Green, Glass Sea

I just finished this book that I have wanted to read for ages!!! And I'm glad I finally read it - The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages is just wonderful!!! It is about two girls that spend a year in Los Alamos as their parents work on the "secret gadget" together - the "secret gadget" that will end World War II. Dewey is a wonderful character - she is a bright, mechanically-minded 10-year-old who gets along fine with adults and the scientists at the site, but is made fun of by girls her same age. When her father is sent away for work, Dewey moves in with Suze, another scientist's daugther, who detests her. This is one of the best parts of the book though as you see the two begin to draw closer. Their friendship is tender and will touch a chord with many kids.

Unexpectedly, Dewey's father is killed, and we spend the rest of the book finding out what will happen to Dewey. After the atomic bomb test succeeds, Dewey wonders what will become of her since all of the workers will move back home and now she has no father (and no mother as she left them years ago). This book is a great way for us to see the secretive scientific community of Los Alamos - and see it through the eyes of the kids that lived there. I did not know much about the atomic bomb project, and this book was a great way for me to learn about this period of history.

Don't miss this wonderful book - and I hear a sequel is in the works!!