Books to Teach About 9/11

Most teachers will never forget where we were or how we felt on September 11, 2001, but for our students, it is an historical event that happened before they were even born! Here are some ideas of books to read to your students to teach them about 9/11.

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14 Cows for America

This picture book tells the true story of a gift given to the United States by a tribe of Maasai Warriors after the September 11 attacks.  

Warrior, Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, returns home to his Kenyan Village from New York City in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. One of the children asks him if he has any stories.  Kimeli proceeds to tell him the story of the attack on the Twin Towers.

An elder asks, "What can we do for these poor people?"

Kimeli says that he wants to gift his only cow (a highly prized possession in his tribe) and asks for the elder's blessing.  They give their blessing along with 13 more cows.

When an American ambassador comes to the village to receive the gift, the Maasai present the cows with the words "because there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty comfort." 

America is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell

Written by Don Brown, this books tells what happened during the attacks in chronological order in a straight forward and sensitive way. The illustrations and details in the narrative help students to understand both the emotions and significance of the events that happened on September 11th.  

Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey

The John J. Harvey which launched in 1931, was the largest, fastest, shiniest boat of it's time.  It served the City of New York as a fire boat capable of pumping up to 18,000 gallons of water in a minute!  In 1994 the ship was retired, but was saved from the scrap yard by a dedicated group of volunteers.  The volunteers turned the fire boat into a museum and education center.

But, on September 11, 2001, the boat was put back into service to battle the flames caused by the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers.

This book tells the story of this remarkable boat.

I like this book because it reminds me of the Fred Rogers quote about helpers.

The Man in the Red Bandanna

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This is another great example of looking towards the heroes and helpers! This book tells the story of Welles Remy Crowther, an equity trader and volunteer firefighter who worked in the World Trade Center on that fateful day of the attacks. With no thought of himself, he saved numerous people from the upper floors of the World Trade Center South Tower.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

This book gives a glimpse into how magnificent the Twin Towers were before the tragedy struck.  It tells the story of a French aerialist, Philipe Petit, who in 1974, threw a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and spent almost an hour doing acrobatic tricks a quarter mile away from the ground! 

If you have students who would like to read more about 9/11, my students have loved the following two chapter books as well!

I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001

My students always love the I Survived series, and this one was no different. This book tells the story of Lucas, whose father is a fire fighter.  Lucas isn't supposed to be in Manhattan on 9/11, but he was.  This book tells the story of what he sees and experiences during the event.

What Were the Twin Towers?

This is another book from a series, in particular the What Was series. It tells the story of the Twin Towers - how they came to be the tallest buildings in the world, and how they were destroyed.

Do you have any other suggestions for books to teach students about September 11th?  I'd love to hear in the comments below!

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