This is an excellent book about 9/11, written for kids ages 8-12 but appropriate for a wider range. The writing is clear and concise, with a straightforward feel. For the most part, the text is factual, rather than emotional. (Example: "With knives, pepper spray, and threats of bombs, they stormed the four airliner cockpits and wrested control away from the pilots. The jets were no longer just ordinary airplanes; they were weapons. The planes banked away from their planned flight paths and headed for their targets.)
A few real-life individuals are incorporated into the story, and quotes from people who were there are used throughout, which helps bring the events down to a human scale. The illustrations are beautiful -- watercolors, I believe -- and suggestive rather than highly detailed, which leads the reader to imagine what it might have been like to be there.
Although the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania crash site each get a 2-page spread, the Twin Towers are the main focus of the book. The Author's Note at the ends provides some additional information, and the book also includes a bibliography.
I think this book would make an excellent introduction to 9/11 for anyone too young to remember it, and also a good tool to begin discussions with children and younger teens. Perfect for use in school or at home. It brought tears to my eyes, and there is also much that is uplifting. Highly recommend.
(Note: I received a free advance reading copy of this book from the publisher at an American Library Association Annual Conference. I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Roaring Brook Press!)
