Sabotage: The Mission to Destroy Hitler's Atomic Bomb (Young Adult Edition): Young Adult Edition
Brand: Arthur A. Levine Books
Categories: Books, Teen & Young Adult, Education & Reference


Arthur A Levine Books

Grade level: 7 and up
Dimensions: 6 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches
Reading age: 12 years and up
ISBN-13: 978-0545732437
ISBN-10: 0545732433
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Print length: 320 pages
Publication date: May 31, 2016
Lexile measure: 1070L
Language: English
subtitle: Hardcover – May 31, 2016
author: Visit Amazon's Neal Bascomb Page search results Neal Bascomb
review: Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal Gr 8 Up—The people of Norway had hoped to remain neutral during World War II as they had in the Great War, but that hope was shattered when Nazi Germany invaded Norway's ports in the early days of April 1940. In addition to taking over Norway's land and exiling their king, Germany also intended to capture the hydroelectric plant at Vemork in Norway's frozen highlands. The plant was one of the only places in the world that produced a substance called heavy water, an extremely important ingredient in Germany's race to develop an atomic bomb. It would take the Allies several unsuccessful attempts before a time bomb planted on the ferry transporting the heavy water and production equipment across a deep lake spelled the demise of Germany's atomic research. Bascomb is a master of taking complicated histories and turning them into exciting works of nonfiction. By exploring the various backgrounds of each of the Norwegian resistance fighters and scientists, he gives readers a chance to understand their motivations and properly empathize with their struggles. This investment pays off as the stakes get higher, and the narrative deftly switches between their perspectives, creating a dramatic and suspenseful tension like no other. A generous amount of captioned black-and-white photos of the men, buildings, and artifacts help to guide readers through the text. VERDICT This excellent treatise on a little-known episode of World War II is a first choice.—Eldon Younce, Anthony Public Library, KS Review Praise for Sabotage : "This is an exciting and impeccably researched story of science, spies, and commando raids -- page-turning nonfiction at its best." -- Steve Sheinkin, Newbery Honor-winning author of Bomb: The Race to Build -- and Steal -- the World's Most Dangerous Weapon * "Bascomb is a master of taking complicated histories and turning them into exciting works of nonfiction... This excellent treatise on a little-known episode of World War II is a first choice." -- School Library Journal , starred review"Bascomb's detailed narrative builds tension through each attempt, narrow escape, and comeback...vivid descriptions of the principal participants and their motivations, rigors of Norway's climate and terrain, and the risks calculated (and those unforeseen), producing a gripping account of individual and collective heroic effort." -- Publishers Weekly "The book is enhanced by impressive supplemental material, including a helpful list of participants, photographs, maps, and an intriguing author's note. A rich, well-paced narrative." -- Kirkus Reviews "Bascomb admirably balances dramatic tension and context throughout... Sabotage will find its place in a growing body of narrative nonfiction centering on military and political history." -- Horn Book "Bascomb's clear-eyed account, helped along by photos, maps, and diagrams, of the thrilling mission and its many challenges... will handily engage teens." -- Booklist Praise for The Nazi Hunters : Winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction AwardWinner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teen Readers" The Nazi Hunters is a fabulously exciting piece of history that teens should know about -- and now they will! Bascomb's detailed scenes allow readers to live through this true tale of courage and daring as if they were there." -- Deborah Heiligman, Printz Honor-winning author of Charles and Emma and Intentions "I found The Nazi Hunters riveting, from its suspenseful search for Eichmann to the capture of the war criminal responsible for orchestrating the murder of eleven million people, including six million Jews. Neal Bascomb's book is incredibly well-researched and paced like an espionage thriller. The hunters' commitment to bringing Eichmann to justice is sure to captivate readers." -- Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow and The Boy Who Dared "From cafés in Buenos Aires to the halls of the fledgling Israeli government, from false identities to secret drops, this story has all the hallmarks of a spy novel. Bascomb has a knack for turning complex detail into a suspenseful, heart-pounding narrative." -- School Library Journal "Photographs are included throughout the text, adding not just to the evidence of Eichmann's guilt but to the reader's sense of being along on the mission." -- The Horn Book Magazine "Tension rises from the pages, thanks to Bascomb's command of pacing, judicious use of quoted material, inclusion of archival photographs and strong descriptions." -- Kirkus Reviews From the Back Cover Praise for The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi Winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Sydney Taylor Book Award for Older Readers, Gold Medal "A gripping spy thriller about the capture of Adolf Eichmann... Bascomb's book is so suspenseful it puts Robert Ludlum to shame." -- Tablet "From cafés in Buenos Aires to the halls of the fledgling Israeli government, from false identities to secret drops, this story has all the hallmarks of a spy novel. Bascomb has a knack for turning complex detail into a suspenseful, heart-pounding narrative." -- School Library Journal "This is a splendid example of fascinating storytelling -- with action, emotion, and nail-biting suspense-blended with significant historical events." -- Booklist About the Author Neal Bascomb is the author of The Nazi Hunters , winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award, among numerous other awards. School Library Journal called his second young adult book, Sabotage , "excellent" in a starred review and The Grand Escape a "fantastic pick for avid history readers" also in a starred review. In addition, he is the author of six nonfiction books for adults on subjects ranging from a 1905 Russian submarine mutiny to a contemporary high school robotics team. The Perfect Mile , Winter Fortress , and Hunting Eichmann went on to be New York Times and international bestsellers. His book The Racers was named a BCCB Blue Ribbon Book and a starred review from School Library Journal called The Racers "Highly Recommended." Neal lives in Philadelphia with his family and rascal dog, Moses. Please visit his website at nealbascomb.com and follow him on Facebook @nealrbascomb. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. At 8 p.m., white camouflage suits covering their British Army uniforms, the nine men skied away from the Fjøsbudalen cabin in silence. They were armed with five Tommy guns as well as pistols, knives, and hand grenades. In their rucksacks, they carried the explosives for the attack and everything they needed for their retreat into the Vidda: sleeping bags, rations, maps, and other survival gear.Few of them believed that they would have the chance to escape, and there were poison pills hidden in their uniforms, to be taken in the event of their capture. They understood only too well what became of those who were brought into interrogation by the Gestapo.Claus Helberg led the way. Hidden by low cloud, the moon shone dimly, and he had to navigate mostly by memory and a natural feel for the terrain. He kept a steady pace, sweeping around boulders and twisting through the scattering of trees in a way only one born to these hills could. The others followed closely behind, the cut of their skis barely a whisper through the snow. Each man knew what to do once they arrived at the target. Their leader had made it clear that no matter what unfolded, no matter whether he or anyone else on the team was killed or wounded, those able were to "act on their own initiative to carry out the operation." Destroying the heavy-water plant was paramount. Read more