Children's Books About Sept. 11
Books to Help Introduce Young Kids to the Events of 9/11
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Try as we might to shield our children from harm and the horrors of the world, sometimes it is best to face it head-on. As we remember the events of 9/11, we will be inundated with images of the burning twin towers, the Pentagon in smoke, and a plane in a field. Turn off the TV, and your little ones are still likely to see the images when Mom turns on the computer or Dad opens the newspaper. Children who weren't even glints in our eyes in 2001 are now old enough to ask what Sept. 11 is all about.
A number of books have been written about the events, but the following are geared toward young kids — toddlers to middle schoolers — to help introduce 9/11 in an age-appropriate manner.
1 What Were the Twin Towers?
What Were the Twin Towers? ($6) teaches children the history of the towers, which were built in 1973, through to the tragic events of Sept. 11.
2 Towers Falling
Towers Falling ($12) is a novel for kids ages 8 to 12 that tells a powerful story about a girl named Dèja and other young people who weren't alive to witness this defining moment in American history.
3 Nine, Ten: a September 11 Story
Nine, Ten: a September 11 Story ($7) tells the story of four middle school students whose lives intersect after Sept. 11, 2001, and will work communicate to young readers the vast range of feelings Americans experienced on that day.
4 With Their Eyes
With Their Eyes ($10) is a book of essays written by students at Stuyvesant High School who witnessed the events of Sept. 11 unfold.
5 I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001
I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 ($5) is a fiction story about a boy named Lucas who skips school to visit his uncle's fire station in New York City and how the events of Sept. 11 changed his young life.
6 Fireboat
The John J. Harvey fireboat was constructed in 1931 — the same year the Empire State Building was built. In the aftermath of the attacks on the Twin Towers, it provided much-needed fire control around Ground Zero. Fireboat ($7) tells the tale of the boat and its role on that grave day.
7 America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2011: The Day the Towers Fell
For lil ones who are inquiring about the events of Sept. 11, America Is Under Attack ($6) is a straightforward telling of the story of the day, in a sensitive way tots can understand.
8 The Survivor Tree: Inspired by a True Story
As little ones learn of the events of Sept. 11, it's hard for them to imagine anything good coming out of that day. The Survivor Tree ($20) tells one of those inspiring stories as it details the discovery of a 20-year-old pear tree in the rubble of the buildings and how the tree gave hope to the recovery workers.
