9/11

For Generation Y, the most memorable moment in our history is without question 9/11. Everyone can remember where they were, who they were with, and what took place for the rest of the day. 9/11 popped the bubble that Generation Y was living in; we thought we couldn’t be touched. But what about the ones who can’t remember what happened? Or what about those who weren’t alive yet? How will we teach them about the events leading up to 9/11?

Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon have taken the 9/11 consumer report and made it into a graphic novel, with pull-out pages depicting the minute by minute action from the morning of 9/11. Their novel not only shows the events leading up to the collapse of the Twin Towers, but it also shows the events which took place immediately after. The intensity and determination of the emergency personnel, the decisions made by the Bush administration, and the changes in homeland security are all details in this graphic novel, making it more accessible to the younger generations.

Although it’s based off the original 9/11 consumer report, this adaptation is clearly biased, and includes many provocative statements and pictures. A book, especially a graphic novel, is a good way to reach out to readers and help them connect with a moment in history. This graphic novel, however, is extremely controversial for a school setting, and I would not recommend keeping it in your classroom library.