BookPage Children's Top Pick, July 2016
Nora Raleigh Baskin’s latest novel focuses on how four young teens turn tragedy into hope after the events of September 11, 2001.
Two days prior to the events of 9/11, four random middle schoolers lead very different lives: Will is white and lives in Pennsylvania; Sergio is black and lives in New York; Aimee is Jewish and recently moved to California; and Naheed is Muslim and lives in Ohio. Will, Sergio, Aimee and Naheed are all dealing with personal and familial issues, and they are unaware that the next 48 hours will totally alter their perspectives on life and provide an opportunity for them to stand up for what is right.
It’s not difficult for adults to recall what life was like before and after 9/11, as well as where they were or what they were doing when Flight 11 flew directly into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. But as Baskin states, “For young students today there is no ‘before 9/11.’ ” With Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story, Baskin offers middle grade readers a small glimpse of how the world suddenly changed on that fateful day. Parallel narratives with journal entry chapter headings and the use of shifting, profound scenes during the events of 9/11 keep Baskin’s plot constantly moving. The result is an absolutely stunning read.
This article was originally published in the July 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
