5 Picture Books to Read Aloud and Remember 9/11

Are you looking for 9/11 picture book read-alouds for your elementary classroom?

I think picture books are one of the best ways to discuss September 11th – a day that many kids have questions about and don’t understand.

The kids we are teaching weren’t yet in the world during September 11th – many may have no idea what it was.

To explain that horrific day without inserting our own trauma into it.

All the picture books that I chose in this read aloud list focus on the heroes.

Ordinary people who in the face of great darkness, chose to help others.

As Mr. Rogers said, “Look for the helpers.”

Even in the midst of terror, hope still exists.

By focusing on the helpers during this tragic day, children learn about the courage and bravery that people took to save the lives of others.

Below is a list of 9/11 picture books that are sensitive and appropriate for an elementary classroom.

Never forget.

9/11 Picture Books to Read Aloud

Fireboat by Maira Kalman

The John J. Harvey is a fireboat from the early 1930s that would steer around Manhattan to fight fires in the piers.

The fireboat gets put into retirement until a group of friends decides to purchase it and restore it.

On September 11th, they offer their assistance to the fire department.

The fire department first declines – until they no longer have any water to fight fires with due to broken water pipes.

‘The John J. Harvey, along with other fireboats, come to aid the firefighters.

This book is uplifting and is a beautiful memorial to the horrific day.

Click HERE to check it out.

Saved By the Boats by Julia Gassman

This book looks at the sea evacuation of 9/11.

I did not know until this book that 9/11 was the biggest sea evacuation in history.

The subways were closed, and all the people working in Manhattan needed to leave the island.

Boats from all over came to help get people off Manhattan and back to their homes.

I think this book is more suited for upper elementary since it feels heavier than the other read-alouds that I picked out for this list.

It focuses on the heroic feats that the sea captains and crew did to get all the people home and to safety.

Click HERE to check it out.

The Little Chapel That Stood by A.B. Curtiss

This book is uplifting.

It looks at 9/11 from the angle that Americans were brave, courageous, and came together.

This book is about St. Pauls’s, a chapel in New York City that is located right near where the Twin Towers once stood.

It remained standing, with only one broken window.

This chapel has been there since early American history (both George Washington and Alexander Hamilton were members of the church).

The chapel became a rescue station that served coffee and a place of refuge for firemen and people working to dig through the rubble.

Click HERE to check it out.

The Man That Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

This one is my personal favorite out of the list.

The illustrations are beautiful – it won the Caldecott years ago (and for good reason).

This book is about a Frenchman named Phillipe. He loves walking a tightrope. He decides he wants to walk on a tightrope pulled across the two towers.

It doesn’t directly mention September 11th except for a page at the end – but it’s a beautiful memorial to the city and the buildings that stood tall.

This book is a way to talk about the towers in a less grim, dark, and tragic way.

To remember the good and how the Twin Towers were a beacon of hope in New York City.

Click HERE to check it out.

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