Nuclear Meltdowns

A True Book

by Peter Benoit

b> A True Book―Disasters The horror! The humanity! The heroes! Read these true, heartstopping tales about unimaginable devastation wrought by nature and humans, and the amazing spirit of the people who united in recovery in the aftermath of nuclear explosions, worldwide diseases, earthquakes and hurricanes, and terrorist attacks.

Genres: Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent concise information.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a book about nuclear disasters, and happened upon this in my library's card catalog. At first, I thought it must be some kind of joke, but to my surprise it was a picture book devoted to nuclear mishaps. It is very factual, and taught me more about nuclear reactors and power generation than any number of more adult sources. However, I don't think the material is appropriate for the age group. This book deals with everything from mass evacuations to amputations to the death of Chernobyl 'volunteers' who went in after the meltdown. I can't imagine anyone younger than middle school should read this. The author somewhat strangely vacillates between presenting nuclear power as the end-all of clean, reliable power and as a horrible and dangerous process. Rather than be a balanced look, it stuck me as a little bi-polar.

In short, it is an interesting read for adults, but I can't imagine reading it to the intended age group, and the fact it is a picture book means most adults would be looking for more.