Fallout by Steve Sheinkin

 

I will admit that history is not my favorite subject but I do enjoy a good mystery and true crime and Steve Sheinkin's book Fallout offers a kid-friendly explanation of the events and machinations that went on behind the scenes during the Cold War. 

The book opens with a story of a newspaper boy receiving some change as a tip and in a quirky twist of fate, discovers that one of the nickels has been hollowed out and contains a coded message. The quest to find out what it all meant was no easy task. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and Sheinkin tells a tale that draws the reader into a net of espionage that spans from Russia to the United States and Canada. 

I was mostly unfamiliar with this period of history as much of it took place before I was born or when I was a child. I read it out loud to my husband (who is a history enthusiast) and he even learned a few things! After finishing the book, he commented on how sobering it was that the world narrowly avoided nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

If you are looking for a way to interest young people in history, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of Fallout. Exceedingly engaging and easy-to-understand, this could make a great read-aloud for ages 10 and up. History offers many lessons and hopefully. new generations can use a book like this to not only understand the past but avoid repeating its mistakes. This title would make a great addition to any public, school, or home library. 

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Fallout from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.