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Steve Sheinkin

スティーブ・シーキン

Sutību Shīkin

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1968
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism

Career

Occupations
Author (YA nonfiction), Graphic novelist, Illustrator, Textbook writer
Active Years
2008-
Influenced By
David Sheinkin (father; personal influence)

Awards

Newbery Honor
2013
Work: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
Category: 児童文学・ヤングアダルト
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Honor
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
2013
Work: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
Category: 児童向けノンフィクション
Organization: American Library Association
Result: Winner
Carter G. Woodson Book Award
2015
Work: The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Category: 社会科・歴史教育
Organization: National Council for the Social Studies
Result: Winner
National Book Award (Young People's Literature)
2012
Work: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon
Category: Young People's Literature
Organization: National Book Award Foundation
Result: Finalist
National Book Award (Young People's Literature)
2014
Work: The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
Category: Young People's Literature
Organization: National Book Award Foundation
Result: Finalist
National Book Award (Young People's Literature)
2015
Work: Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
Category: Young People's Literature
Organization: National Book Award Foundation
Result: Finalist
Margaret A. Edwards Award
2020
Category: 若年層図書への生涯貢献
Organization: American Library Association (YALSA)
Result: Winner
Sydney Taylor Book Award (Honor)
2024
Work: Impossible Escape
Category: ユダヤ児童文学
Organization: Association of Jewish Libraries
Result: Honor

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

2012 Young adult nonfiction (history/science)

A narrative account for young readers of the race to build the atomic bomb, including espionage and the complex interplay of scientists and politicians.

Science and ethicsConsequences of warEspionage
Adaptations
  • [Graphic novel] Bomb (Graphic Novel) (2023)

The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights

2014 Young adult nonfiction (history)

Examines the World War II Port Chicago explosion and the subsequent mutiny trial of African American sailors, linking the incident to the broader civil rights movement.

Racial injustice and civil rightsMilitary misconductHistorical memory

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War

2015 Young adult nonfiction (modern history)

Profiles Daniel Ellsberg and presents the history of government secrecy and leaks surrounding the Vietnam War for teen readers.

Whistleblowing and moralityGovernment transparencyPolitics of war

Impossible Escape: A True Story Of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe

2023 Young adult nonfiction (biography/history)

A true story of survival and resistance in Nazi-occupied Europe told in an engaging narrative for young readers.

Holocaust and resistanceSurvival narrativesCourage and ethics

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery

2013 Young adult biography/history

A biographical look at Benedict Arnold's turbulent life, exploring both heroism and treachery.

Betrayal and heroismAmerican Revolutionary WarMoral ambiguity

Bibliography

  • Impossible Escape: A True Story Of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe
  • Bomb (Graphic Novel)
  • Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown
  • Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America
  • Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
  • Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
  • The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights
  • The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery
  • Lincoln's Grave Robbers
  • Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You series
  • Rabbi Harvey graphic novel series
  • The Bletchley Riddle (co-written with Ruta Sepetys)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Fast-paced narrative nonfictionAccessible voice for young readersDramatic reconstruction grounded in facts
Recurring Motifs
Dramatizing pivotal historical momentsIndividual moral conflictUnearthing overlooked episodes or scandals

Legacy

Steve Sheinkin is praised for making complex historical events accessible and suspenseful for young readers. His narrative approach goes beyond textbook presentation and is widely read in schools and libraries.

Academic Societies

  • American Library Association

In Popular Culture

  • Adoption in classroom curricula and school reading lists

Quotes

  • I don't want history to be just a timeline. I try to write so young readers feel the decisions characters made and their weight.
    Source: Various interviews

Trivia

  • Previously worked as a textbook writer.
  • The character Rabbi Harvey contains elements of his father, David Sheinkin.
  • Known for using thriller techniques in nonfiction aimed at young readers.