America under Attack

Children's Literature

In sometimes choppy, two-page chapters, this volume recounts the events of September 11, 2001, as well as the aftermath, including the ongoing war on terrorism. Stock photographs accompany a matter-of-fact retelling focusing primarily on the fall of the World Trade Center towers. Brief references to specific victims and survivors are included, but the book is primarily a rundown of the facts rather than a personalized account. Boldfaced words lead readers to an accompanying glossary; it can be hard to determine why some words (such as "squeegee") were deemed significant enough for inclusion in the glossary. An oddly opinionated concluding statement on the limitation of civil rights in the wake of the terrorist attacks seems inappropriate. Amazingly enough, this dry volume manages to make the awful events of 9/11 seem like just another textbook to get through. For a much more personal and powerful account of that day, see Wilborn Hampton's September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City. This is a volume in the "Dates with History" series. 2004, Smart Apple Media, Ages 9 to 12.
— Norah Piehl