Brandon is 9 and in trouble at school, and with his dad. He was sticking up for someone against a bully, but was suspended from school. With nowhere else he can go, Brandon must go with his dad to work on the 107th floor of the Nth Tower of the World Trade Centre.

Reshmina is 11 and trying to convince her twin brother not to leave their tiny Afghanistan village and their family. Like all the other boys in his community, he wants to fight with the Taliban. She tries everything but he refuses to listen, keen to tell the Taliban her secret. She has helped an American soldier.

A plane hits the World Trade Centre. Brandon must get down the building with snapped elevator cables, blocked or completely missing stairwells, thickening smoke and hundreds of others also trying to escape.

Reshmina has learnt a little English, keen to grow up to be a teacher or even a translator. She knows that is against Afghanistan traditional values, but still wishes for a modern future for herself and her country. She shares the history of her country and the constant invading forces trying to control it.

Her English helps her communicate with a US soldier after their village is in the middle of a Taliban-US firefight. She calls upon her family’s religious belief to help someone if they ask for it, and as they both try to survive the day she asks again and again why is he in her country? Why is America trying to control them?

This discussion between a seasoned soldier and a smart, courageous young girl allows the reader to see both sides of this terrible conflict, and how it came to be. When the soldier realises she’s never even heard of 9/11 and the original reason they are in Afghanistan, now 20 years later, he begins to ask some questions of his own.

Brandon and Reshmina’s stories mesh effortlessly together, leaving the reader a lot to think about.

Another fantastic Gratz read!

Author – Alan Gratz

Age – 12+

Alan Gratz talks about Ground Zero here

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(2021, Scholastic, America, USA, Afghanistan, Taliban, 9/11, 9th September 2001, Terrorist attack, World Trade Centre, World Trade Center, Suspension, Escape, Fire, Planes, Explosion, Smoke, Action, Fear, Kindness, Loss, Grief, Fighting, Questions, Invaders, Weapons)