Fallout

An Honor Book in the 2022 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Awards--for most distinguished informational book for children

Ages 10 to 14

A follow up to the award-winning Bomb, celebrated nonfiction author Steve Sheinkin takes on the Cold War.

As World War II comes to a close, the United States and the Soviet Union emerge as the two greatest world powers on extreme opposites of the political spectrum. After the United States showed its hand with the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, the Soviets refuse to be left behind. With communism sweeping the globe, the two nations begin a neck-and-neck competition to build even more destructive bombs and conquer the Space Race. In their battle for dominance, spy planes fly above, armed submarines swim deep below, and undercover agents meet in the dead of night.

The Cold War game grows more precarious as weapons are pointed towards each other, with fingers literally on the trigger. The decades-long showdown culminates in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the world's close call with the third—and final—world war.

About the Author

Steve Sheinkin is the acclaimed author of fast-paced, cinematic nonfiction histories for young readers, including Born to Fly; Undefeated; Most Dangerous; The Port Chicago 50; Bomb; and The Notorious Benedict Arnold. His accolades include a Newbery Honor, three Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, a Sibert Medal, and three National Book Award finalist honors. Sheinkin lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife and two children.