Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes Genres: Children's Books, Children's Fiction (Tween), Young Adult
Goodreads
From award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes, a powerful novel set fifteen years after the 9/11 attacks.
When her fifth-grade teacher hints that a series of lessons about home and community will culminate with one big answer about two tall towers once visible outside their classroom window, Deja can't help but feel confused. She sets off on a journey of discovery, with new friends Ben and Sabeen by her side. But just as she gets closer to answering big questions about who she is, what America means, and how communities can grow (and heal), she uncovers new questions, too. Like, why does Pop get so angry when she brings up anything about the towers?
Award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes tells a powerful story about young people who weren't alive to witness this defining moment in history, but begin to realize how much it colors their every day.
WOW. This book was amazing. This book hit home for me because my son is in the 5th grade and came home on September 11, 2016 and wanted to talk about what happened that day. He told me how his teacher covered it in great detail and showed them footage of the day. He told me he was horrified as he saw people jump to their death out of the windows of the towers and how the towers just crumbled to the ground. He was impacted by the footage of the events of that day.
This compelling novel is perfect to read and discuss with your children about 9/11. To so many of our children, this is historical fiction but to those of us who lived through this horrific event know the impact of it, how it changed life as we knew it and how we now mark time as before 9/11 and after 9/11. We see a different America today than the one we lived in 15 years ago. It is important to share with them the significance of this tragedy, and how they need to honor it, even though they weren’t alive to witness the horror of that day.
