I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (I Survived Series #6)

by Lauren Tarshis

Overview

On the day that shocks the world, one boy just wants to find his family. A powerful addition to the gripping I SURVIVED series.

The only thing Lucas loves more than football is his Uncle Benny, his dad's best friend at the fire department where they both work. Benny taught Lucas everything about football. So when Lucas's parents decide the sport is too dangerous and he needs to quit, Lucas has to talk to his biggest fan.

So the next morning, Lucas takes the train to the city instead of the bus to school. It's a bright, beautiful day in New York. But just as Lucas arrives at his uncle's firehouse, everything changes -- and nothing will ever be the same again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545207003
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	07/01/2012
Series:	I Survived Series
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	149
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Lauren Tarshis is the editor of Scholastic’s Storyworks magazine and group editorial director for language arts for Scholastic classroom magazines, in addition to being the author of the I Survived series and the critically acclaimed novels Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love. She lives in Westport, Connecticut, and can be found online at www.laurentarshis.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912:

"The fast pace and intrinsically fascinating disaster story will keep readers turning the pages." -- Kirkus

Praise for I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916:

"This is a gripping story that will hold the interest of reluctant readers." -- SLJ

Praise for I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005:

“Expressive illustrations capture the drama of the storm and its aftermath, but the book’s real power comes from its exploration of what it means to be a hero.” -- Booklist

From the Publisher

Today's 8 to 10-year-olds were not alive the day the Towers came down, but are naturally curious about the events of September 11th. Tarshis helps them understand the events of the day through the eyes of 11-year-old Lucas, whose father and "Uncle" Benny are both members of the New York Fire Department, stationed less than 10 blocks from the World Trade Center. She frames the story around Lucas' love of football. Lucas is upset by their decision to end his playing days because of his frequent concussions. Convinced that Uncle Benny will take his side, he sets off on his own to talk to him at the fire station. As the pair walk and talk, they hear a loud roar and look up to see a low-flying airplane, so low he "could even read the letters on the tail: AA." Lucas watches as "the plane plunged like a knife into the side of one of the buildings" and almost immediately hears Uncle Benny shouting the alarm into his phone. Listening to the news as he waits in the now-abandoned fire station, Lucas becomes increasingly afraid and sets out to locate his father and Benny at the Command Center—and thereby is in the midst of things, with his father, when the first tower collapses. They run for their lives, helping people along the way. Tarshis includes vivid details yet avoids being gruesome by keeping everything from Lucas' perspective. Readers will have a clear understanding of the sequence of events as well as a sense of the emotions of those who were there. Dawson's gray pen and ink illustrations show readers what Lucas occasionally sees, again keeping the focus on him more than the horrific events. Backmatter includes a timeline, FAQs, and Tarshis' explanation of her decision to write this book. This is a title in the "I Survived" series. Reviewer: Peg Glisson

Children's Literature - Peg Glisson

A terrified 11-year-old gets an "extremely loud and incredibly close" view of the World Trade Center attacks in this disaster series' latest entry. Thoroughly bummed at having to drop football in the wake of his third concussion, Lucas cuts school for the lower Manhattan firehouse where beloved "Uncle" Benny--his firefighter father's colleague and closest friend--is stationed. He arrives just as the first plane does, and hearing that all firefighters have been summoned to the scene, he sets out to find Benny and his dad. Supplemented by occasional staid but realistic scenes from Dawson, Tarshis effectively captures not only the sequence of events and the pervasive confusion and shock as the catastrophe develops, but also its gargantuan scale. Though the author plays with readers' sympathies in the final chapter with a needless red herring, in general she crafts a dramatic, emotionally intense tale that takes account of 9/11's physical and emotional costs--short- and long-term--while ending on an upward beat. Though not yet born in 2001, the intended audience will come away feeling more connected to the tragedy and aware of its historical significance. (afterword, timeline) (Historical fiction. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews