The Bomb (Paperback)

by Theodore Taylor (Author) "Just before the roosters crowed one day in late March 1944, Sorry Rinamu was awakened by great, angry roars from the sky, louder that rolling..." (more)
Key Phrases: red canoe, target ships, bomb release, Chief Juda, Grandfather Jonjen, Tara Malolo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In 1946, Taylor (The Cay) served aboard the USS Sumner, part of a naval team that set the stage for post-war atomic and hydrogen-weapons testings near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific-experiences at the crux of this heart-wrenching novel. As Taylor tells it, the Bikini natives live simply in accordance with age-old customs, taking all they need to subsist from the land and the sea. World War II intrudes when Japanese soldiers establish a weather station in their pristine village. Then, when U.S. Marines capture the island in the "Battle" of Bikini (a misnomer, since the Japanese killed themselves rather than be taken prisoner), the islanders hold a celebration. Little do they know that the same government that has liberated them from the hated Japanese will shatter the peace forever, convincing them to vacate their idyllic residence, placing them in the media's invasive, insensitive spotlight and rendering their homeland uninhabitable. Three very real and likable characters-a courageous 14-year-old boy; his outspoken uncle, who after years away returns to the island with insight into modern society; and the island's perceptive schoolteacher-underscore the tragedy. A haunting, soundly researched work. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10?Sorry Rinamu is a teenager who lives on Bikini Atoll. Shortly after the Americans liberate his island in 1944, the Americans decide to use it as a site for atomic testing. With the promise that people could return to their island in two years?and contrary to the objections of Sorry's Uncle Abram, who argues that it would never again be safe to inhabit?the islanders agree to the plan. When Abram dies suddenly, Sorry vows to fulfill his uncle's intention to stop the tests and is joined by several others. But a serious misjudgment leads the young man and his companions to be blown up during the test. Taylor takes readers on an absorbing excursion, offering vivid descriptions, rich details of Micronesian culture, and a poignant contrast between the peaceful tranquility of the Marshall Islands and the industrialized West. The plot moves briskly with the tension of heroic confrontation. Readers will be challenged with the issues of war, the ethics of nuclear weapons, and the destruction of ancient cultures.?Tim Rausch, Crescent View Middle School, Sandy, UT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 161 pages
• Publisher: Avon Flare; Later Printing edition (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380727234
• ISBN-13: 978-0380727230
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #981,984 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting!!, November 17, 1998

By A Customer

Sorry Rinamu likes where he lives and does not want to leave. He lives on a Western Pacific island . He was born there and he loves it there. When World War II starts everything changes. The Japanese build a weather station on the island and disrupts life. This went on until the Americans invaded and killed the three men inside their barracks. When the Americans take control of the island, they decide to use the tropical island and it's lagoon for an Atom Bomb testing area. His uncle tries to stop them, but dies before he could. Now he wants to stop them. Here are a few examples. He tried to reason with an American general but could not succeed. Then he tries to make them find another island outside of the lagoon, but that didn't work either. When his whole villige was taken to another island he tried despretly to get off it and go back but they still didn't listen. When all options ran out, he thought of this one. He was going to paint a canoe red (like the target ship) He would think that when the bomber would see him they would cancel the test. So when he told the villige he was going only two people waned to go with him. When he got their they didn't see them and the bomb went off. It didn't say in the book what happened after that but it does say " The able bomb has spent it energy and has spewed its poison. It killing has only begun" I think Sorry was brave and he would do any thing to get his home back. I think he is a very determined person and it shows in this book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bomb Book Reveiw , February 26, 2005

A Kid's Review

On July 1, 1995 the US dropped an atom bomb onto Bikini Atoll for atomic testing after the Second World War. The islanders are forced to leave the island until the land is safe again. This historic fiction, The Bomb by Theodore Taylor, is very powerful and sad and something you should definitely read.
The islanders had always lived peacefully on Bikini Atoll. They spent their time fishing, making copra, and picking coconuts among other things. Until, the war when the Japanese took them captive and used the island for weather stations. The Americans freed the islanders from the Japanese but soon told them they would use the island for atomic tests and the islanders would have to leave for two years. Sorry Rinamu and his Uncle Abram don't believe the American's promise.
Sorry's father had died when he was young so when Sorry was 14 he became the man of the family. He lived with his mother, his sister, his grandparents, and his uncle. Sorry believes the island will be poisoned and they would never return. I really liked him because he was very brave and he would do whatever it takes to save his island even if he was risking his own life.
Uncle Abram was another one of my favorite characters because he traveled around the world in an American merchant ship and escaped to return to Bikini. He was one of the only islanders to go far from the Atolls and the only one who spoke English. Abram is very angry at the US and is Sorry's inspiration to stand up to them.
The author really made you care about his characters and what they believed in. His writing style was very simple and was straight to the point but he really made you feel like you were on the ship leaving your home.
Theodore Taylor got his inspiration for this book when he worked on the US ship as a deck officer in Bikini Lagoon. He found a doll on the on the shore and felt very guilty about the removal of the islanders. It is scary to think that our own country did these things to these people and to think if it ever happened to us.
The Bomb can be scary and sad but I think it is something everyone should read and know about. So if you're looking for a good book to read, The Bomb would be a great choice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The BoMb, January 21, 2004

By	omar (so cal) - See all my reviews

This book starts out with a sixteen year old named Sorry and his family, that live on a samll island called Bikini.When Sorry and his family hear that the U.S is going to use this island as an atomic bomb testing site they dont want to leave and belive that they can stop the U.S. He trys to reason with some of the U.S soldiers but was unsuccessful.The author shows great determination though the character Sorry.The book is very descriptive and shows the reality of droping bombs in an area where humans live.Theodore Taylor's novel is action packed and is definatly worth reading.