Powerful Read About September 11th by David Levithan
The first few chapters are a very realistic and emotional retelling of the events of September 11th through the eyes of three teens, Claire, Peter and Jasper. I won’t lie to you, these pages are tough to read. They brought back a lot of emotion of the day. This is a good opportunity for teens who may have been too young to remember much of the details. They can see the events through the eyes of characters their own age. Claire is in school and rushes to find her little brother while they wait for their mother to get them. Peter is waiting outside for a record store to open and bares witness to the attack. Jasper sleeps through the most of the attack. The three characters were at a party together just the night before. Jasper and Peter flirted, but a connection is not made until much later. Claire meets Jasper on a nighttime walk to ground zero where they find they are kindred spirits, searching for answers. The three become a source of hope and deep friendship as they navigate through the year after the attacks.
David Levithan’s description of the day’s events is very authentic both in detail and emotion. He forces us to ask difficult questions. He portrays the important politics of the time without evoking fear. He reminds us we share humanity with the entire world, and the post 9/11 events should bring us together instead of tearing us apart. I love how he portrays homosexual teens. They are just like any other teen, searching for love and acceptance. They are friends with straight teens like it is no big deal. And it shouldn’t be a big deal. I read through chapters of this book with tears in my eyes. I am so thankful David Levithan had the courage to write this important book!
Ideas for discussing with teens:
Many teens may be too young to remember details about the September 11th attacks. Talk about what they do remember. As an adult facilitator, add your personal recollections.
If they do remember, talk about how their world changed that day.
Music, specifically U2’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind album, helps Peter and Claire cope. Talk about how music helps you cope with difficult times in your life.
Have the lyrics to U2’s song “One” on hand to discuss. Take turns reading it out loud. The title of the book comes from the lyrics.
How does tragedy bring people closer together?
Claire says she feels survivors must breathe in the dust of the dead, and do things the dust cannot do. Discuss.
Talk about when Clarire says, “The hitch is you can’t find a common humanity just because you have a common enemy. You have to find a common humanity because you believe that it’s true.”
The characters talk about the different between “drowning” & “the swim of things”. Discuss.
What I Saw And How I Lied by Judy Blundell
I get the sense this is the current “it” book to be passed around youth librarians. 
A number of youth librarians I know have read this and loved it. I really liked it too. It is part mystery, coming of age and historic fiction.
Evie has a gorgeous mother who turns heads and invites a lot of gossip. Her step-father, Joe, recently returned from fighting in World War II. He decides to take Evie and her mom on a vacation to Palm Beach in the off-season. There she meets Peter, a beautiful man who is not what he seems. She falls in love and into a web of lies that keep the reader guessing until the final chapters. The story takes twists into murder, anti-semitism and first love.
The thing I really loved about this book is that it really sets the tone of an authentic post World War II America. The girls use chocolate cigarettes to practice smoking. They don’t wear pants. People are enjoying the boom of a rising economy (ironic to be reading this book at this time.) They get to have sugar again and the victory gardens are growing weeds.
You get a real sense of Evie’s struggle to figure out what is going on with her parents and Peter. Is it a chance meeting with Peter, or did he follow them to Florida? Why does Joe hate him so much. Is her puppy love for Peter real?
In What I Saw and How I Lied, Evie must figure out when does the lie become reality.
