September Roses

Winter, Jeanette. 2004. SEPTEMBER ROSES. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux. ISBN 0374367361 [Suggested Grade Levels 1-5]

REVIEW
This beautiful, terrible memory of Sept. 11, 2001, is simple enough for young children, but powerful enough for adults to appreciate even more. Winter tracked down the story of the two South African sisters who created a tribute to the fallen World Trade Towers in the roses they had brought across the Atlantic to display at a cancelled flower show. Illustrated with simple, cartoon-like drawings, the middle third, which plunges into black and white chaos, is especially evocative of that time in our history.

Winter’s text is spare, and completely integrated with the illustrations: “High in the air/ the two sisters sat dreaming/ of their roses” (the illustration surrounding the text shows a plane full of people flying among clouds and roses, while a very small sketch of the Manhattan skyline in the bottom right corner includes the two planes aimed at the Twin Towers); the page turns to “Then the sky turned black” (as huge clouds of gray and black smoke engulf obscure the buildings over the full two-page spread); and, after another page turn, “Their airplane landed” (a frantic and expressionistic view in black and white of people, including the two sisters, at the airport with three TV monitors carrying the events and banks of information monitors reading “cancelled” over and over). (n.p.) The SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review of 9/01/04 states in part: “The spare and poetic text, small-sized format, and simple drawings give these painful days a direct and personal resonance. . . Winter’s offering captures the intensity of emotion that was felt that day and the healing human connections that soon followed.”

CONNECTIONS
For older readers, the most important connection will be to their own memories of September 11, 2001. Sharing, writing, and drawing about their experiences will be most meaningful to them.

RELATED BOOKS
Other books about the World Trade Towers:
Gerstein, Mordecai. THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS. ISBN 0761317910

Other books about the September 11, 2001 attacks, and its aftermath:
Stern, Peggy. 2003. STANDING TALL. ISBN 1572953934 (Video)
THE NEW YORK TIMES: A NATION CHALLENGED. ISBN 0439488036

By Julie Brinker