From School Library Journal:
Grade 4-9-Howell Raines, Executive Editor of the New York Times, introduces this book whose contents were culled from the Pulitzer prize-winning section of the paper, A Nation Challenged. The challenge, of course, was how to share a record of terrifying events and images in a responsible, age-appropriate manner. The editors have succeeded admirably. Through the generous use of white space; the carefully selected, climactic spreads contrasting with smaller, more personal scenes; and a clean design, including boxed tidbits of information, they give viewers a chance to breathe. Coverage of the three crash sites and the ensuing war is interspersed with snapshots of strong leaders, caring citizens, a global community united in grief, letters and art from peers, and scenes of Afghan children. Sometimes there is just one sentence per page, but the well-chosen words are packed with meaning and substance. The organization and content anticipate children's questions, e.g., detailed diagrams explain the physics of the towers' collapse or depict the interior of an Al Qaeda mountain bunker. The presentation, pacing, and progression are all orchestrated to make this resource informative and palatable for youngsters, without diminishing the overall impact. In moving from the May 30th photo of the ceremony accompanying the removal of the World Trade Center's last steel girder to the section on how children can help and the list of Web sites, this title signals a type of closure and a call to continue to think and to act.
Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist:
Gr. 6-12. Compiled by editors at the New York Times, this combines photographs and text excerpts from the paper's section, "A Nation Challenged," which was devoted to the shock waves following the 9/11 tragedy. An introduction from the paper's executive editor leads into four chapters that follow the day's events; the immediate aftermath of grieving, loss, and international support; the Afghan conflict; and finally, how life has changed at home--including rebuilding and tightened security. Each spread shows a different side of the events and their effects, and the accompanying brief text, lifted straight from articles, may often be too sophisticated for younger children. Diagrams of the Twin Towers and an al-Qaeda bunker are interesting but may also lose some readers. It's the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs that make this book so valuable. The editors have left out the harshest scenes of human suffering without shying away from the devastating story: the planes' impact, the imploding buildings, heroic escape and rescue efforts; the smoking rubble and multidenominational shrines; the army of relief workers; U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Young people (and adults) struggling to understand the enormity of 9/11 events will want to start here, with the highest-quality images--"the record of our changed world"--that will encourage readers to confront their feelings. Short suggestions in the final chapter offer ways to begin healing. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.