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, Grenade and Allies
  by Alan Gratz.

REVIEWS

With his signature accessibility and insight, Gratz tackles
events on both U.S. soil and abroad in Ground Zero….. Ground
Zero will 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