Ground Zero

Brandon isn't that upset when he gets suspended and has to go work with his dad.  He's upset he disappointed his dad, but Windows on the World at the top of the north World Trade Center tower isn't a bad place to spend the day.  

It turns into the worst day of his life when an airplane hits the north tower.  It's September 11, 2001, and no one in the World Trade Center knows what is going on yet.  His dad is at the top of the tower, and Brandon is several floors below in an elevator.  What follows is a harrowing journey to try and contact his father and escape the tower before it's too late.

Eighteen years later, Rashmina is a girl living in modern Afghanistan.  Her country has been a war zone for her entire life.  She wants to become a teacher, but education for girls is difficult due to the increasing influence of the Taliban.  Her twin brother used to be her best friend, but lately he's been listening to extremist views, and she fears she is going to lose him.  

After an attack in her village, she discovers a wounded American soldier.  Her customs and her conscience tell her to help him, but this act of kindness puts her family and her village at risk of retribution from the Taliban.

Well, Alan Gratz has done is again.  Savvy readers will recognize his winning formula, but the story is still engaging and heartfelt.  Honestly, I have avoided consuming media directly relating to the September 11 attacks because it still feels like a traumatic experience even though I was miles away in Texas.  This book is sad, and it will bring back the feelings of shock and horror we all had that day for those who are old enough to remember.  For younger readers, Gratz brings the events of that day into focus and connects them to ongoing instability in Afghanistan.  One of the most telling scenes in the book is when the soldier talks to Rashmina and her family about September 11, and they have no idea what he's talking about.  Her entire village is suffering the consequences of an act they know nothing about.  Highly recommended.