Ground Zero by Alan Gratz

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Synopsis:

“It’s September 11, 2001. Brandon, a 9-year-old boy, goes to work for the day with his dad . . . at the World Trade Center in New York City. When two planes hit the towers, Brandon and his father are trapped inside a fiery nightmare as terror and confusion swirl around them. Can they escape — and what will the world be like when they do?

In present-day Afghanistan, Reshmina is an 11-year-old girl who is used to growing up in the shadow of war, but she has dreams of peace and unity. When she ends up harboring a wounded young American soldier, she and her entire family are put in mortal danger. But Reshmina also learns something surprising about the roots of this endless war.

With his trademark skill and insight, Alan Gratz delivers an action-packed and powerful story of two kids whose lives connect in unexpected ways, and reminds us how the past and present are always more linked than we think.” 

Review:

I was in Physics class, junior year of high school. That was when we heard the first plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I suspect, like so many others, it’s a memory that I’ll have for the rest of my life. And I honestly can’t believe that it will be the 20th anniversary this year.

When I pulled this book out of the packaging from Scholastic, I knew it wouldn’t be an easy read. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to read it at all. But, I also knew that Alan Gratz does a truly amazing job of bringing history to life. And that the kids reading this book today weren’t even born in 2011. To most of them, 9/11 is as much a part of “ancient” history as World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, or the Challenger explosion.

Alan Gratz keeps the story moving quickly with short, concise chapters that always end on a cliffhanger. What I really appreciated in this story, is the two perspectives. It gave readers a glimpse into that fateful day the World Trade Center and at the same time the effects of a war that has raged for many, many years that affects the lives of civilians living in war-torn countries.

And I was right. It definitely wasn’t an easy read. And Alan Gratz did a truly terrific job of creating suspense and connecting the stories together. Crying through at least a third of the story is almost a guarantee. I have to remind myself that my reactions are going to vary from those of 10-year-olds. I think I reacted more strongly as I related more to some of the adult situations because I too am an adult.

Verdict:

I’m more interested to hear the reactions of middle grade readers. Will the story be as visceral to them or because they didn’t live through it they won’t have the same reaction? I imagine it will be the latter. Pair this with books like Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes or Nine, Ten: A September 11th Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin for a book display this September.

If you’re interested in purchasing Ground Zero, please use my affiliate links for Amazon.com or Bookshop.org. When you purchase from either of these links, I will earn a commission as an affiliate.

Need to Know:

Title: Ground Zero
Author: Alan Gratz
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Page Number: 336 pgs.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.