Posted by September 11, 2001 was a shocking, life-changing day. Lives were lost, bones were broken, and trauma still follows many people today – almost 20 years after the terrorist attacks.
But some people may not know about the weeks after 9/11, while the country seared up its wounds. Across from Ground Zero (where the Twin Towers once stood in New York City) was a 30-foot wide tattered American flag. Construction workers stored it for almost seven years, until volunteers asked for a memento from the event, and the flag was brought out.
Soon, the flag was stitched back together, and pieces of flags from every state were used. The family of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King placed stitches, and so did World War II veterans, and other American citizens. The mended flag was a symbol of America being pulled back together, stitch by stitch, after the harrowing event.
30,000 Stitches: The Inspiring Story of the 9/11 Flag, by Amanda Davis, reveals a story about 9/11 that I had never heard before. I was excited to receive an early copy of this book, which will be released to the public next month.
The story was really interesting, and I liked how the author was very descriptive and explained things in easy terms for kids. Another thing I enjoyed about the book was the illustrations by Sally Wern Comport. The outline of many pictures had stitches on it, so it really complimented the theme of the book. The illustrations were a reflection of the people who live in America, with almost anyone reading it being able to see themselves on the pages.
One quote that really stuck with me was “A new stitch. A new story.” It was so powerful because America could have given up after the attacks, but instead of sitting in the rubble, we cleared it up and redefined the country. The flag was a great example of how the nation kept its head up high and never lost hope.
You will not be disappointed with 30,000 Stitches. I recommend this book to families who are trying discuss 9/11 with their young children – but aren’t quite ready to talk about the violence of the day. (If you are interested in other books about 9/11, check out my other reviews: Fireboat, Nine, Ten, and Eleven.)
Three out of four roses for 30,000 Stitches, a truly unique story!
Elena Reads and Reviews 