Being a classroom teacher I am
naturally drawn to picture books. I love reading picture books to address and meet reading
and writing standards, support social-emotional learning, address behavior
issues, and help enhance content-area lessons.
Picture books have helped
me over the years get words across to students when sometimes my own words have
failed. It is no surprise that picture books have become the cornerstone of September 11th lessons beginning with the first anniversary of
September 11th in 2002.
I was in my second year of teaching on
September 11, 2001. One minute I was beginning the first lesson of the day, a
grammar lesson on using commas, and the next minute my principal was taking
over my class and I was driving home to say goodbye to my husband, a NYPD
officer, who was headed into the work.
Being a NYPD wife, New Yorker, and elementary
school teacher made the next months extremely difficult. The days were filled with high emotions both at school as both
my students and colleagues all lost loved ones during the attacks. There was also no
relief at home since my husband was working around the clock at Ground Zero.
While talking in-depth about the events that took place that September day was
something that did not take place in the classroom that year, I knew that I
wanted to make sure
that on every anniversary September 11th was not just acknowledged, but was honored and remembered in the very best possible way.
that on every anniversary September 11th was not just acknowledged, but was honored and remembered in the very best possible way.
With September 11th being such a delicate topic and part of history to discuss, especially with elementary students, turning to picture books was, and still is, a must for me. The following picture books are among my favorite books* to read during September. They are perfect to read aloud to simply honor the day, spark meaningful discussions, or kick off social studies lessons in your classroom. Grab FREE activities to use with any of these books at the bottom of this post.
1. September Roses
By Jeanette Winter
This book is a beautiful short story
offering one of many examples of kindness that took place in the wake of this
horrible event. Your students will be
inspired to do random acts of kindness after listening to this sweet and true tale.
2. September 11th Then and Now
By Peter Benoit
This book is a nonfiction short chapter book with real photographs that tells the informational side of the events that took place on September 11th. This book provides background knowledge for students and will help guide your classroom discussions and answer student questions.
This book is a nonfiction short chapter book with real photographs that tells the informational side of the events that took place on September 11th. This book provides background knowledge for students and will help guide your classroom discussions and answer student questions.
3. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
This book is a flashback story to 1974
when Philippe Petit walked on tightropes between the towers in New York City.
This book offers happy memories and a description of the towers when they were
first built.
4. The Little Chapel that Stood
By A.B. Curtiss
This story is one of my favorites. It
is a story written in poetic form and tells a story of hope. This special
chapel and community by the towers stood tall that day, literally and figuratively, helping others, while
everything around them crumbled. Without many details of the events, the story
is still told about what happened on 9/11. I highly recommend this book. (Note: Grab this from your local library. I have not been able to find this in any book store or online at a decent price.)
5. Fireboat
By Maira Kalman
This book tells the story of an old
retired fire boat that came out of retirement to help the firemen and citizens
of New York after the Twin Towers collapsed. This book is a positive tale that
truly illustrates how the community came together after the attacks in New
York and will inspire students to work together to help others.
6. America is Under Attack
By Don Brown
Written by a New Yorker who lost many
friends during the attack, this book is a detailed and specific retelling of
the events that took place on 9/11. I would recommend this book for students
fifth grade and older.
7. September 11th 2001
This book is a basic retelling of the
events of September 11th with kid drawn and friendly illustrations.
It provides an overview of the day without many specific events. Perfect for any grade.
8. 14 Cows for America
By Carmen Agra Deedy
This book is a very gentle true story
of one African man’s recollection of September 11th. It truly brings to light how the whole world
felt and also suffered for Americans after the events and tragic losses of the of
September
11th. Beautifully illustrated,
this book shows how every person from all corners of the world wanted to give
what they had to America. I love this one!
Remember September 11th in
your classroom with one, or more of these picture books*. Today, September 11th
is also known as Patriot Day. It is a great opportunity to not only honor the
victims and heroes of the September 11th attacks, but to also honor our
country, the freedoms that we have, and the people who make our country great. If you are looking for informational text to help support your lessons, you can see the formal activities I use with my students HERE.
Love using picture books in your classroom, too?
Read about my favorite:
You might be interested in this printable and digital resource:
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