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

Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon

• Genre: Nonfiction; middle grade history, science, and technology
• Originally Published: 2012
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 920L; grades 5-8
• Structure/Length: 4 parts, prologue, epilogue, and notes; approx. 304 pages; approx. 7 hours, 12 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: This nonfiction narrative describes the complex events and major historical figures involved in the pursuit to develop the atomic bomb.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: War; violence; profanity; graphic images

Steve Sheinkin, Author

• Bio: Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1968; enjoyed action and adventure stories as a child; attended Syracuse University for communications and international relations; attempted careers in moviemaking and writing after college; earned a living as a textbook writer until 2008, when King George: What Was His Problem? was published; lives in Saratoga, New York with his wife and two children; known for award-winning American history nonfiction titles
• Other Works: The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights (2014); Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War (2015); Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team (2017); Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown (2021); Time Twisters, a chapter book series
• Awards: National Book Awards for Young People's Literature finalist (2012); Washington Post Best Kids’ Books of the Year title (2012); Newbery Honor Book (2013); ALA Notable Children’s Book (2013)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Race to Build a Bomb
• Trust and Suspicion in Wartime
• Pride and Guilt among the Weapon Makers

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an overall perspective through contextual investigation of the atomic bomb’s role in World War II.
• Learn the basic history of the race to build a bomb and the attempts by some key figures to steal that information.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Race to Build a Bomb and Trust and Suspicion in Wartime.
• Analyze and evaluate text details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the role of sabotage in the WWII arms race, the ethical implications of nuclear weapons, and other topics.