Book Review: In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years After the 9/11 Attacks by Don Brown

 

September 11, 2001. A day that changed America forever. Follow the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in history as the time unfolds during and after. Experience stories of fear, bravery, and loss in a book of beautiful yet serene graphics and direct quotes of people who lived through the terror.

Firstly, the art in this book is stunning and stark. It evokes very strong emotions with the purposeful use of color and the gray tones giving the feeling of the true feelings and aftermaths of the attacks. The reader often feels as if they too are in the smoke and ash of the fallen towers along with the people highlighted in the text. The author chooses multiple people to follow as the day unfolds and even though the text is sparse, it is used so powerfully. Not much needs to be said to truly understand the suffering. Each page and each person evoked a sense of loss but Brow also left the reader with a sense of hope at the end. The author also presents a page of death statistics that can be upsetting to some but a powerful representation of what was lost on that day, life. This is a great read and a one that should be shared with students who may truly understand the effects of that day. This book would be appropriate for lower middle school readers. At the end Brown includes a bibliography of source material for the direct quotes used throughout the book as well as an index of the direct quotes. It is a book that will evoke strong emotions for those who watched the attacks unfold in real time and for those who experience the day as a purely historical event.

"Based on the firsthand accounts of survivors, Brown chronicles some of the lesser-known stories of victims, first responders, and survivors in the days and years after the attacks. Readers will delve deeper into what they might already know about that morning as well as broaden their awareness of its harrowing aftermath. Brown’s effective use of color adds yet another dimension to the story: The panels are illustrated in shades of brown and gray, re-creating the bleak smoke- and dust-filled landscape of ground zero. Sudden bursts of violent red flames perfectly symbolize the devastating shock of the disaster and the urgent fight for survival. Extensive source notes, statistics, and citations as well as a poignant afterword make this graphic nonfiction title an important, powerful book for teen and adult readers alike. A deeply moving account of the immediate aftermath and lasting effects of the largest terrorist attack on United States soil." - Kirkus Review

Book Information:

Brown, D. (2021). IN THE SHADOW OF THE FALLEN TOWERS: THE SECONDS, MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS, MONTHS, AND YEARS AFTER THE 9/11 ATTACKS. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: New York. ISBN 9780358223573 

Extension Activities:

Lesson Plans from the 9/11 Memorial website. They provide lessons for multiple grade levels and provide resources. 

What Next?

Read Aaron & Alexander also by Don Brown