Parents' Guide to Ground Zero

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Common Sense Media Review

Lucinda Dyer By Lucinda Dyer , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Intense, compelling novel about 9/11 and its aftermath.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 10+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 11+

Based on 13 kid reviews

Kids say that this book is an exciting yet intense read, providing perspectives on the traumatic events of 9/11 from two main characters in different timelines. Many praised its emotional depth, educational value, and well-crafted storytelling, although some cautioned that its graphic depictions of violence may not be suitable for younger readers.

  • emotional depth
  • graphic violence
  • educational value
  • multiple perspectives
  • intense storytelling
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

When 9-year-old Brandon Cruz goes to work with his father the morning of September 11, 2001, he has no idea they'll be at GROUND ZERO for a terrorist attack. Brandon's not in school because he's been suspended for punching a kid who stole a pair of Wolverine gloves from one of his friends. Leaving his father at work on the 107th floor of the North Tower, Brandon heads down to the Tower's underground mall to buy a replacement pair. He's in an elevator when the first plane hits and becomes a hero when he helps save the other passengers. Desperate to find his father, Brandon tries to make his way up back up to the 107th floor. On the way, he finds himself in need of rescue. He's saved by a man named Richard, who becomes his friend and guardian as they try to escape a building collapsing around them. Eighteen years later, 11-year-old Reshmina and her family are dealing with the aftermath of that attack -- constant battles between the Taliban and American soldiers who have been in Afghanistan since December 2001. Her twin brother, Pasoon, is determined to join the Taliban, and Reshmina seems powerless to stop him. After a firefight between the Taliban and American soldiers, Reshima finds the only American survivor, a young soldier named Taz. Risking everything, her family offers him shelter -- a decision they may regret as a fierce battle begins between the Americans and the Taliban.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 4 ):
Kids say ( 13 ):

Author Alan Gratz delivers a haunting and powerful page-turner of a novel, this time focusing on terrorism and the costs of a long-fought war. Readers are certain to be inspired by the courage and determination shown by Brandon and Reshmina in Ground Zero. But that courage often comes amid storylines that include violent deaths that may be disturbing to sensitive readers. The history of America's involvement in Afghanistan is extraordinarily complex, and by viewing the war through Reshmina's eyes, Gratz does an able job of explaining it in a way younger readers will understand.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the events in Ground Zero continue to affect the lives of people in Afghanistan. Do you agree with Reshmina that American soldiers being in Afghanistan has sometimes made things better and sometimes much worse?

  • What memories of 9/11 do members of your family have? Where were they when the Twin Towers were attacked?

  • If your brother, sister, or best friend was about to do something that would put them in real danger, what would you do?

Book Details

  • Author : Alan Gratz
  • Genre : Historical Fiction
  • Topics : Book Characters , History
  • Book type : Fiction
  • Publisher : Scholastic Press
  • Publication date : February 2, 2021
  • Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 13
  • Number of pages : 336
  • Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
  • Last updated : October 9, 2025

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