Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Jewell Parker Rhodes says very clearly in her Author's Note for this book that she wanted to write a book that teachers could use to teach children about 9/11. Towers Falling accomplishes that goal. It offers adults a way of introducing conversations and history about something that remains an extremely emotional and terrifying--some would same paradigm-shifting--event in the history of the United States. No one who was alive that day will ever forget what it was like to watch those events unfolding. But how do you describe or explain what happened to children who were not yet alive when 9/11 occurred? Our past shapes our future so what and how much should they know? Why should it matter to them? These are hard questions and Towers Falling attempts to open the door to these conversations.
The main character is Deja. She, her parents and younger brother and sister are living in a shelter because her father suffers from both physical and mental illness and consequently has been unable to hold a job, resulting in their being evicted from their home. The story takes place over the first six weeks of school in 2015. Deja is starting 5th Grade in a new school. Her new teacher, Miss Garcia introduces a curriculum that includes teaching students about 9/11. Deja can sense that Miss Garcia is uneasy about teaching this new curriculum, but is unsure why that would be the case. Although Deja has lived in New York her entire life, she is unaware of what happened on 9/11.
As the classroom learns about concepts such as 'home' and 'social units,' engages in engineering experiments surrounding the structure of skyscrapers and historical instances when the United States has been attacked by other nations Deja is befriended by two other students (one new like her and one who has been there since 1st Grade). The three students have different cultural/racial backgrounds: Deja is African-American, Ben is Mexican and Sabeen is Turkish and Muslim. Rhodes uses the friendship of these three children as a backdrop for her underlying message:
If, as an adult, you are looking for a way to address the issue of 9/11 in an age-appropriate way for 4th - 6th Grade students Towers Falling is a worthwhile option. Because it does cover true and terrifying events I would recommend that adults read it with children, or at least read it first if you're going to allow a child to read this independently. Obviously, the choice to read this particular book will depend on the individual child; for example, a child with a lot of anxiety issues may not be a good fit for this book as an independent read.
The main character is Deja. She, her parents and younger brother and sister are living in a shelter because her father suffers from both physical and mental illness and consequently has been unable to hold a job, resulting in their being evicted from their home. The story takes place over the first six weeks of school in 2015. Deja is starting 5th Grade in a new school. Her new teacher, Miss Garcia introduces a curriculum that includes teaching students about 9/11. Deja can sense that Miss Garcia is uneasy about teaching this new curriculum, but is unsure why that would be the case. Although Deja has lived in New York her entire life, she is unaware of what happened on 9/11.
As the classroom learns about concepts such as 'home' and 'social units,' engages in engineering experiments surrounding the structure of skyscrapers and historical instances when the United States has been attacked by other nations Deja is befriended by two other students (one new like her and one who has been there since 1st Grade). The three students have different cultural/racial backgrounds: Deja is African-American, Ben is Mexican and Sabeen is Turkish and Muslim. Rhodes uses the friendship of these three children as a backdrop for her underlying message:
Deja, Ben, and Sabeen, while imaginary, represent every child living today who will be protecting our nation and its values and promoting peace tomorrow.
If, as an adult, you are looking for a way to address the issue of 9/11 in an age-appropriate way for 4th - 6th Grade students Towers Falling is a worthwhile option. Because it does cover true and terrifying events I would recommend that adults read it with children, or at least read it first if you're going to allow a child to read this independently. Obviously, the choice to read this particular book will depend on the individual child; for example, a child with a lot of anxiety issues may not be a good fit for this book as an independent read.
Kudos to the author for taking on this difficult topic for middle grades readers.
This will be perfect to read with my kiddos born after 9/11 to start the discussion.
I appreciate that this story exists. My current students were either babies or not yet born when the towers fell. For them, 9/11 has been a history removed from personal memories adults carry. This book brings that history closer, makes it more personal by showing how our interconnectedness spans space & generations.
Yet, for a story with such a gritty premise, this book lacked bite. The characters, whose stories were all layered & complicated, were all transparent. Wouldn't it be so helpful if people could clearly articulate their thoughts & feelings after/during trauma? The characters & their relationships felt inauthentic to me, but I'm curious if kids will feel that too or if they'll appreciate the forced clarity.
Yet, for a story with such a gritty premise, this book lacked bite. The characters, whose stories were all layered & complicated, were all transparent. Wouldn't it be so helpful if people could clearly articulate their thoughts & feelings after/during trauma? The characters & their relationships felt inauthentic to me, but I'm curious if kids will feel that too or if they'll appreciate the forced clarity.
I think this would work best as a teaching tool in the classroom, for use with students who weren't born when 9/11 happened. I thought Rhodes did a good job of communicating how devastating that day was without going into too many gory details.
Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of this book. The writing style was kind of herky-jerky, and it made me want to go back and read the author's other novels - not sure if this is her typical writing style or if it was done in service of the story.
I was a sophomore in college when 9/11 happened, so I have my own very vivid memories of that day and the aftermath. Not sure if that contributed to why I couldn't quite get into this book?
Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of this book. The writing style was kind of herky-jerky, and it made me want to go back and read the author's other novels - not sure if this is her typical writing style or if it was done in service of the story.
I was a sophomore in college when 9/11 happened, so I have my own very vivid memories of that day and the aftermath. Not sure if that contributed to why I couldn't quite get into this book?
challenging
emotional
informative
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
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
Well, this book is fantastic -- a bit heavy on the philosophy, but I think it's appropriate to the subject matter. Lighter than I expected, and far more focused on the importance of home, family, social groups than I expected -- does a beautiful job of highlighting the things we have in common rather than our differences. Love how the 3 main characters all have things that are huge challenges in their lives (Deja, homelessness, Ben, divorce, Sabeen, persecution of Muslims).
I have to admit that I wasn't sure if I was ready to read a book about 9/11 15 years after it happened. Which is why I decided to read Towers Falling - a novel that takes place 15 years after 9/11.
It's 2016 and ten year-old African Jamaican American Dèja Barnes has a lot on her plate at the moment. Her family is living in one room without a window in a homeless shelter. Her father is sick, both physically and emotionally, but she doesn't know what's actually wrong with him. Her mother works all day and more if she can, while Dèja takes care of her younger brother Ray and sister Leda. On top of that, she is starting fifth grade at a new school - Brooklyn Collective Elementary.
But to her surprise, Dèja likes her new school and her new teacher, Miss Garcia. She even makes two friends - Mexican American Ben, an artistic boy who has just moved from Arizona after his parent's divorce, and the very friendly, seemingly always happy Sabeen, a proud Muslim Turkish American.
The fifth grade curriculum for the year is focused on the past and how it connects to the present and future. After exploring ways in which people connect to each other, the students go on to learn about how events do, too, particularly one event, one that Dèja knows nothing about - September 11, 2001. One day, during a study get together at Ben's house, he shows Dèja a video of that day and what happened. Dèja has never wanted to think about the past when her life was better and her family was happy, and now, she doesn't want to think about what she saw on that video either. After all, it's ancient history as far as she's concerned.
Still, when she gets home and blurts out that she didn't know about the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center being hit by two planes, her father decides to take her out of Brooklyn Collective, his daughter does not need to go to the kind of school that would teach her about that terrible event. But, Dèja wonders, why would he have such a strong, emotional reaction to her learning about 9/11? Does it have something to do with her dad's being physically and emotionally sick?
Confused and curious, Dèja is determined to find out what is really going on.
In Towers Falling, Jewel Parker Rhodes approaches the events of 9/11 slowly and carefully, so the reader has time to digest Dèja's experiences just as she does. After all, this is a character-driven coming-of-age novel and Dèja is in the driver's seat as we see her go from being completely ignorant about what happened on 9/11 to the realization that it has impacted the lives of everyone in the Barnes family every day since, as well as the lives of all Americans. In fact, the whole novel made me think of William Faulkner's words "The past is never dead. It's not even past."
As a character, Dèja was great. She is spunky, angry, combative, inquisitive, friendly, and caring. I really liked the diversity in her school and how she fit in so easily, even though her family's circumstances were so very different than her friend's Ben and Sabeen and the other students. I also like that Rhodes shows the reader that, while their families are better off financially, Ben and Sabeen's lives are not without problems, despite how things look on the surface. Most importantly, as Dèja learns about how she connects to the past, she also learns what it means to be an American, connected to other Americans.
This is a sensitively and cautiously written novel about a family in crisis facing the events that precipitated that crisis. Like so many people that were at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Dèja's father is dealing with some serious problems - guilt, respiratory distress, and a critical case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that makes it impossible for him to move forward and help himself, and Rhodes has dealt with these issues in a very age-appropriate way.
In addition, there is no bullying, as we have almost come to expect in a novel about a kid who is different from the other kids in the new school, so that was refreshing. But, be warned, there is some violence in the description of the 9/11 video Dèja watches that may not be appropriate for sensitive readers.
Ironically, I was teaching New York history to 10 year-olds in the Bronx on 9/11. When we heard the news, it was hard to comprehend at first, but as the day went by, reality hit us all. It was an unforgettable day but one that I think a lot of kids today, like Dèja, may not know about, making Towers Falling an excellent addition to what will be an important 9/11 body of work.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
It's 2016 and ten year-old African Jamaican American Dèja Barnes has a lot on her plate at the moment. Her family is living in one room without a window in a homeless shelter. Her father is sick, both physically and emotionally, but she doesn't know what's actually wrong with him. Her mother works all day and more if she can, while Dèja takes care of her younger brother Ray and sister Leda. On top of that, she is starting fifth grade at a new school - Brooklyn Collective Elementary.
But to her surprise, Dèja likes her new school and her new teacher, Miss Garcia. She even makes two friends - Mexican American Ben, an artistic boy who has just moved from Arizona after his parent's divorce, and the very friendly, seemingly always happy Sabeen, a proud Muslim Turkish American.
The fifth grade curriculum for the year is focused on the past and how it connects to the present and future. After exploring ways in which people connect to each other, the students go on to learn about how events do, too, particularly one event, one that Dèja knows nothing about - September 11, 2001. One day, during a study get together at Ben's house, he shows Dèja a video of that day and what happened. Dèja has never wanted to think about the past when her life was better and her family was happy, and now, she doesn't want to think about what she saw on that video either. After all, it's ancient history as far as she's concerned.
Still, when she gets home and blurts out that she didn't know about the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center being hit by two planes, her father decides to take her out of Brooklyn Collective, his daughter does not need to go to the kind of school that would teach her about that terrible event. But, Dèja wonders, why would he have such a strong, emotional reaction to her learning about 9/11? Does it have something to do with her dad's being physically and emotionally sick?
Confused and curious, Dèja is determined to find out what is really going on.
In Towers Falling, Jewel Parker Rhodes approaches the events of 9/11 slowly and carefully, so the reader has time to digest Dèja's experiences just as she does. After all, this is a character-driven coming-of-age novel and Dèja is in the driver's seat as we see her go from being completely ignorant about what happened on 9/11 to the realization that it has impacted the lives of everyone in the Barnes family every day since, as well as the lives of all Americans. In fact, the whole novel made me think of William Faulkner's words "The past is never dead. It's not even past."
As a character, Dèja was great. She is spunky, angry, combative, inquisitive, friendly, and caring. I really liked the diversity in her school and how she fit in so easily, even though her family's circumstances were so very different than her friend's Ben and Sabeen and the other students. I also like that Rhodes shows the reader that, while their families are better off financially, Ben and Sabeen's lives are not without problems, despite how things look on the surface. Most importantly, as Dèja learns about how she connects to the past, she also learns what it means to be an American, connected to other Americans.
This is a sensitively and cautiously written novel about a family in crisis facing the events that precipitated that crisis. Like so many people that were at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Dèja's father is dealing with some serious problems - guilt, respiratory distress, and a critical case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that makes it impossible for him to move forward and help himself, and Rhodes has dealt with these issues in a very age-appropriate way.
In addition, there is no bullying, as we have almost come to expect in a novel about a kid who is different from the other kids in the new school, so that was refreshing. But, be warned, there is some violence in the description of the 9/11 video Dèja watches that may not be appropriate for sensitive readers.
Ironically, I was teaching New York history to 10 year-olds in the Bronx on 9/11. When we heard the news, it was hard to comprehend at first, but as the day went by, reality hit us all. It was an unforgettable day but one that I think a lot of kids today, like Dèja, may not know about, making Towers Falling an excellent addition to what will be an important 9/11 body of work.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading