Remembering 911

September 11, 2001 will be remembered as one of the most tragic days in modern American history. Witnessing these monumental acts of destruction has been difficult for everyone. Last year we read your letters, poems and other writing about the impact of the attacks. This year as the first anniversary of the tragedy is marked, a number of books have been published that will give even more insight into how people are feeling about these events.

Here are some titles that are especially appropriate for teens. We hope that they will give you insight into what others are feeling, and perhaps even a new perspective on this day.

MESSAGES TO GROUND ZERO: Children Respond to September 11, 2001
by Shelley Harwayne (editor), New York City Board of Education
Heinemann
ISBN: 0325005141
All Ages
176 pages

One way the children of New York City have coped with the images and losses of September 11th is through creative expression. This book brings together letters, poems, and artwork by children from across the country. MESSAGES TO GROUND ZERO captures a moment in history and documents what children were thinking and saying in support of its victims.

Money from the sale of this book will go to the Fund for the Public Schools, NYC. The donations are earmarked specifically to benefit children who lost a parent in the tragedy or were forced to evacuate their schools.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: A Nation Challenged, Young Reader's Edition
by Staff of the New York Times (Editor)
Scholastic Trade
ISBN: 0439488036
Ages 9-14
96 pages

Based on stories that ran in the New York Times, this book provides a realistic account of September 11th as it unfolded. A NATION CHALLENGED covers the full range of events from the terrorist attack and rescue efforts to heightened security measures and U.S. military action.

This will help you understand the war in Afghanistan, as well as how the U.S. has responded. Included at the end of this moving portrait are a "How to Help" section, resource listings on the Internet, and a glossary of terms.

UNDERSTANDING SEPTEMBER 11th: Answering Questions About the Attacks on America
by Mitch Frank
Viking Childrens Books
ISBN: 0670035874
Ages 12-up
144 pages

Although we know what happened on Sept. 11th, many of us might not understand why it happened. In this book TIME magazine reporter Mitch Frank concisely answers the following crucial questions: Who were the hijackers? What is terrorism? What is Islam? Why did the terrorists target the United States?

Opening with a chilling first-person account of the attack in New York, when the author rushed to the scene of the disaster after the first Tower was hit, the book utilizes an accessible question-and-answer format about the Middle East (especially Afghanistan), Islam, the Taliban, Osama bin Laden, and al Qaeda. Frank also discusses terrorist groups' hatred of America and their campaigns against it. Illustrations include photographs and maps.

WITH THEIR EYES: September 11Th--The View From A High School At Ground Zero
by Annie Thoms (editor)
Harper Tempest
ISBN: 0060517182
12-up
128 pages

Stuyvesant High School sits just four blocks from Ground Zero. On the morning of September 11th, students felt the vibrations of the crash, watched the towers collapse in giant plumes of smoke, and smelled the burning wreckage. Amid chaos they evacuated their school and were not allowed to return for weeks.

In an effort to respond and rebuild, a group of students led by teacher Annie Thoms, created "with their eyes," an extraordinary series of monologues based on the voices of real people--students, faculty, and staff--who experienced the attacks firsthand. Hector Perez writes, "I remembered after the first plane hit/ and no matter where you were/ you could see the smoke./ I was with my friends and our/ teachers were crying./ And I just tried to be strong/ for them,/ to pray."

Sometimes funny, always moving, these original declarations put things into perspective for high school readers all over the country.

   -- Written by Troy Froebe

© Copyright 2003, Teenreads.com. All rights reserved.

Back to top.