Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (Newbery Honor Book & National Book Award Finalist)

Steve Sheinkin presents a nonfiction account of the creation of the atomic bomb, spanning from a 1938 discovery by a German chemist to the weapon's development during World War II. The narrative follows the scientific race across three continents: Soviet spies infiltrating scientific communities in Great Britain and the United States, a commando operation in Norway targeting German heavy-water production, and a group of scientists working in secret at Los Alamos in the desert. The book documents the plotting, risk-taking, deception, and scientific achievement that led to the world's most destructive weapon and the subsequent arms race and Cold War. The book is a Newbery Honor recipient and a National Book Awards finalist for Young People's Literature. It was also named a Washington Post Best Kids Book of the Year.