Ground Zero

January 1, 2021
Parallel storylines take readers through the lives of two young people on Sept. 11 in 2001 and 2019. In the contemporary timeline, Reshmina is an Afghan girl living in foothills near the Pakistan border that are a battleground between the Taliban and U.S. armed forces. She is keen to improve her English while her twin brother, Pasoon, is inspired by the Taliban and wants to avenge their older sister, killed by an American bomb on her wedding day. Reshmina helps a wounded American soldier, making her village a Taliban target. In 2001, Brandon Chavez is spending the day with his father, who works at the World Trade Center's Windows on the World restaurant. Brandon is heading to the underground mall when a plane piloted by al-Qaida hits the tower, and his father is among those killed. The two storylines develop in parallel through alternating chapters. Gratz's deeply moving writing paints vivid images of the loss and fear of those who lived through the trauma of 9/11. However, this nuance doesn't extend to the Afghan characters; Reshmina and Pasoon feel one-dimensional. Descriptions of the Taliban's Afghan victims and Reshmina's gentle father notwithstanding, references to all young men eventually joining the Taliban and Pasoon's zeal for their cause counteract this messaging. Explanations for the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan in the author's note and in characters' conversations too simplistically present the U.S. presence. Falters in its oversimplified portrayal of a complicated region and people. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-12)

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January 4, 2021
Publishing in time for the 20th anniversary of 9/11, this tautly paced novel by Gratz (Resist) explores the events of that tragedy and the subsequent American response through two parallel story lines. In September of 2019, devoted student Reshmina, 11, lives in a mountainside village in Afghanistan, dreaming of a future other than marriage. When she rescues an American soldier who is wounded by the Taliban, her village becomes a Taliban target. On Sept. 11, 2001, after being suspended for standing up to a bully with his fists, nine-year-old Brooklynite Brandon Chavez accompanies his kitchen manager father to the Windows of the World restaurant in the World Trade Center’s North Tower. In alternating perspectives, the narrative tackles grim realities of both scenarios, including ongoing violence in Afghanistan and bodies falling from the tower in New York, balancing the horrors with moments of grace and hope. While the U.S. story conveys immediacy and depth, the Afghan story lacks nuance, relying on simplistic explanations when describing the history of the Taliban and what draws Reshmina’s twin brother to its ranks. Similarly, dialogue proves didactic as it works to convey the politics, history, and moral calculus surrounding the events. Ages 9–12.

January 1, 2021
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* With his signature accessibility and insight, Gratz tackles events on both U.S. soil and abroad in Ground Zero. Juxtaposed narratives alternate between September 11, 2001, New York City and September 11, 2019, Afghanistan, linked by destruction, death--and hope. Brandon, out of school due to a fight, finds himself in the North Tower when it's hit. Separated from his dad, he alternately helps and is helped by those trying to escape the terror they don't yet understand. Miles and years away, Reshmina's life has been disrupted by the terror of warring forces for as long as she can remember, but on this day she brings it closer than ever by aiding a wounded American soldier. Subtexts and well-developed secondary characters give readers fuller perspectives surrounding the political, religious, and sociological factors that contribute to the horrors Brandon and Reshmina are living through. The pace is quick (don't blink or you'll miss something!), its emotions deeply authentic, and the highly visual settings resonate with accuracy. With a moving author's note, pertinent back matter, and a surprise twist that brings the book full circle, Gratz delivers another winning read. Ground Zero will appeal to middle-grade readers, who were born after the events of 9/11, and to those adults who lived through it and will never forget.

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Starred review from February 1, 2021

Gr 4-7-Gratz (Refugee) writes a searing indictment of America's involvement in Afghanistan, told through two gripping parallel narratives. On September 11, 2001, nine-year-old Brandon accompanies his father to his job at New York City's World Trade Center. The two are separated during the ensuing terrorist attack, and, with help from others, Brandon survives. Eighteen years later, 11-year-old Reshmina, living in a remote Afghan village, sees her country and family devastated by the Taliban and the U.S. military, despite both armies' claims of protection. Brandon's and Reshmina's lives intertwine in a fateful encounter that challenges America's policies as well as its presence in Afghanistan, and puts a human face on the resulting suffering. Vivid details immerse readers in the two disparate settings. The plot starts at a heart-pounding pace and never relents: Brandon and Reshmina's lives are in danger at every turn. In a superbly structured plot, the two protagonists experience similar perils, and both respond with determination and hope. Gratz provides readers with a brief history of Afghanistan and its occupation by foreign powers. Speaking through Reshmina, he concludes "the United States had surely destroyed Afghanistan." The book includes extensive back matter, making it an excellent choice for classroom discussion. VERDICT A contemporary history lesson with the uplifting message that humanity's survival depends on us working for, not against, one another. A must-have.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem P.L., Holbrook, NY

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