Ground Zero is a number one New York Times

bestseller

The plot starts at a heart-pounding pace and never relents…

A contemporary history lesson with the uplifting message

that humanity’s survival depends on us working for, not against,

one another. A must-have. - School Library

Journal

In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master

storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding

and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear -

and the stunning links between the past and present.

September 11, 2001, New York City: Brandon is visiting his dad

at work, on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center. Out of nowhere,

an airplane slams into the tower, creating a fiery nightmare

of terror and confusion. And Brandon is in the middle of it all.

Can he survive - and escape?

September 11, 2020, Afghanistan: Reshmina has grown up in the

shadow of war, but she dreams of peace and progress. When a battle

erupts in her village, Reshmina stumbles upon a wounded American

soldier named Taz. Should she help Taz - and put herself and her

family in mortal danger?

Two kids. One devastating day. Nothing will ever be the

same.

Suitable for classroom reading

With two action-packed perspectives, Gratz powerfully explores

the ways in which the past shapes the present

Don’t miss Refugee, Grenade and Allies

by Alan Gratz.

REVIEWS

With his signature accessibility and insight, Gratz tackles

events on both U.S. soil and abroad in Ground Zero….. 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. - Booklist

Gratz moves back and forth between the two narratives in short,

nail-biting chapters that create a vivid picture of each setting

and make readers feel invested in each character’s relationships

and choices, and in the high-stakes global forces that

affect the intimate details of their lives. -Horn

Book

Gratz’s deeply moving writing paints vivid images of

the loss and fear of those who lived through the trauma of 9/11.

• Kirkus

This tautly paced novel explores the events of that tragedy

and the subsequent American response through two parallel story

lines. - Publishers Weekly