Towers Falling

Gr 4-6--As the 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001, approaches, it brings with it a time for profound reflection. Rhodes's new novel offers a way to discuss the events of 9/11 with children too young to remember this pivotal event. This well-paced novel follows Deja, a fifth grader whose father suffers from a chronic cough, depression, and anxiety, all of which prevent him from maintaining a job. As a result, Deja and her family have lost their apartment and are now living in a group home in Brooklyn. When Deja begins at a new school, she makes friends with a Muslim girl and a boy whose father is an Iraq War veteran. When their teacher begins a lesson about September 11, the three friends learn how the day's events relate to them as individuals and as part of their wider community. This is a welcome contribution to children's literature, on a topic not many authors have broached for this age group, and it will function well as a teaching tool. It reads easily and offers educators the opportunity to not only address the events of September 11 from a historical perspective but also from a social one. Themes include community, diversity, and socioeconomic disparities. VERDICT Recommended as an addition to middle grade collections and as a classroom group reading title to help facilitate classroom conversations about 9/11.--Pilar Okeson, Washington DC Public Library

With the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaching, Deja's fifth-grade teacher draws the students' attention to the skyline outside their classroom window, pointing out where the towers once stood. At first, Deja is unable to fathom how something that happened so long ago could have any bearing on her, especially when she has more immediate problems--her family is currently living in a shelter. But she learns that the events of 9/11 have a long reach, affecting those closest to her in ways large and small. Rhodes (Sugar) gives readers an approachable entry point to consider the terrorist attacks of 9/11, as well as homelessness, discrimination, divorce, and other subjects. Through Deja's interactions with classmates from a range of backgrounds (Deja is African-American, and her new friends Sabeen and Ben have Turkish and Mexican heritage, respectively), readers will develop a richer understanding of what it means to be American, as well as the interconnectedness of the present and past. Rhodes approaches a complex, painful topic with insight and grace, providing context to an event distant to the book's audience. Ages 8-12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (July)