9/11 Children’s Book
I’d like to share a book that we discovered about a year after 9/11/01 called Fireboat. It’s the true story of an old fireboat commissioned in 1931. It saw the construction of the George Washington Bridge and Empire State Building. By 2001 it was very old and was destined for the scrapyard. But on 9/11 it was called back into action, showing heroism like so many did. I love this book and I think it is a fitting way to commemorate that day for young children. Warning, some Amazon reviewers were shocked and appalled at the topic being used for a children’s book. You may wish to view the 2 or 3 pages of the attacks to determine for yourself whether or not this would be appropriate for your children. As for us, my son was 5 when we read it. He was aware of the attacks at the time they occurred and we thought it was important to explain it to him in terms he could understand rather than pretend it didn’t happen (& that Mommy & Daddy were worried for no apparent reason).
This book reads in the style of Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel and The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge (which BTW also mentions the GW Bridge.) The three stories together might make a nice unit study on New York.
Anyway, just wanted to share.
related articles
- Suzannah the mom (October 16th, 2008)
- Fifteen Years Years Ago, Today (July 10th, 2007)
- New Beginnings (Whew! That was close.) (June 8th, 2007)
- Yes, we’re still here… (February 8th, 2007)
- I guess they really aren’t there to socialize (January 26th, 2007)
