Ground Zerois a number one New York Timesbestseller The plot starts at a heart-pounding pace and never relents... A contemporary history lesson with the uplifting message that humanity's survival depends on us working for, not against, one another. A must-have.-- School Library Journal In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear - and the stunning links between the past and present. September 11, 2001, New York City: Brandon is visiting his dad at work, on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center. Out of nowhere, an airplane slams into the tower, creating a fiery nightmare of terror and confusion. And Brandon is in the middle of it all. Can he survive - and escape? September 11, 2020, Afghanistan: Reshmina has grown up in the shadow of war, but she dreams of peace and progress. When a battle erupts in her village, Reshmina stumbles upon a wounded American soldier named Taz. Should she help Taz - and put herself and her family in mortal danger? Two kids. One devastating day. Nothing will ever be the same. Suitable for classroom reading With two action-packed perspectives, Gratz powerfully explores the ways in which the past shapes the present Don't miss Refugee, Grenadeand Alliesby Alan Gratz. REVIEWS With his signature accessibility and insight, Gratz tackles events on both U.S. soil and abroad in Ground Zero..... Ground Zerowill appeal to middle-grade readers, who were born after the events of 9/11, and to those adults who lived through it and will never forget. -- Booklist Gratz moves back and forth between the two narratives in short, nail-biting chapters that create a vivid picture of each setting and make readers feel invested in each character's relationships and choices, and in the high-stakes global forces that affect the intimate details of their lives. --Horn Book Gratz's deeply moving writing paints vivid images of the loss and fear of those who lived through the trauma of 9/11. -- Kirkus This tautly paced novel explores the events of that tragedy and the subsequent American response through two parallel story lines.-- Publishers Weekly

First time in paperback, with a new Introduction and final chapter World affairs expert and intrepid travel journalist Robert D. Kaplan braved the dangers of war-ravaged Afghanistan in the 1980s, living among the mujahidin—the “soldiers of god”—whose unwavering devotion to Islam fueled their mission to oust the formidable Soviet invaders. In Soldiers of God we follow Kaplan’s extraordinary journey and learn how the thwarted Soviet invasion gave rise to the ruthless Taliban and the defining international conflagration of the twenty-first century. Kaplan returns a decade later and brings to life a lawless frontier. What he reveals is astonishing: teeming refugee camps on the deeply contentious Pakistan-Afghanistan border; a war front that combines primitive fighters with the most technologically advanced weapons known to man; rigorous Islamic indoctrination academies; a land of minefields plagued by drought, fierce tribalism, insurmountable ethnic and religious divisions, an abysmal literacy rate, and legions of war orphans who seek stability in military brotherhood. Traveling alongside Islamic guerrilla fighters, sharing their food, observing their piety in the face of deprivation, and witnessing their determination, Kaplan offers a unique opportunity to increase our understanding of a people and a country that are at the center of world events.

The world since September 11th - War and peace; quagmires and root causes; Afghanistan and Iraq; Europe and America, new realities and indestructible myths.

Presents the story of civilians who have died as a result of America's recent wars, introducing some of those who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, the rescue workers who tried to save them, and the American soldiers coming to terms with their deaths.