nine, ten: a September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin

How I Heard About It:  This title came to my attention via conversations on Twitter.  I was intrigued by the title and the cover was captivating.  I saw a Twitter discussion between a reader and Nora.  I added a tweet about how much I was looking forward to reading this book in the fall.  I also inquired if there were any ARCS roaming around.  The next thing I knew, Nora was asking for my address and within days I had a copy in my mailbox.  It wasn't an ARC.  It was the actual hardcover book that is going to be released on June 28th.  Time after time I'm amazed at how generous and thoughtful authors are. Thank you Nora Raleigh Baskin for sending me a copy of your novel.  

What It Is About:  Four children are living their lives in four different locations across the United States.  The dates that the story takes place is September 9th-September 11th, 2001.  Sergio lives in New York and has just been befriended by a New York fire fighter.  Will lives in Pennsylvania and is dealing with the death of his father and trying to get back to a normal life.  Naheed lives in Columbus and is Muslim.  She is trying to fit into the American culture, but also stay true to her own heritage.  Aimee is living in California  and has just started a new school.  She is missing her mother who has gone to New York City for a business trip.  The plot follows these four children the two days leading up to the largest terrorist attack on the United States.  This historical day will have a profound effect on each of these four young people.  Their stories will come together in a highly powerful way both on September 11, 2001 and a year later during the first anniversary of 9/11.  

What I Thought Of It:  I am a huge fan of the novels Anything But Typical and Ruby on the Outside.  I was so looking forward to reading this newest work by Nora.  The writing in this book was incredible and so powerful.  Every word was perfect, necessary, and profound.  Sometimes I'm not a fan of separate stories being told in a novel, but it worked so wonderfully and seamlessly with this particular story.  I enjoyed how each character had a major story-line leading up to this historical date in our country's history.  All sides of this event were told, covered, and touched upon.  Each character brought a different perspective to the story to create a full well-rounded reading experience.  I absolutely loved everything about this book.  

Who Should Read It:  This would be the perfect novel to have in a fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classroom.  It could be paired with a history unit on 9/11 and/or used by itself as a read aloud.  If the book were to be used as a read aloud, there would be so many wonderful and deep discussions that could be had.  I'm also thinking readers in middle-school would also find this a satisfying read.  I know many of my adult Twitter friends have already read the book and raved about it so I recommend it to any adult reader that has not gotten an advanced copy.  Be sure to get a copy on June   28th.  You don't be disappointment.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars