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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Realistic fiction. This would be a great story for fourth grade and above! I really enjoyed that the author chose to tackle such a complex topic of the towers falling!
So weird to think that the towers fell 15 years ago already. It was interesting experiencing it from the perspective of an elementary student again, just like I did years ago as a fourth grader. I also really felt for Deja and her story of homelessness. A quick, heartfelt read.
I didn't have it in me to read every word of this middle grades/late elementary novel about 9-11. Maybe it was the purported "teachability" - explicit references to history, relationships, engineering... it felt less like literature and more like a CCCS-contrived text. But there's a lot of value here, hence my higher stars. It is a modern phenomenon that our young people were not alive for this American tragedy that ricochets into life today, and Rhodes does an admirable job with inclusivity and speaking directly to her audience.
One of my favorite books this year. A book that answers some important questions about family, relationships, and why it is important to learn our history. appropriate and appealing for upper elementary- adult.
3.5 rounded up.
This is a powerful middle grade story about a group of children who learn about 9/11 for the first time. Told from Deja's perspective, a young African American girl living with her family in a New York City homeless shelter. Her father has a personal connection to the twin towers she slowly discovers as the story unfolds. Deeply moving and a must read for this new generation of children who were born after the evens of that day. Highly recommended. I listened on audio, read by the author herself. I wasn't a big fan of the narration but I'm sure it reads better in print. So much to love about this book published on the 15th anniversary of that momentous day in American history!!
This is a powerful middle grade story about a group of children who learn about 9/11 for the first time. Told from Deja's perspective, a young African American girl living with her family in a New York City homeless shelter. Her father has a personal connection to the twin towers she slowly discovers as the story unfolds. Deeply moving and a must read for this new generation of children who were born after the evens of that day. Highly recommended. I listened on audio, read by the author herself. I wasn't a big fan of the narration but I'm sure it reads better in print. So much to love about this book published on the 15th anniversary of that momentous day in American history!!
Unfortunately, the narration of the audiobook ruined it for me. Come to find out, the author does the narration. While I very much like other books by this author, this one is not one of those for me.
My second middle grade 9/11 book this month, Towers Falling was short and a quick listen on audio. It is narrated by the author, and I was not in love with the way she portrayed her main character, though as the author, she must have meant her to come across the way she did! This book seemed like it would make for some great class discussions, and in fact my 11 year old’s 6th grade class is reading this book now too. I appreciated this look at how 9/11 has effected various types of people and their families.
This novel is emotionally impactful. I am teaching kids now who were not alive on 9/11 and I do find it hard sometimes to talk about it or properly convey its significance. It was interesting that it is takes place now and how it affects the lives of young characters and their families today.
This books strikes a balance that authors of recent historical fiction often have a hard time with. Kids who were not alive for 9/11 do not have the same emotional response to it that adults do and Rhodes fully understands that. Deja's class's reactions to studying it run the gamut from "we don't talk about that" to "who cares it happened before I was born". This is balanced by the story of Deja's father who was a security guard in the building and has suffered from PTSD ever since. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this, particularly Deja and how fierce and protective she was. It is very much a lesson book, but I think I only noticed that because I am an adult. For kids I think it will work as just a good story about family and friendship that is tied to recent history.
A wonderful story that can help teachers have meaningful conversations about 9/11 and our American identity.