No Apologies For Hiroshima or Nagasaki (from an email)

My first thought was the better sources i originally cited, but as I thought about it, a early middle school report might find those too difficult to digest. The time factor alone may mitigate against diving that deeply. I echo Lou, the very best of luck.

 

A couple of online sources:

This is an article by Richard Frank, author of the book "Downfall" and provides a concise summary.
http://faculty.virginia.edu/usdiphis/readings/Frank,%20Why%20Truman%20Dropped%20the%20bomb.pdf

The Truman Library has many primary source documents online
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/bomb/large/index.php

 

This is a tough read: but it helps us understand the viewpoint of the combatants (and their families) over there, who must have been fully in support of the big bang bombing.
http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/massacres_pacific.html

 

A very challenging subject for a 9 years old, at that age I for sure had not yet learned to balance multiple sources that have completely different interpretations of the same controversial event, it was more "if it's I the book it must be true". Not sure I agree with the teacher's choice unless she has already shown she can do that. But kids today need to develop an independent though capability faster than in the more stable world I grew up in where we had a lot more "certainities" (however groundless).

 

Indeed. I still remember the feeling of betrayal when I learned that a lot of the Bermuda Triangle stories were mostly fabrication.

 

Ahh yes, Charles Berlitz. I do miss reading his books.

 

As a wee lad they seemed so impressive.