A Bibliography of Children’s Storybooks: Related to the Events of September 11th

New and used titles may be found in
public libraries, your local bookstore, or from online booksellers.

For Younger
Children:

Curtiss,
A. B., The
Little Chapel that Stood.  Oldcastle Publishing, 2003. 

For ages 4-8, 40 pages, ISBN-10: 0932529771.  
Beautifully
illustrated book tells of the historic chapel less than 100 yards from the Twin
Towers that miraculously survived on
9-11. Firemen hung their shoes on the fence and raced to help the people in the
towers:” Oh what gallant men did we lose/
Who never came back to get their shoes.” The story of terror overcome by
courage and bravery that teaches us no one is too small to make a difference.

 

Deedy, Carmen Agra and Thomas Gonzalez,  14 Cows
for America.  Peachtree
Publishers, 2009. 
For Grades 2–5, 36 pages,
ISBN-10: 1561454907.  

Master storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy hits all
the right notes in this elegant story of generosity that crosses boundaries,
nations, and cultures. In June of 2002, a very unusual ceremony begins in a
far-flung village in western Kenya. An American diplomat is surrounded by
hundreds of Maasai people. A gift is about to be bestowed on the American men,
women, and children, and he is there to accept it. The gift is as unsought and
unexpected as it is extraordinary. Word of the gift will travel news wires
around the globe. Many will be profoundly touched, but for Americans, this
selfless gesture will have deeper meaning still. For a heartsick nation, the
gift of fourteen cows emerges from the choking dust and darkness as a soft
light of hope and friendship.

Gerstein, Mordicai,  The Man Who Walked Between the Towers . Square Fish, 2007.
For ages 5-8, 40 pages, ISBN-10:
031236878X.  

The setting for this story is the Twin Towers,
but it is NOT about the bombing.  The
towers are intact in the story. This is a children’s picture book written and illustrated by Mordicai
Gerstein. Published in 2003, the book tells the true story of Philippe Petit, a
man who walked between the twin towers of the World Trade Center on a
tightrope. Gerstein won the 2004 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations.

 

Kalman, Maira, Fireboat: The Heroic
Adventures of the John J. Harvey
(Picture Puffin Books).
Puffin, 2005.
For Preschool-Grade 3, 48 pages, ISBN-10: 0142403628.
The John J. Harvey fireboat was the largest, fastest, shiniest
fireboat of its time, but by 1995, the city didn’t need old fireboats anymore.
So the Harvey retired, until a group of friends decided to save it from the
scrap heap. Then, one sunny September day in 2001, something so horrible
happened that the whole world shook. And a call came from the fire department,
asking if the Harvey could battle the roaring flames. In this inspiring true
story, Maira Kalman brings a New York City icon to life and proves that old
heroes never die.  This book has received
several children’s literature awards.

Masterson Elementary Students, Masterson Elementary Student and First
Grade Students of H. Byron Masterson Elementary in Kennett Missouri, September
12th: We Knew Everything Would Be All Right.  Tangerine Press 2002.
For Elementary students, 32 pages, ISBN-10: 043944246X. 
On September 11th horrific events
occurred, yet through the simple text and vibrant art of first graders, we are
reminded that the world continued the next day. On each page, children
experience the comforts of ordinary routines, such as their teacher reading
books to them, having homework and recess, and knowing that 2 + 2 still equals
4. This is a poignant message of hope that reassures us all that even after bad
things happen, tomorrow always brings a new day.

Patel,
Andrea, On
That Day: A Book of Hope for Children (Reading Rainbow Book).  Tricycle Press, 2002.
For ages 4-7, 32 pages, ISBN-10:
1582461007. 
Sometimes bad things happen in the world. But there will always be good things
in the world, too. You are one of those good things. With simple language and a
heart-felt message, Andrea Patel addresses a timely and timeless question: What
can you do when bad things happen? “Whatever we as teachers, and as
adults, can offer the children-and each other-in the way of reassurance, and
hope, and optimism, can only help heal us all,” writes author Andrea Patel.

 

Rodriguez, Cindy
L., I Was Born On 9 / 11.    Publish America, 2009.
For
ages 4-8, 41 pages, ISBN-10: 1448950511.
Who
would have dreamed that the exact same day on which they were born would be the
same day that one of the most world-changing, history-making events ever
occurred? In poetic rhyme and brilliant colors, the narrator in this book, I
Was Born on 9/11, shares what happened on September 11, 2001. The reader sees
the events in New York, how America pulled together, how our people realized
the value of their country, and how we as a nation can have hope for a safer
tomorrow. One is left with a sense of patriotism, cooperation, passion, and a
deep respect for those who gave their lives to help keep our country safe that
day, and for those who continue to do so even today. For September 11th
birthday celebrants everywhere.

Schwartz, Teri J., The Day
America Cried.  Enduring Freedom Press, 2002. 
For ages 7-9, 48 pages, ISBN -10:
0972394508.    
This children’s book describes the events of 9/11/01 and in the weeks that
follow. Moving beyond the facts, it captures the moments as they were lived
without generating fear and provides a message of hope and courage. The book
focuses on human reactions to the events such as emotions, acts of kindness and
our need to continue onward in spite of fear and uncertainty. It attempts to
explain why 9/11 occurred without prejudice. The story is accompanied by
graphics (b&w) that are meant to keep the children’s interest. The events are
told by a cheerful cat who finds his way onto each page of the text as well as
onto the full page illustrations. Children between ages 7 and 9 years old will
likely be able to read this book alone. However, the material in the book can
be utilized into classroom lessons on 9/11, as well as those on citizenship,
for older and younger school-aged children as well.

Winter,
Jeanette, September Roses.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.
For Grades K-3, 40 pages, ISBN-10:
0374367361.
On September 11, 2001, two sisters from South Africa are flying to New York
City with 2,400 roses to be displayed at a flower show. As their plane
approaches the airport, a cloud of black smoke billows over the Manhattan
skyline. When they land, they learn of the terrorist attack on the World Trade
Center. All flights are canceled; the sisters cannot go home, and they are
stranded with boxes and boxes of roses. In the days that followed September 11,
Jeanette Winter was drawn to Union Square and saw, among the hundreds of
memorial offerings, twin towers made of roses. In the pages of this small and
vibrant book, she tells a moving story.

---

For Older Children:  

Englar, Mary, September 11 (We the People: Modern America series).  Compass Point Books, 2007.
For
ages 9-12, 48 pages, ISBN-10: 075652041X.  
On a bright sunny morning on September 11, 2001, hijackers took control of four
U.S. commercial airplanes. The terrorists crashed two planes into two World
Trade Center Towers in New York City. Forty minutes later, hijackers crashed
another plane into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Passengers on a fourth
hijacked plane resisted, and the plane crashed in an empty Pennsylvania field.
The tragic events of September 11 killed nearly 3,000 people, scarred
Americans, and changed the world forever.

 

Santella, Andrew, September 11, 2001 (Cornerstones of Freedom: Second).  Children’s Press (CT), 2007.
For Grades 4-6, 48
pages, ISBN-10:
053118692X.  
Become an eyewitness to history with the new Cornerstones of
Freedom, Second Series. Rewritten and updated, with even more full-color
photographs and historical engravings than before, Cornerstones of Freedom,
Second Series introduces the people and events that helped shape the United
States. This book is an informational text about the events of September 11,
2011 and provides basic facts about the three disaster sites, the investigation
and the many people who responded to the tragedy.

---

For Middle
Schoolers:

Ringgold,
Faith, What Will You Do for Peace?
Impact of 9/11 on New York City Youth.   InterRelations
Collaborative, Inc. 2004.
For
ages 9-12, 32
pages, ISBN-10: 0976175304.
Following the tragic events on 9/11,
New York City youth, aged 11 to 19 from many cultures, came together to
document their experiences on 9/11. In their own words and images, they
produced a remarkable book calling for peace and understanding. Their powerful
artwork caught the eye of celebrated artist, Faith Ringgold, and they are
honored to publish this book in association with her.    Ms. Ringgold writes:  “When
I was shown the layout for this new book…… my heart filled with joy. What a
beautiful collaboration, a perfect response from New York City’s young people.
This gracefully poetic account of that frightening day in their young lives is
a gift of sensitivity and love. I was amazed at their generosity of spirit. I
found the paintings and expressive verse in this book deeply inspiring.

Thoms,
Annie,   With
Their Eyes: September 11th–The View from a High School at Ground Zero.
 Harper Collins, 2002.  
For ages 13 and up, 256 pages, ISBN-10:
9780060517182.
Monologues from Stuyvesant High School. Tuesday,
September 11, seemed like any other day at Stuyvesant High School, only a few
blocks away from the World Trade Center. The semester was just beginning, and
the students, faculty, and staff were ready to start a new year.Within a few
hours that Tuesday morning, they would experience an event that transformed all
their lives completely. Here, in their own words, are the firsthand stories of
a day none of us will ever forget.

---

For All Ages:

Fahnestock, Andrea
Henderson and Goodman, Robin F. editors, The Day Our
World Changed. Harry
N. Abrams, Inc., 2002.
For all ages, 128 pages, ISBN-10:
0810935449.  
All of America’s
children were affected by the horrific events of September 11, 2001. At such
times of pain and tragedy, children often turn to art to express their deepest
emotions, and so they did after 9/11. The New York University Child Study
Center and the Museum of the City of New York have collaborated on this unusual
book, which presents children’s artwork created in response to 9/11.
Seventy-five works by children 5-18 years old, all from the New York area, were
selected for the book and accompanying juried exhibition, which opened on
September 11, 2002. Robin F. Goodman, a well-known child mental health expert,
discusses the effects of the tragedy on children and their artistic responses
to it. The book will feature personal essays by prominent New York artists,
writers, historians, and civic and religious leaders; the children’s commentary
about their art and experiences is also included. The Day Our World Changed
provides insight into what some of our nation’s youngest citizens saw on that
historic day and how they foresee the future of their city, their nation, and
the global community at large.

Harwayne, Shelley and New York City Board of
Education,   Messages to Ground Zero: Children Respond to September 11, 2001.  Heinemann Publishing, 2002.

For all ages, 176 pages, ISBN-10:
0325005141.
This
is a collection of letters, poetry, and art by children in response to
September 11th. All were sent to other children reflecting innocent support,
outreach, and caring. This book is an archive of what children were thinking
and feeling through their honest and heart-filled messages.

 

Marsh, Carole, The
Day That Was Different: September 11, 2001: When Terrorists Attacked America.   Gallopade International, 2001.
For all ages, 48 pages, ISBN-10:
0635009188.
Timely,
factual, sensitive information for children about the day terrorists attacked
America.
Includes:
• The Day That Was Different: What Happened on September 11, 2001 and What It
Means;
• Other Days That Were Different: Pearl Harbor, the Bombing of Ft. Sumter
(start of Civil War), and the Challenger Explosion
• Home of the Brave: They Came to Help-Firefighters, Police, the Military,
Civilian Volunteers
• The Government in Charge: What Happens When America Suffers an Attack?
• Timeline of Significant
Events
• The Geography of Terrorism
• What is the World Trade Center?
• What is the Pentagon? Why Did the Terrorists Pick on It?
• What is Islam? Who Are Muslims?
• What is Terrorism? Why Does It Exist? Is it New in History?
• Land of the Free: How a Democratic Country is Different
• I Want to Help!: What Kids, Families, and Schools Can Do to  Help
•
Is this the “First War” of the 21st Century?
• What Will America Do Next?
• What Good Can Come From this Experience?
• Tolerance and Your Role as a Student
• Dear Diary: A Page to Record Your Feelings
• Dear Friend: A Letter to Write
• Pride and Patriotism
• My Questions for Further Discussion