Ground Zero
Two kids. One devastating day.
September 11, 2001. New York City. Nine year old Brandon goes to work with his dad 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 that threatens everyone in the building. Can Brandon survive–and escape?
September 11, 2019. Afghanistan. Eleven year old 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 him–and put herself and her family in mortal danger?
In time for the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Ground Zero delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear–and the stunning links between the past and present.
Scholastic | February 2, 2021 | Ages 8 and Up
Book Trailer
Praise
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 - STARRED REVIEW
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 - STARRED REVIEW
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
Awards
#1 New York Times Bestseller!
ABA Indie Bestseller List
Publishers Weekly Bestseller List
USA Today Bestseller List
2024 Kansas William Allen White Award Winner
2022-2023 Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Winner
2023 Oklahoma Sequoyah Intermediate Book Award Winner
2023 Mississippi Magnolia Award Winner
2022-2023 South Carolina Junior Book Award Winner
2022-2023 Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award Winner
2022 Hampshire (UK) Book Award Winner
2022 New Hampshire Great Stone Face Book Award Winner
2021 Grateful American Book Prize
Barnes & Noble Best Young Reader Books of 2021
2021 Amazon.com Best Books of the Year
2023-2024 Idaho Battle of the Books Selection
2023 Wisconsin Golden Archer Middle Grade Book Award Nominee
2022-2023 Tennessee State Book Award Nominee
2023 Sakura Medal Nominee
2023 Utah Beehive Book Award Nominee
2022-2023 Ohio Buckeye Book Award Nominee
2022-2023 Virginia Readers’ Choice Award Nominee
2022 Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Titles, Junior Level
2022 Texas Library Association Lone Star Reading List
2022 SIBA Southern Book Prize Finalist
2021 Sandhills Bestseller List
2021 Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best List—Best Fiction for Older Readers
2021 Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist
2021 Amazon.com Children’s Top 20 Best Books of the Year So Far
2021-2022 Junior Tome Society It List
2021 Amazon.com Best of the Month – February
2021-2022 Lectio Book Award Master List
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