheimer’s assemblage of scientific minds (aka “the world’s largest collection of

crackpots”), who design the most lethal weapon in history.

Critical Analysis

While the book has too many characters to keep up with, the story lines are easy to follow. 

The book contains the bare facts which make it easy for even young readers to follow. The facts are clear and concise. Included are source notes, quotation notes, acknowledgments, photo credits, and an index.

Review Excerpts

From Booklist: 

Sheinkin’s prose understandably favors plot machinations over character, and positioning

photos in the back matter feels anticlimactic. Nonetheless, the painstakingly sourced

narrative crackles and drives home the “strange mix of pride and horror” felt by the scientists

who had just won the war—but lost something of equal worth. - Daniel Kraus

From Kirkus:

A superb tale of an era and an effort that forever changed our world. It takes a lot of work

to make a complicated subject clear and exciting, and from his prodigious research and

storytelling skill, Sheinkin has created a nonfiction story young people will want to read.

Awards and Honors

• Newbery Medal Honor Book, 2013

• National Book Awards – Finalist, 2013

• Sibert Medal, 2013

• YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, 2013

Connections

This book can be used as a supplement to learning about WWII and the building of the atomic bomb.  This book might also be a great supplement in a science class.