Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story

For a generation of readers born and raised after 9/11, Baskin (Ruby on the Outside) offers a powerful account of how the events changed lives. Her cast is made up of four middle-school students who briefly cross paths at Chicago's bustling O'Hare Airport two days before the Twin Towers fall. Characters include Will, a Pennsylvania boy still grieving his father's death; Aimee, settling into her new home in Los Angeles while her mother is on a business trip in New York City; Brooklyn native Sergio, who has just won a national math award; and Nadira, a Muslim girl from Ohio who is trying to fit in by not wearing her "beliefs on her sleeve." Hours before the hijackings, the children are preoccupied with family and peers, but after learning about the terrorist attacks, all are deeply and personally touched in some way, their problems put in new perspective. There are no graphic displays of violence; Baskin focuses on how her characters emerge wiser, worldlier, and more sensitive to others' pain after surviving a profound and tragic piece of history. Ages 8-12. Agency: Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. (June)

Gr 4-6—Four children from different parts of America go about their lives just days before the events of 9/11. Nadira is a Muslim girl struggling to balance her commitment to religious customs with her desire to fit in with the public school culture of Columbus, OH. Sergio lives in a low-income area with his grandmother in Brooklyn. Aimee is at home in California, missing her mother, who is on a business trip to New York City. Finally, there's Will in Pennsylvania, who has recently lost his father. The novel slowly follows the children through their days, failing to ever build any kind of page-turning tension. When the events of September 11, 2001, do occur, Baskin successfully depicts the reality from the perspective of the four protagonists. This is the story's greatest strength. Because of the sensitivity of the topic and the lack of a baseline understanding among most students, this book is best used as an in-class, facilitated read. Jewel Parker Rhodes's recent novel, Towers Falling, is a more engaging title that serves a similar purpose.