Who knew that some insects can create explosions to get food? Or that fireworks were once used to fight wars?

Explosions are all around us, from the Big Bang that created the universe to the “pop” of a seedpod, from solar flares to the explosive gases lurking in a coal mine.

Full of fun facts, dramatic images and highlights of momentous blasts in history—including the infamous Halifax explosion of 1917—Kaboom! examines an astonishing variety of explosions and the science behind them. Many remarkable blasts are a result of human ingenuity, from carving the faces of four American presidents into a wall of granite on Mount Rushmore, to the development of asthma inhalers based on a beetle’s explosive pulses to scare predators.

The many exciting guises of explosions are revealed ways both engrossing and surprising.

Gillian Richardson has written seventeen books for children, including 10 Ships That Rocked the World, 10 Plants That Shook the World, and Kaboom! Explosions of All Kinds. She lives in the British Columbia interior.

Gillian Richardson's profile page

• Long-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award
• Long-listed, Red Cedar Information Book Award
• Joint winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children’s Book Centre
• Short-listed, Silver Birch Award, Ontario Library Association
• Winner, Science Communication Award, American Institute of Physics

“Packed with information . . . Fun for browsing.”

Booklist, 12/09

“Richardson’s writing style will appeal to readers. Educational and appealing. Highly recommended.”

CM Reviews, 11/09

“An engrossing attention-getter, effectively tapping the sensationalism of all types of blasts.”

School Library Journal, 12/09

“Deserves to be read for general interest as well as educative purposes; it is truly a blast.”

Resource Links, 12/09