September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City, a nonfiction children's book about the terrorist attacks on New York City is the result of author Wilborn Hampton's desire to help younger readers understand what happened on September 11, 2001 in New York City. Hampton does this through photographs, interviews and an account of his own experiences that day and the days afterward.
September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City - The Book's Impact
Wilborn Hampton wrote
September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City because, "It seemed important, especially for younger readers who may have questions about what happened in years to come, to try to put on paper an account of what took place in New York City that day. And the only way to begin to understand the horror of what occurred on September 11 was to recount it through the eyes of those who experienced it firsthand."
Hampton handles the difficult job of explaining what happened without traumatizing the reader with sensitivity. No one who reads this book will go away without feeling some of the emotional anguish that resulted from the attacks, but reading the book should not emotionally overwhelm a reader 11 years old and older.
How does Hampton accomplish this? Except for the color photograph of the New York skyline and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center at dusk, all of the photographs are in black and white. This helps to serve as a buffer between the reader and the brutality of the event. While the photographs were obviously carefully chosen, of necessity they must show death and destruction.
September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City - Personal Accounts
To help bring the disaster to a personal level, Hampton writes about his own experiences in New York City on September 11 and spotlights the experiences of such people as Jim Kenworthy, whose wife was killed in the attack; Omar Rivera and his guide dog, Salty, who escaped together from the burning North Tower; members of Ladder Company 6, a company of firefighters involved in the rescue efforts; Rudolph Giuliani, mayor of New York City; and Mac LaFollette, one of thousands of people who volunteered to help after the attacks.
The book is divided into four sections, and the author goes back and forth in each recounting what happened to the individuals he is spotlighting. The chapters are The Attack, Flight, The Aftermath, and Epilogue. At the beginning of the book is a map illustration that shows both all of the building involved and the location of the World Trade Center in the city.
Throughout the book, which is 140 pages long, the writing is understated and direct. The quality of the paper, the photography, and the cover of this hardbound book is excellent. The type is a good size and lines are widely spaced, making the book both attractive and easy to read.
September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City - The Book's Importance
At the end of the book is a brief bibliography and an index, which readers should find very helpful.
September 11, 2001: Attack on New York City was published in 2003 by Candlewick Press. I have to agree with Wilborn Hampton when he writes (in Acknowledgements), "I wish this book had never been written. That is to say, I wish there had never been a reason for it to be written." However, it is important that we all remember September 11, 2001. Books like this ensure that children, today and in the future, will have firsthand accounts of what happened.
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