88 pages • 2 hours read
Alan GratzA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz alternates between Brandon, a nine-year-old boy in the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks, and Reshmina, an 11-year-old girl in Afghanistan in 2019, whose stories unexpectedly intertwine as they each navigate their own life-changing and harrowing experiences amidst violence and chaos. The book contains scenes of terrorism, violence, and war.
Alan Gratz's Ground Zero delivers an engaging, heart-wrenching narrative that intertwines two compelling stories: one from 9/11 and one from modern-day Afghanistan. Most reviewers praise its emotional depth and historical perspectives, though some criticize its complex structure and intense content as potentially overwhelming for younger readers.
Readers who enjoy compelling, historically-infused narratives like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne or Refugee by Alan Gratz himself will find Ground Zero riveting. Ideal for middle-grade to young adult readers, it offers poignant, dual-timeline storytelling about resilience and empathy amid 9/11.
Recommended
Lexile Level
690LSeptember 11 Attacks
Historical Fiction
Emotions/Behavior: Revenge
Relationships: Teams
Society: War