Gassman, Julie. Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11.

Gassman, Julie.  Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11.  Capstone Publishers  2017  32p  $20.49  ISBN 978-1-5157-0269-6  elem/ms  Nonfiction  E-BN                                   

Most of us clearly remember the events of September 11, 2001, and the role of first responders and the military in addressing the many issues that arose. What most of us do not think about, however, is the role that sea vessels played in evacuating civilians that day. This book, through art and the written word, very clearly tells their story of that day. The book is well written, and the artwork beautifully rendered as line drawings with limited colors. As a work of simple, narrative nonfiction, the book concludes with the author’s own note, a glossary and further resources, both print and web.

Summary: The evacuation of nearly 500,000 people from Manhattan Island was largely made possible because of the many boats, large and small, that transported people on September 11, 2001, off the island to safer locations across the rivers or bay. This book is both a salute to, and recognition of all of the captains and crews of these vessels.

September 11, 2001, Terrorist attacks                                                                       --Lynn Fisher

The story of the events of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is widely known, but the boat rescue that followed is not. Author Julie Gassman was working in NYC on that day and was a passenger in the boat rescue. It was not until many years later that she realized the enormity of the event and the risks the captains took. Boats of all sizes were traveling very close to each other and no one knew if the attacks were over or if more were coming. The illustrations are beautifully done. The events are depicted in beige with black outlines, with the only color being a bright blue sky, as many remember from that day. This book is important for any September 11 collection.  

Summary: Military, private, and public boats ferried people from NYC to New Jersey after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

September 11, 2001 Terrorist attacks                                                               --Stephanie Pennucci

Benoit, Peter. The Nuclear Age.

Benoit, Peter.  The Nuclear Age.    Scholastic/ Childrens Press   64p   $8.95 978-0-531-23062-6   elem/ms   Series: Cornerstones of Freedom (Sch/Childrens)   VG-BNS           

The clarity, organization and topic choices for this guide to nuclear energy combine to make it a book of note.  First, young readers will join older ones in comprehending the subject matter, due to the clarity and simplicity of the author’s writing style.  With his readership in mind, Peter Benoit carefully pens a book that has natural flow and simple sentences combined with more complex ones, and he successfully alters the vocabulary and explanations of a rather involved topic into a very readable nonfiction guide.  Next, Benoit’s organization is seamless.  He moves from the discovery of fission into the birth of the atomic age, continues with a short examination of the Cold War and finishes with a look at fusion, the need to control nuclear weapons and the dangers to humans and their environment.  The photographs are chilling and powerful.  In addition, vocabulary is highlighted in bold type and defined at the end of the book.  Another extra feature that is valuable is a mini-search reference in text for researching topics that would enhance the reader’s comprehension of some of the information provided.  The corresponding list of websites is provided at the end of the book.  Finally, Benoit’s topic choices for inclusion in this guide are spot on.  A child who reads this will close the book with a greater knowledge of nuclear energy, nuclear weapons and nuclear dangers, and that is exactly what one should glean from a book entitled The Nuclear Age.  Benoit ends his book with a map of the world that showcases the major sites of nuclear accidents and detonations, a two-page spread of influential people in the field of nuclear energy and a timeline of major events relating to wars, projects, controls and treaties. 

Note:  $8.95 is the price for the paperback version.  The cost of the hardback book is unavailable.  The series Cornerstones of Freedom offers an examination of monumental events in American history.  Topics include The Emancipation Proclamation, Ellis Island, September 11, and a plethora of others. The text is clear, extras such as a timeline and a list of famous people are helpful, and the photographs are powerful.                                                                   --Martha Squaresky

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