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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
This may be my favorite middle grade/YA 9/11 book. I liked the dual perspectives and the look at a young female growing up in Afghanistan. Showing how we are all affected by war is important. I did see one critical review that said it seemed too intense for 9-11 year olds and I can see that it’s more middle school level. What I am skeptical about is all the 1 star ratings with no review.
This book was hard to read, especially since I started it right after the withdrawal from Afghanistan began. There are some scenes that are pretty disturbing too.
I ultimately give this four stars keeping in mind its audience. It’s a middle grade historical fiction and I think it does a pretty good job diving into the terrorist attacks on 9/11 as well as the impact that Americans have had in Afghanistan. It doesn’t always feel perfect, and sometimes I don’t feel like it’s quite as even handed as it wishes it were. But it is definitely a good start for that age group to learn and I’m very glad he presents it as a multifaceted issue.
EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!
I have, for a long time, avoided Alan Gratz's books for good reason. I've known for awhile that he's a great author who writes nitty gritty historical fiction, so I theorized that because of his writing abilities, I would not be able to handle the emotional impact that they would have on me. And I was right.
Ground Zero is a South Carolina Book Award Nominee in the Junior category for 2022-2023. I made a goal to read every nominee this year or I still would have avoided this one.
It was every bit as emotional as I had theorized. I sobbed many, many times. It's been over 20 years and I guess I'm still not ready to admit how much 9/11 impacted me. I mean think about it, it's the first collective trauma that older millennials witnessed and remember together. It's the first time I remember realizing what humans are capable of, the bad AND the good. I remember the feelings of sorrow and togetherness that came about from this tragedy. It literally blows my mind that there are whole grown adults that weren't even alive when this happened.
Overall though, I think was a great book that humanized the two sides appropriately. I would recommend this book to 6th graders and up. Even though it's a middle grade book, there was some gore that younger middle graders may not be ready for.
I have, for a long time, avoided Alan Gratz's books for good reason. I've known for awhile that he's a great author who writes nitty gritty historical fiction, so I theorized that because of his writing abilities, I would not be able to handle the emotional impact that they would have on me. And I was right.
Ground Zero is a South Carolina Book Award Nominee in the Junior category for 2022-2023. I made a goal to read every nominee this year or I still would have avoided this one.
It was every bit as emotional as I had theorized. I sobbed many, many times. It's been over 20 years and I guess I'm still not ready to admit how much 9/11 impacted me. I mean think about it, it's the first collective trauma that older millennials witnessed and remember together. It's the first time I remember realizing what humans are capable of, the bad AND the good. I remember the feelings of sorrow and togetherness that came about from this tragedy. It literally blows my mind that there are whole grown adults that weren't even alive when this happened.
Overall though, I think was a great book that humanized the two sides appropriately. I would recommend this book to 6th graders and up. Even though it's a middle grade book, there was some gore that younger middle graders may not be ready for.
Alan Gratz’s books always hit where it hurts, in the best possible way, but Ground Zero might just be the one to have the most impact for me. I remember 9/11 like it was yesterday so the fact we are coming up on the 20th anniversary is mind blowing. This MG book will be a hit with my students & generate a bunch of conversations between them & their parents.
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This YA novel is emotional, suspenseful, and, at times, incredibly difficult to read. Telling two parallel stories on 9/11 - one from 2001 and another in 2019 - Gratz takes us back and forth from the terror and uncertainty inside the North Tower of the World Trade Center to the hills of a village in Afghanistan. Forcing the reader to stop and contemplate the effect of war and terror on the individual, America’s role in the world, and what it means to survive, I was in tears at several points throughout the book. While it’s written for middle and high school students, adult readers will enjoy it. It took me right back to where I was on that day on 2001, and forced me to reckon with all that has transpired in the 20 years since the attacks.
Fantastic book by Mr. Gratz. I am reading these Gratz with my teenaged son, and they are eye opening to him. He is eager to read the next page, chapter, and book. Ground Zero is a stark reminder to what people in NYC went through on 9/11 AND the impact in Afghanistan to this day.
Once again Gratz takes a reader and places them in the middle of the action. I read this as the 9/11 remembrance and this book was an emotional roller coaster. Of course, in true Gratz style, there is another story that is intertwined. Both stories are emotional, well-written, fast-paced, and make you feel like you are right there with the characters. Students and adults will enjoy this book.
