(1) YA Illustrated by Nick Bertozzi. Sheinkin's work of award-winning narrative nonfiction (Bomb, rev. 11/12) is here sharpened by the author's own graphic adaptation--and portrayed through Bertozzi's skillful cartooning--amplifying the drama, intrigue, and brutality irrevocably linked with the dawn of the atomic age. In five chapters, roughly spanning the years of WWII, Sheinkin cogently interconnects a massive cast of world leaders, scientists, military personnel, spies, and civilians across a mostly chronological account of the Manhattan Project. Unique for this new edition, Sheinkin chose the post-war interrogation of Harry Gold (a Philadelphia factory worker who spied for the Soviets) as the narrative's through line. This clever bit of storytelling permits the omniscient narrator to seamlessly move between key events as they are discussed during Gold's hardboiled questioning. The Golden Age-style illustrations generally adhere to an efficient three-tier, nine-panel page layout yet regularly shift in size, shape, and number to underscore significant moments and ideas. Notably, a stark white page is used to depict the detonation of the Little Boy atomic bomb over Hiroshima. Back matter includes an author's note describing Sheinkin's adaptation process, while an informative epilogue ends on a slightly more ominous note than the original: "How does this story end? We don't know--because it's still going on. And, like it or not, you're in it."

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) 4-6 Translated by Emily Balistrieri. This is a moving, somber look at the 1945 Hiroshima nuclear bombing, seen mostly through the eyes of ­Hiroshima junior high school students--"second-­generation atomic-bomb survivors"--as they attend the 1970 Peace ­Memorial ceremony and prepare for a cultural festival. Friends Nozomi, Shun, and Kozo have a vague idea of what happened during World War II, but they become more curious when Nozomi has an unsettling encounter with an elderly woman who seems to mistake her for someone else. Then their beloved art teacher, Mr. Yoshioka, a former soldier, leaves school due to long-term sickness possibly connected to radiation exposure. The students create an art exhibit highlighting Hiroshima's past and present and interview relatives and neighbors about their experiences. Many of their stories are interspersed throughout the text, turning the novel into a tale about wartime trauma and how art and story can channel empathy, memory, and remembrance. The book also touches upon the issue of complicity and regret when Mr. Yoshioka tells his students that the Japanese people were both aggressors and victims in the war and asks, "How...will we be able to make up for these crimes, to heal these wounds?" The answer, he says, is for future generations to learn from past mistakes, to never be bystanders, and to never forget. Appended with notes about the bombing of Hiroshima and the lantern floating ceremony.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(3) YA In 1984, the small town of Griffin Flat, Arkansas, is known only for its nuclear missile silos--making it the perfect location to shoot a movie about nuclear annihilation. Sixteen-year-old Laura Ratliff wins a radio contest for a walk-on role and gets thrust into the surreal experience of making a movie about something she has grown up fearing. Funny, fresh, and totally unique.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Following Edge of Extinction: The Ark Plan, friends Sky and Shawn discover a hidden lab working to save humanity and the dinosaurs. Meanwhile, human ruler "the Noah" has devised a nuclear plan that will destroy the dinosaurs and humanity. As Sky, Shawn, and their allies race to stop the Noah's plan, plentiful action keeps the pace moving, while engaging character interactions provide narrative depth.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) YA O'Reilly's well-known voice and blustery demeanor come through loud and clear in this breathless narrative account of the events leading up to the dropping of the atomic bomb and the end of WWII. An abundance of (poorly reproduced) photographs, short chapters, and staccato-style sentences make the volume (adapted from the adult book Killing the Rising Sun) an undemanding read. Reading list, timeline. Ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 David Da-Wei Horowitz (who is Jewish and Chinese) is preparing for his January 1984 bar mitzvah. But reading Torah "in front of about a zillion people" is the least of his problems considering the arguing between his culturally different grandmothers, drama in his middle-school friend group, and the real possibility of nuclear war. A realistic coming-of-age novel filled with witty yet sensitive cultural observations.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, fifteen-year-old Tygo (under duress) loots abandoned Dutch homes for the Germans. On the job, he discovers a girl in hiding who provides another perspective on his desperate plight. Osborne's somewhat loose approach to historical events embraces "what if" scenarios; in this case, a last-ditch attempt by Hitler to attack New York. A cinematic read with plenty of action and adventure. Historical note appended.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA As the Second American Civil War escalates, Danny Wright (Divided We Fall; Burning Nation) finds himself in the middle of it. Danny and friends grow disillusioned with the war effort after the U.S. fractures into numerous independent countries and the threat of international nuclear action looms. Character growth is strong as the protagonists suffer through painful losses; action scenes propel the story forward.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Highly Guarded Places series. It's all about protection in these examinations of guarding important or high-profile entities. From America's gold storehouse and nuclear facilities to prisons or the president, these seven entries briefly describe the history and necessary safety measures taken with regards to each one. Captioned color and black-and-white photos, maps, and sidebars complement the straightforward narratives. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Highly Guarded Places titles: Guarding Fort Knox, Guarding Nuclear Weapons Facilities, Guarding Supermax Prisons, Guarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guarding Air Force One, Guarding Area 51, and Guarding the Super Bowl Stadium.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA This book offers a riveting tale of the aftermath of U.S. nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. The tests themselves and the lives of the Marshall Islanders directly affected by the resulting radiation contamination are described in engrossing detail. Sidebars, quotes from primary sources, and period photographs supplement the informative and thought-provoking narrative. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(2) 4-6 Strasser imagines what might have happened if nuclear war had broken out during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When the air raid sirens go off, neighbors force their way into Scott's father's bomb shelter. Alternating chapters tell of the months leading up to that event, allowing the author to vividly depict the 1960s setting, create complex characters, and build the backstory.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(1) YA While comprehensive in its synthesis of the political, historical, and scientific aspects of the creation of the first nuclear weapon, this account focuses on an extremely alluring angle: the spies. Sheinkin maintains the pace of a thriller without betraying history or skipping over the science; writing with journalistic immediacy, he eschews editorializing. Photos help readers organize the events and players. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012

(3) YA This timely volume looks at nuclear issues in the post-Cold War era. The concise text discusses arms held by the unstable former Soviet republics, continuing concerns regarding the Middle East, the nuclear rivalry between India and Pakistan, and the potential for violence from terrorists in the United States or abroad. Illustrated with occasional black-and-white photos, the book is thought-provoking and unsettling. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Issues in Focus series. Chemical and Biological Warfare includes updated information on the growing threat of bioterrorism and on some steps that have been taken to combat it. All three volumes fully describe the gruesome consequences of these violent weapons, with less attention paid to possible solutions. Muddy black-and-white photos illustrate the texts. Land Mines and Nuclear Weapons contain glossaries. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA Impact Book series. An ardent arms-control advocate, Cheney writes an earnest, detailed account of the history of nuclear proliferation, including current government policies designed to limit the spread of nuclear technology, past and present nonproliferation treaties, the problems caused by the breakup of the Soviet Union, and ideas for curbing future nuclear development. Black-and-white photographs are included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(4) YA World History series. Tracing the development, deployment, and ramifications of the atom bomb through the historical, political, and scientific imperatives for its creation, this volume will be useful to report writers and for supplemental reading in science and history curricula. The book's textbook-like design includes an elaborate time line and a plethora of informative sidebars and black-and-white photos. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn