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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reading this book re-opened many memories and feelings I have long tucked away. It is strange to think that children today may not know the full story of 9/11, a day that is forever seared into my memory. The author wrote the book skillfully tailored to the older elementary age. The tragedy of the day is introduced slowly (too slowly for my taste) and the character development is weak. I imagine tackling this subject for younger children must have been difficult to make developmentally appropriate. Ms. Rhodes was successful with that. Falling Towers would be a helpful tool for parents and teachers to use when introducing 9/11 to their kiddos.
I read this book with my class because they were very interested in learning more about 9/11.
Student reviews to come
Student reviews to come
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief
Moderate: Islamophobia, Classism
9/11, Poverty, houselessness,
I loved this book, though it was difficult to read. (The difficulty was emotional, not intellectual.) It was recommended to me by my 7th grade daughter, who had been assigned it for school.
Though the book was based on the remembrance of a tragic event, I wouldn't say that's what the book is about. It's about poverty, unemployment, friendship, family, illness, post-traumatic stress, healing, immigration, multiculturalism, middle school, and New York City. I managed to make it almost all the way to the end without crying.
I highly recommend this book.
Though the book was based on the remembrance of a tragic event, I wouldn't say that's what the book is about. It's about poverty, unemployment, friendship, family, illness, post-traumatic stress, healing, immigration, multiculturalism, middle school, and New York City. I managed to make it almost all the way to the end without crying.
I highly recommend this book.
So much power in this story. It’s the first I have read where the main character was poor and had experienced homelessness. It was a little too quick for my taste but I could see many of my students taking to it.
5/5 stars
listened to this via audiobook
this book is so important!! i feel like this is the type of book i would have wanted to read when i was younger - it's such a respectful way of telling a younger audience about such a tragedy. not only this, but we have so much rep in this book and we get so many different perspectives - this is what i love about jewell parker rhodes. she tells the stories that are very seldom told. we have a child going through his parents divorce and having to cope with a parent who doesn't want to see him anymore, a muslim child having to deal with the hate that sparked after 9/11, and a black family who now lives in a homeless shelter after her father lost his job (along with so much more) at the north tower.
i feel like the writing in this book is EXACTLY what i would have loved as a kid. idk how to explain myself but it's so GOOD ??? like i can imagine a teacher reading this out loud to her kids in class because she has such a personality and it shines through in the writing.
i love that the true message this book shares is the importance of unity in times of terror.
I JUST LOVED THIS BOOK.
side note: i think i would have preferred the physical book instead of the audio because rhodes narrates this herself. obviously i love her so much and, like i said, she has a vivid personality that shines through, but sometimes it felt a little dramatic and i think it could have been more powerful if a younger voice actress was doing it? since it's from the perspective of a fifth grader.
listened to this via audiobook
this book is so important!! i feel like this is the type of book i would have wanted to read when i was younger - it's such a respectful way of telling a younger audience about such a tragedy. not only this, but we have so much rep in this book and we get so many different perspectives - this is what i love about jewell parker rhodes. she tells the stories that are very seldom told. we have a child going through his parents divorce and having to cope with a parent who doesn't want to see him anymore, a muslim child having to deal with the hate that sparked after 9/11, and a black family who now lives in a homeless shelter after her father lost his job (along with so much more) at the north tower.
i feel like the writing in this book is EXACTLY what i would have loved as a kid. idk how to explain myself but it's so GOOD ??? like i can imagine a teacher reading this out loud to her kids in class because she has such a personality and it shines through in the writing.
i love that the true message this book shares is the importance of unity in times of terror.
I JUST LOVED THIS BOOK.
side note: i think i would have preferred the physical book instead of the audio because rhodes narrates this herself. obviously i love her so much and, like i said, she has a vivid personality that shines through, but sometimes it felt a little dramatic and i think it could have been more powerful if a younger voice actress was doing it? since it's from the perspective of a fifth grader.
This is a middle grade novel about three 5th graders learning about 9/11 as the 15th anniversary approaches. I like Jewell Parker Rhodes, and this has endearing young characters, but there was just a few things that didn’t make this a top recommendation for middle grade youth for me. I appreciated the introductions to houselessness, Islamophobia, and seeing a parent deal with PTSD. I like how each of the three main young characters are all tied to 9/11 in different ways, but in the message to come together as Americans, it lacks nuance and feeds to much into propagandist patriotism for my tastes. I might use this as a catalyst for a conversation, but as a stand-alone it would leave students with some problematic views about “why do they hate us?” Because… freedom. This seemed to be reinforced by the hella problematic history teacher in the book and by the protagonists own father. We can do better in presenting a full picture and honor those who were lost. Not bad, but not great.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes