Okay, I already admitted that I love spy stories, but this one is a MUST READ! Sheinkin is a genius at making this true story from the past read like an international espionage thriller novel. Even if you know your history, you can’t help but turn the page to see what happens next.
Also, one thing I love is the amount of detailed research Sheinkin puts into his books. It’s absolutely astonishing! If he says it was raining, it was actually raining on that day in history, and if there are tulips blooming, then there were tulips blooming!
Here’s the official BOOK PROMO:
*****
In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned three continents.
In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos.
This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world’s most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.
*****
There is a reason this book has won all kinds of awards, including National Book Award Finalist, Newbery Honor Book, and Cybils Winner for Nonfiction. It’s really that good!
Sheinkin beautifully weaves the American, Russian, and German parts of the story together, and you come away from the book with a healthy fear of the power of the atom bomb and an appreciation for the individuals involved in making it.
True stories are sometimes the most unbelievable, and this is one you don’t want to miss.
Happy reading!
Books for Curious Kids 