Will, Sergio, Aimee,
and Naheed live in different parts of the United States, but their lives
intersect at an airport on September 9th. They're all at the same airport, but each is caught up in their own worlds. Then we follow along through their
daily lives on September 9th and 10th. Learning about their struggles and the things they’re worried about makes the reader care about each character. Will lives in Pennsylvania and has spent the last year trying to live without his dad, who died in a car accident. Sergio is
angry at his absentee father, and the streets of New York City help him blend
in when he decides to ditch school. Moving to California is hard on Aimee, who
is upset that her mom is away in New York City on business and not there for
her on her first day at a new school. Naheed has just started middle school in
Ohio and, for the first time in her life, is feeling self conscious about the
head scarf she wears as part of her faith. When the events of September 11th
begin to unfold, each experiences what happens in a big way. How will their
lives be impacted?
Nine, Ten: A September 11th Story by
Nora Raleigh Baskin is a book that tells the story of September 11th
in a way that middle grade children can understand. You get to see the evens
through the eyes of the four kids, and it’s told as tastefully as possible,
while still giving the facts. I like how this book brought to light the
historical events of September 11th because anyone who is 17 or
younger has no memory of the events on that day. All of the kids seemed realistic to me and I
liked getting to know each of them. Learning about the days leading up to the
tragedy was a unique way to understand more about the events of September 11th.
I would recommend this to kids and adults from fourth grade and up. I
especially recommend it for parents and kids to read this one together and have
some important discussions. I’ve read other books by Nora Raleigh Baskin and
enjoyed them, and I look forward to reading more of her books.
Has anyone else read Nine, Ten: A September 11th Story? Or have you read another book by Nora Raleigh Baskin? We'd love to hear your thoughts.
Happy Reading!
~L
