Explaining the 9/11 attacks to young children is not an easy task for parents and it inevitably brings up some tough questions. How old is old enough to know? How much detail do they need to know? How do you balance teaching them about an important event in American history without inducing unnecessary fear and worry? None of our kids were born on September 11th, 2001, but they’ve grown up in the post-9/11 world and at some level they need to know what it was all about.
There are no easy answers, but we’ve found that this books helps. America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell by Don Brown
The events of September 11, 2001 changed the world forever. In the fourth installment of the Actual Times series, Don Brown narrates the events of the day in a way that is both accessible and understandable for young readers. Straightforward and honest, this account moves chronologically through the morning, from the plane hijackings to the crashes at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania; from the rescue operations at the WTC site to the collapse of the buildings. Vivid watercolor illustrations capture the emotion and pathos of the tragedy making this an important book about an unforgettable day in American history.
No axes to grind. No politics. It is pretty much a straightforward telling of the facts of the day that helps explain what happened that day. You’ll likely still have plenty of questions to answer on your own though.
