Teaching the subject of September 11th can be tricky. It’s one of the most iconic events in recent American history, and there aren’t many picture books on the subject. Here I talk about my favorite children’s books about September 11 that will help your elementary students understand this important event in history.
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This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth
In the 1970s, nestled between the newly completed Twin Towers in New York City, a Callery pear tree was planted. Over the years, the tree provided shade for people looking for a place to rest and a home for birds, along with the first blooms of spring.
On September 11, 2001, everything changed. The tree’s home was destroyed, and it was buried under the rubble. But a month after tragedy struck, a shocking discovery was made at Ground Zero: the tree had survived.
Dubbed the “Survivor Tree,” it was moved to the Bronx to recover. And in the thoughtful care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Callery pear was nursed back to health. Almost a decade later, the Survivor Tree returned home and was planted in the 9/11 Memorial to provide beauty and comfort…and also hope.
Check out the lesson and activities for This Very Tree HERE
Have a Google Classroom? Get the digital lessons and activities HERE
Fireboat by Maira Kalman
This is my recommendation for first grade all the way up to fourth grade.
It tells the story of the John J. Harvey fireboat. It was an old fireboat that used to be used to put out fires along the waters of New York City for years. It had fallen into disrepair until a group of friends decided to repair it. On September 11th, it was called back into duty to help the other fireboats put out the fires at Ground Zero.
This book is great because it teaches students about what is likely a new subject: fireboats. With this book I focus on how the author uses illustrations to help the reader understand the HUGE number of new vocabulary words.
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Fireboat HERE
Have a Google classroom: Check out my lesson plan and GOOGLE activities
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
This is another book that can be used (and I have) with younger students from first grade up through fifth grade.
It tells the story of Philippe Petit and his daring walk between the North and South towers of the World Trade Center. It’s a Caldecott Medal winner, so the illustrations are amazing putting students right in the Man on Wire’s point of view at times. Even though this story does not directly deal with the events of September 11th, it does reference them at the end of the book in a way that is accessible to young students.
Check out my lesson plan and activities for this biography HERE
Saved By The Boats by Julie Gassman
This is definitely a book better suited for older students than Fireboat. I would recommend this one for third grade up through sixth grade.
It is a narrative nonfiction account by Julie Gassman that tells about how boats from all around the city helped the people of Manhattan evacuate on 9/11. I really like this book because the illustrations are stunning, but also because it’s told as a story. The author’s note at the end is also of particular note. Julie Gassman tells her own personal story of evacuation by sea on September 11.
There is also a great multimedia connection to this book: a video interviewing some of the boat captains and evacuees. It is called Boatlift (click for the link). The video really helps students visualize what happened and hear a firsthand account of the story. With this story’s structure, I talk with students about firsthand and secondhand accounts since the book offers both. This is probably one of my favorite books about September 11.
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Saved By the Boats HERE
Have a Google classroom: Check out my lesson plan and GOOGLE activities
Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan
This is another book I really recommend for slightly older students. I think this one could be enjoyed by second grade up through sixth grade depending on how deep you get with your analysis.
This tells the story of how a seven and a half ton steel beam from the World Trade Center became part of the bow of a new Navy ship the USS New York. It explains the beam’s journey from Ground Zero to surviving Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans where it was affixed to the USS New York to the New York’s return to NYC on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
Boys who love statistics will love the back matter as it tells about other interesting facts about building the ship. The illustrations are also VERY thought-provoking showing the moment just before the first plane hit the Twin Towers.
Check out my lesson plan and activities for Seven and a Half Tons of Steel HERE
Have a Google classroom: Check out my lesson plan and GOOGLE activities
Survivor Tree by Marcie Colleen
This hopeful story of a resilient tree that grew (and still grows) at the base of the twin towers is a simple introduction for young readers to gain an understanding of September 11th and the impact it had on America.
One September day, the perfect blue sky exploded. Dust billowed. Buildings crumbled. And underneath it all, a tree sprouted green leaves in its distress. Pulled from the wreckage, the tree saw many seasons pass as it slowly recovered far away from home. Until one day, forever scarred and forever stronger, it was replanted at the 9/11 Memorial.
Other Picture Books About September 11?
A popular suggestion for books on September 11 is 14 Cows For America by Carmen Agra Deedy. It’s one of the few books about September 11 that can also be found in Spanish (14 vacas para America). The illustrations are AMAZING.
What’s not to like? It IS a great book, however, in terms of teaching about September 11, it deals with it in a way that is very vague. I would use this book to teach fourth grade and up students to use illustrations to infer meaning. I’ve tried this book with younger students and they could not make the connection. I probably would not use it to teach about what happened on September 11th.
The Survivor Tree: Inspired by a True Story is another good book, but I hesitate to suggest it because it can be very difficult to find in libraries. You can find it on Amazon, though. This book can be used throughout all of elementary, though.
My final book I would recommend is The Little Chapel That Stood. Remember how I just said that the previous book was hard to find? You may need to be independently wealthy or actually go to New York City and visit the chapel to buy the book in the store. Either that or if you find this in your library, you’ve got a GREAT library.
Conclusion
These are just a portion of the many books about September 11. These, though, by far, are my favorite. Is there a really good book out there that I did not list? Let me know in the comments.
If you want to really dig deep and teach this subject to your students, you can check out my September 11 Read Aloud Bundle by clicking on the link below. As in all things, I think the best way to teach it is through great storytelling, and the books in this bundle and on this list are a great start.
I love September 12th, although I don’t know how hard or easy it is to get your hands on. It is published by Scholastic and written and illustrated by a first grade class. It starts by saying a lot of bad things happened on September 11th, but when they woke up on September 12th they knew it would be ok. Then each page talks about how they knew it would be okay.
Oooh, thank you for the recommendation, Theresa! I’ll have to try to get my hands on a copy!