The title of this timely anthology emphasizes the connection between the 9-11 terrorist attacks and the 911 emergency assistance phone number, offering both teens and adults thoughtful, provocative literature that may help with preliminary discussions and perspective on this difficult subject. Twenty-five preeminent authors for young adults were invited to contribute to the volume (all donated their work), with a resulting collection of essays, stories, and poems divided into four sections: Healing, Searching for History, Asking Why? Why? Why?, and Reacting and Recovering. Small illustrations by Chris Raschka (painted on Sept. 11) are included with each section. Katherine Paterson’s graceful introduction is followed by her son David Paterson’s spare, moving essay on his experiences as a volunteer at Ground Zero. Other highlights include a poignant story from Suzanne Fisher Staples set in Pakistan, a perceptive piece by Aronson and Marina Budhos on hatred toward the US, and an unforgettable poem by Sonya Sones titled “Voices.” In her essay, poet Naomi Shihab Nye offers this advice: “Use words. It is the most helpful thing I have learned in my life.” The powerful words of this volume offer specific ways to look at the attacks: here are other tragedies that have happened in the past, here are heroic people who show the basic core of goodness in humanity, here is the anger, here the fear, here the calm, eventual acceptance of tragic events as part of our world. This should serve a much wider audience than the young adults at whom it is aimed. Portions of it would make an excellent choice in the inevitable memorial services that will be held this September. The entire anthology could serve as the basis for seminars, writing classes, or even a college course. A teacher’s guide will be available online, and a portion of the profits from the anthology will be donated to a scholarship fund for relatives of the victims. (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-8126-2659-1
Page Count: 192
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2002
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring.
When Death-Cast doesn’t call, fate intertwines the lives of two boys, both haunted by their pasts and with futures they can’t escape.
In this third installment of the series that opened with 2017’s They Both Die at the End, Paz Dario waits every night for Death-Cast to call—as it should have for his father nearly 10 years ago, when Paz shot him to save his mother’s life. But the call never comes. Death-Cast killed Paz’s dreams of an acting career: No one will hire him now because the world sees him as a villain. When Paz tries (not for the first time) to put an end to his suffering, an unexpected encounter with Alano Rosa, the heir of Death-Cast, stops him. Both in a place of desperation, Alano and Paz sign a contract to live for Begin Days instead of waiting for their End Days. As suspenseful and emotionally wrenching as the previous titles in the series, this new installment explores heavy themes of abuse, mental health, self-harm, and suicide. Paz grapples with a recent diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Silvera surrounds Alano and Paz with a web of complex relationships. Although the protagonists fall fast for one another and form a deep connection over Alano’s desire to support Paz, Silvera emphasizes the importance of professional help. Both Alano and Paz have Puerto Rican heritage. The cliffhanger ending promises more to come.
Raw, delicate, and deeply caring. (content warning, resources) (Speculative fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780063240858
Page Count: 720
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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