Heroes of 9/11 // A Book Review!

One of the most solemn holidays in our country is Patriots Day, a day set aside to remember those who died on September 11th, 2001. I was 5 when 19 Islamic Terrorists hijacked our planes and murdered over 2,000 innocent people.

A few weeks ago, I decided to read and review some books on the subject, so you would have time to order them or borrow them through your local library before 9/11 gets here. Today’s post is the first of those books.

Heroes of 9/11
By Allan Zullo
(2011)
4 Stars

From the Back Cover: The first responders on September 11, 2001 — firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, military officers and even many civilians — risked their lives to save people they didn't know. Every one of them is a hero. This book features ten gripping stories that reflect the countless breathtaking acts of heroism that occurred inside the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a hijacked plane. Among other amazing true accounts, you will read about the miraculous survival of the fire captain and his men who were buried alive when the north tower collapsed... the cop who dodged death twice to help save others... and the two navy officers who ran into a burning, crumbling section of the Pentagon to rescue a trapped worker.

My Review: Wow. I felt as though at any minute I could burst into tears (And a few times, I did). This book highlights heroes who rescued people on 9/11. Six stories cover the World Trade Center, two Police, two Firemen, and two EMTs. Three stories take place in the Pentagon (yes, the Pentagon was attacked. For some odd reason, many people forget that…), 2 Army, 1 Navy. And then the final story is a tribute to the heroes of Flight 93, the plane that went down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania when the passengers fought back against the terrorists and saved our nation’s congress.

This book is written on a middle grade level, but honestly, I think everyone should read it. Such selflessness is uncommon in our day and age. Such unity of action and purpose…a love and willingness to sacrifice everything for a stranger.

The only reason this book did not receive 5 stars is because I had to mark out over a dozen uses of God’s Name taken in vain. I understand that the people were in shock over what had happened, but that doesn’t justify abusing God’s Name. Now, there are several mentions of prayer and crying out to God for help and I loved that aspect of the story! But I would recommend an older person reading it before young readers.