Miller, Mara Remembering September 11, 2001:

Miller, Mara Remembering September 11, 2001: What We Know Now
Enslow 2010 112p 31.93
978-0-7660-2931-6 ms/jr September 11; Terroristic Attacks; Terrorism VG-BNS Issues in Focus Today(Enslow)


Re-visits the events of the terrorist hijackings of four U.S. airplanes on September 11, 2001, and places these in historical context.
A generation of children has been born since the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon were destroyed, and Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania. Nearly ten years have passed since “9/11,” but America is still reacting to the events of that day. In the immediate aftermath, a spate of juvenile books were immediately released, and then most of the publishing world moved on. Mara Miller revisits the events of the terrorist hijackings of four U.S. airplanes on September 11, 2001, and offers a fresh perspective on the tragic events while placing them in historical context.

Miller describes rescue efforts at the Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon, as well as passengers’ attempts to wrest a plane from hijackers over a field in Pennsylvania. She creates immediacy and personalizes history by including first-person narratives and stories that may not have been previously published.

A description of key historical events in the Middle East provides a context for the anti-U.S., sentiment present in the Middle East foreshadowing violent retaliation. Included is a biography of Osama bin Laden and the events in his life that prompted him to initiate the 9/11 attacks. The resulting “War on Terror,” continues through the present day, although the author does not focus on it. She directs her energy into explaining that what was clear after the attack was not clear beforehand. After the attack, Americans wanted answers.

Miller describes the efforts of the 9/11 Commission to search out the truth, its findings and the recommendations that came out of these reports to prevent similar attacks from happening in the future. In the meantime, people found ways to honor the dead and move toward healing. Photographs of memorials and descriptions of commemorative services provide testimony to the continuing impact of a single day in history.

Dramatic photographs, chapter notes, timeline , index, and glossary round out a well-researched, engaging text. Welliver, Hilary

The Scoop on What to eat. by Kathryn Gay

Gay, Kathlyn. The scoop on what to eat.
Enslow, 2009, 112p, $31.93, 978-0-7660-3066-4.

A comprehensive overview of diet and nutrition for young people. Includes information on such issues as obesity and eating disorders, diets, supplements, vegetarian eating, the food pyramid, exercise and related topics.
Something for everyone, as far as research is concerned, is included in this comprehensive overview of all aspects of diet and nutrition. Hot topics, such as eating disorders and obesity, are highlighted, as well as general information on good nutrition, fast and junk foods, the food pyramid, and the importance of exercise in any healthy eating regimen.

Illustrations are colorful and well-placed within the text. Text boxes provide easy access to quick facts and supplemental material. Chapter notes, a glossary, bibliography, Internet addresses and index supplement the text. This book received high marks from our Family and Consumer Science teachers, and is useful for hot topic research as well as personal curiosity.

This book is part of the Issues in Focus Today series. There are 32 books in this edition of the continuing series. The series focuses on hot social and scientific topics for young adult readers. PN