Seven and a Half Tons of Steel

by Janet Nolan, Thomas Gonzalez (Illustrator)

A moving 9-11 story about the USS New York, a navy ship with a bow made from a World Trade Center Tower's beam.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, a beam from the World Trade Center Towers was given to the United States Navy. The beam was driven from New York to a foundry in Louisiana, where the seven and a half tons of steel, which had once been a beam in the World Trade Center, became a navy ship's bow.

Powerful text from Janet Nolan is paired with stunning illustrations from New York Times best-selling illustrator Thomas Gonzalez (14 Cows for America) in this inspiring story that reveals how something remarkable can emerge from a devastating event. Also includes details on shipbuilding. A beautiful book, perfect for American history and 9-11 studies.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Historical, Middle Grade, Military Fiction

36 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Yapha · Rating 3 out of 5]

My problem with this lovely book is its intended audience. It is written too simplistically for students who are old enough to understand 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina, and won't make sense to younger students. I'm not sure what to do with it.

[Vera Godley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been 15 years since that infamous day in September when America was attacked by terrorists using "homegrown" or routine means - airplanes loaded with passengers - to wreak havoc on three American locations. New York was home to the World Trade Towers and airplanes were flown into the sides of these massive towers resulting in their crumbling into a mass of human death out of which immense strength grew. From this wreckage was retrieved a steel beam, and that is the beginning of the story of Seven and a Half Tons of Steel.

To say this picture book is intensely moving is simplification. The bold art vividly and movingly depicts the story of what is known in history as 9/11. Though not a full story of that day, the text conveys in terse prose the day, the dreaded event, the result, and the weeping. The art and text carry a darkness about them. The story doesn't try to convey the immense loss and sorrow or the depth of this event on the peoples, the city, and the nation because the story in this book is what happened from the rubble of this disaster and how America has used this ruination to forge strength and service and protection for America.

It is a story of how steel workers took a battered, broken beam of steel from the Towers. How they carried it from New York to Louisiana (a very long truck journey). How steel workers melted that broken, wrecked steel beam until it was amazingly fiery hot and molded it into material that was shaped to become.........the bow of the USS New York LPD 21!

Now that bow plows through the mighty oceans of the World carrying over 700 combat ready Marine Corps troops, their equipment, and supplies. It has a landing platform/dock. It is staffed by up to 360 U.S. Navy sailors. It is a symbol but it is also a piece of American strength.

I was moved to learn the symbolism of the shield. Each stroke and spot on the shield takes me back in my memory to that day, that time, those terrible deaths, the loss, and the victories. The men and women who served and the battles they won in the face of huge impossibilities to defeat the hopelessness that could have easily overtaken them, the American people.

I strongly encourage every library to acquire a copy of this for young people to read, and re-read, and then read again so that they can understand "Strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget."

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own and I was not compensated.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not technically a biography, but a biography of a ship, so it counts. ;) I knew steel beams from the Twin Towers were used for other things (there's a bit of an I beam set in a memorial garden at one of the colleges around here in memory of that day). I didn't know one of the beams was melted down to make into a ship. The illustrations are fantastic and captivating. They mesh with the words well. I appreciated the details about the USS New York at the end of the book. There are also details about the boat's seal.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each week in library I use one of our Show Me nominated books to teach the lesson for second through fourth graders. I liked this book. I really, really liked this book. So did the students. That's what surprised me - that the students were so engaged in this book. I found SO MANY wonderful non-fiction connections to me, too.

Here are a few:
- about the Navy
- about the Marines
- about battleships, aircraft carriers, and ships in general
- US geography
- Hurricane Katrina
- 9/11
- World Trade Center
- New York City
- twenty-one gun salute
- map the routes

So much teaching goodness.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get that this is the story of the ship and not 9/11, but I feel like even a two-sentence explanation of what happened would have benefited the book. Also, I find it more than a little...uncomfortable? That we would take a piece of the twin towers and turn it into a war machine. (But that's not the book's fault.)
Anyhow, the sentences are simple, the illustrations clearly support the text. It's an interesting piece of history, that's for certain.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book beautifully illustrations and tells the story of one beam taken from the remains of the World Trade Center and used to build the bow of a U.S. warship called the U.S.S. New York. This book would make a great story to use when memorializing that tragic day.

[KendallGoosen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great! It takes some of our worlds saddest tragedies to let readers know although this was a terrible thing that happened , look how we used what we had left to make good for something else.

[Celebrilomiel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quiet, but moving.

[Andrea Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a nice educational book; it is easy to understand, and I enjoyed learning about the USS New York.In this book, the World Trade Center towers in New York were destroyed by two hijacked planes, and around 3,000 people in the towers died. The place where the towers once stood is now called Ground Zero. Seven and a half tons of steel, which was once a part of the towers, with a lot of work, was turned into a part of the USS New York. Shortly after, the USS New York was finished after lots of work. There was a lot of work put into the building of the USS New York, and many see it as a reminder that it is part of what was once the World Trade Center towers. The major themes in the book were necessity of work and overcoming vice because the book proves that hard work is necessary to build nice things. It is evident that overcoming vice is a theme of the book because in the beginning of the book we read of such a tragedy that occurred: the destruction of the World Trade Center towers. However, this tragedy and evil was overcome with such hard work, and the destruction of the towers was used to make one of the largest ships, the USS New York. The main genre of this book is informational. Children reading this book could learn that the World Trade Center towers in New York were destroyed on 9/11/2001 and the destruction of the towers, specifically the large amounts of steel, was used to build the USS New York ship. This book was a WOW book for me because it teaches how such tragedy and unfortunate events can be turned into something beautiful with hard work! Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were repetition and symbolism. The repetition of “seven and a half tons of steel” reinforced how big of a task it was to build the ship using that amount of steel. The USS New York ship itself serves as a symbol of the proud outcome that was made using the tons of steel left from the destruction of the World Trade Center Towers in New York; it stands for more than just a ship but is also evidence of the strength and resilience of the people who worked on building the ship. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it is well-researched and informative on a serious real-life event.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a disappointment as well as disturbing.
This picture book tells the true story of how a piece of the World Trade Center was used in building the navy ship USS New York. The illustrations are gorgeous and it is a really cool story.
The problem?
There is literally no explanation for 9-11. We see the plane flying over NYC and then crashing into the towers. Then we read; "The World Trade Center towers came down. Almost three thousand people lost their lives." Then it talks about how people were sad and then goes on to chronicle the building of this massive ship.
I kept waiting for the author to put at least ONE OR TWO lines in about how we were attacked on that day. How this was not some unfortunate plane accident. If a child read this book, they could not tell you why those planes were flown into the towers or who flew them.
I'm not asking for a lengthy history lesson here but if you are going to author a picture book about using a beam out of the worst terrorist attack on US soil ever, you owe it to the 3,000 souls who lost their lives that day and the thousands of soldiers who then fought overseas due to this attack at least one sentence explaining it.

[Deedee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars.... This book needs to be read "hard cover". Audio version does not work!

[Margaret]

For those born prior to September 11, 2001 and old enough to remember, the day will never be forgotten. Everyone remembers where they were, who they were with and what they were doing on the morning of that September day. The attacks and everything tied to them, then and now, are part of the larger American consciousness.

In this year of the fifteenth anniversary, several fiction titles have been released. Of those I have, to date, read two, Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story (Atheneum Books For Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, June 28, 2016) written by Nora Raleigh Baskin and The Memory of Things (St. Martin's Griffin, September 6, 2016) by Gae Polisner. Seven and a half Tons of Steel (Peachtree Publishers, August 1, 2016) written by Janet Nolan with illustrations by Thomas Gonzalez is a nonfiction picture book. This exceptional story tells how from devastation something new and strong was built.


My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the bow of the Navy's warship, the USS New York, is steel from a beam that was once part of the World Trade Center's twin towers. Janet Nolan chronicles the beam's history from the 9/11 attacks to the USS New York's return to New York City on the tenth anniversary of the attacks. One of the book's great strengths is Thomas Gonzalez's illustrations. He is a master at using color to set the serious tone of the story. Aside from the sky before the events of 9/11, most of the colors are a bit muted. The water colored illustrations are stunning though, and seen in which the USS New York returns home has a colorful sunrise in the background. Kids who are fascinated by ships and/or the Navy will find the facts and measurements of the ship particularly interesting. Great story of rebirth and hope arising from tragedy and for teaching children about 9/11 and America since then.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows the journey of a girder from World Trade Center to part of the USS New York. Keeps the text interesting and understandable. Briefly mentions both 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Not sure if young readers will grasp the impact of either, which somewhat lessens the impact of the book as a whole. But well-written, informative, important, and fascinating. I dare you to read it without weeping.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simply written, subtly powerful story about how a steel beam from the ruins of the World Trade Center is incorporated in the construction of the naval ship USS New York. Outstanding illustrations by Thomas Gonzalez created in pastel, colored pencil, and watercolor.

[Jay WALD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if something tragic and a sorrowful takes places, it has something to be built on to something meaningful. In this amazing simple book, Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan tells an informational story about the event of the twin towers that happened in September 11, 2001 and how the steel beams was used to built the USS New York, that is a Navy ship. This books tells the tragic story of what happened in our American history and how it transformed to our hope in the building of the USS New York.
The theme that I found very deeply was hope, as it was a tragic abou the event that took place in 9/11, but it was due the people hope, it was remeber and made a foundation to build a Navy ship. Another theme can note was transformation as it demonstrates that the USS New York was built by the steel beams of the towels that were hit and transform it into a majestic ship.
It is clearly noted that this book main genre is informative nonfiction, as it tells a real life event that and the tragic that occur in history, but convey a emotional and meaningful message to be told.
In this book, children reading this book could learn the history that occurred as it’s an informative book and tell the story of the event that took place in America and honored those that have fallen. Children could also learn the hope and be inspired about the USS New York as it was built on the remains of the towers, turning those tragic into symbolic and meaningful.
This is a WOW book for me as it me tell me a tragic real event story that turned into something symbolic and meaningful that can be remembered for futures. It gives me emotional sense of how it felt during those times and the construction of the Navy ship and how it honored those who lost their lives.
As reading this memorial book, Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan demonstrate the inspire and tragic story of the event that took after 9/11, and the creation of the USS New York. The two literary devices that are used by the author are personification and symbolism. The personification that was used by the author represent the steel bean that was used to built the USS New York, Navy ship, it signify that it told a story and journey. It transform into a inspired tale that gives a sense of life and hope making it significant. As it journey onto the sea to serve as a beacon to remember of its origin. The author also uses symbolism, which showcase the big importance of the tragic event and how it turned into a strength that was used to carry onto those to be remembered. This devices was well used as it it both serve as a despairing moment that strengthen the way the American resilience and transform for the better. The steel beam that was used to built the USS New York gives the story a purpose of how something tragic can be turn into a symbol of hope and a renewal of what it can do.
I would consider this book to be an anti-bias, to serves as a history to be learned and observed by others for them to be well-informed about our past history that can change and have a better future. It honor a teaching of diverse perspective that focusing the unity and the rebuilding of something to be remembered. It shared the experience of the tragic 9/11 event while it shows how a tragic event can transform to hope and strength.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel and seven and a half tons of things to say! This is such a beautiful true story that until I read this book I was completely unaware of. In this book, we start in the aftermath the September 11th attacks and move through the journey of one of the final steal beams from the south tower sticking out of the rubble that is set to be removed. Instead, it is taken, melted, cooled, molded, and stamped into panels before being riveted and welded together and painted over into a bow to be used on the soon to be christened USS New York. What a powerful story! The major theme in the book was resilience. All the engineers and construction workers worked for the common goal of preserving the memory of the 3,000+ Americans who died on 9/11 and worked tirelessly through each stage of development to finish their parts of this overarching project. This is showcased through all the metal went through to become the bow of the ship in 2011. Through reading this book, I learned that the US even did all of this and managed to pull off this coordinated effort. I had no idea that when the US made an order for a new battleship–the USS New York–they had planned to make the bow from a former piece of the NYC skyline. This book was a WOW book for me because it showed me a history I was completely unaware of that more people should know about.
The author used multiple literary devices and other forms of writing craft in this
book. First, the author used the writing craft technique of alliteration and repetition particularly using numerically based statements to start or end a section of the book. An example of this
writing craft from this book is when the author writes in transition to the metallurgists smelting the steel beam starting off with "Four and a half months it took the beam to be cleared from the rubble and brought to us..." This writing craft technique enhanced the quality of the book by showing thematic consistency in framing time around the aftermath to show the beam's direct lineage and how far it had come as well as how far it would go. The author portrayed anti-bias perspectives in this book by not leaning into islamophobia as is common with some 9/11 stories, and all illustrations of people with different backgrounds are not exaggerated or charachaturized.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how I missed this picture book when it was first published, but thanks to a friend's review, I have read it now, savoring the whole idea of hope springing from something horrible. It's pretty intriguing to think that someone would have even thought of salvaging one of the beams from the World Trade Center as the wreckage from September 11, 2001, was being cleared away. But they did, and it ended up becoming the bow of a ship, the USS New York. The simple text provides historical background about the destruction of the towers and the aftermath. The steel beam that was removed from the buildings' debris is transported to Louisiana where it is melted, molded, polished, and welded onto the ship. Not even Hurricane Katrina can stop the ship from being built as temporary quarters are provided for the workers, and the ship finally is completed and makes its way to New York. The text and illustrations will have readers marveling at our nation's resilience and the enormity of seven and a half tons of steel. How is it even possible to lift such a weight? Fans of 14 Cows for American and The House on Dirty-Third Street will recognize the enormous artistic talents of Thomas Gonzalez in the images and the end papers with a boy looking into the sky passes high overhead and in the last end paper, the Statue of Liberty's hand clutching her torch. The illustrations of this well-told story were created with pastels, colored pencil, and watercolor. There isn't a single page that lacks visual appeal with each one somehow managing to make the warship and its journeys even more intriguing. Back matter includes more information about the USS New York, its size and weight, and its crest, which features the reminder to "NEVER FORGET."this one will go in my permanent personal collection of books, a great addition to books about war, conflict, 9/1/1, and resilience. As I read it, I felt a distinct sense of pride but also some anxiety as I remembered the hectic days after those shocking events way back in 2001.

[Sarah Giaccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven and A Half Tons of Steel is a children’s book written by Janet Nolan and illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. In this book it starts off by mentioning the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center while keeping it kid friendly. It explains how one of the steel beams from the tower wreckage was taken to a Louisiana foundry where it was reshaped into bow of a Navy ship, the USS New York. The readers get to see the journey of it being transformed and the challenges that the builders had to face like Hurricane Katrinia, before they were finally able to attach the bow to the ship. The readers also get to see the story of the ship’s first time going into the Atlantic Ocean. The major themes in the book were recovery and unity. The theme of recovery in shown in the book by teaching people that even after a terrible and upsetting event, something meaningful can come from it and be a symbol for people. The theme of unity can be seen by many people coming together to transform the beam of the tower into the bow of a Navy ship. The main genre of this book is informational. Children reading this book can learn about both the 9/11 attacks and about the building of the USS New York. This book was a WOW book for me because I found it interesting to read and I got to learn some new information that I was not aware of before.

Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were symbolism and imagery. Symbolism added to the quality of the writing of this book by telling the readers about the importance of the beam from the tower and how it can be a symbol for hope and new beginnings. Imagery added to the quality of the writing of this book by the author describing the journey that the beam took to become a bow. The readers are able to imagine the journey themselves which can help deepen their understanding of the event and its importance in American history. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because the author did research before telling the story to make sure that accurate information is being shared with the audience.

[Janet Jeong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be reviewing about the book called Seven and a Half Ton of Steel. Wow I really enjoyed reading this book because it was short and to the point. In this book I was able to learn more about 911. After reading this book I was able to learn more about 911 and what happened on that day. The major themes in the book were how United States was able to move on after such a major tragedy. The second major theme of the book is to help recover after a tragic event. The main genre of this book is informational text. Children reading this book can learn more about what happened on 911. Children is also able to learn how the United States was able to recover from such a terrible and tragic event.

This book was a WOW book for me because I really love the description that the author used throughout the book. I also love the imagery to help me understand how people were feeling after 911 happened. I can just imagine how shock the people in the United States were.

The two literary devices that the author used is imagery and the settings throughout the book. These two literary devices help the reader understand what the place have looked like and also help imagine while reading the book.

I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it does not contains any biases and also this book was research well to make me understand how a nation was after 911.

[Avery Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan is a story about how something broken can be turned into something meaningful. The book tells the true story of how steel from the World Trade Center, after the events of September 11, 2001, was used to build a Navy ship called the USS New York. It’s a story of hope, and the ability to create something strong from tragedy. The main themes of the book are healing and courage. It shows how people can come together to rebuild and find strength in tough times.

This book is historical nonfiction because it is based on real events and tells a true story. Kids reading this book can learn about an important moment in history and how people worked together to honor those who were lost. This book was special to me because it shows how something so heavy with sadness can become a symbol of hope and unity. Two great techniques in this book are vivid descriptions and emotional storytelling. The detailed words and pictures help readers picture the story, while the storytelling focuses on the emotions of rebuilding and moving forward. These techniques make the book very meaningful. This book has a great message for everyone, it talks about remembrance and turning hard times into something positive.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy, a truck left New York City carrying a steel beam to a Louisiana foundry. There, the beam was melted and poured into a mold which became the bow of a navy ship - the USS New York. Months later the ship sailed up the coast and stopped across from Ground Zero, where soldiers on board delivered a twenty-one-gun salute before setting out to sea.

Despite the unpleasant subject matter, Thomas Gonzalez's watercolors are vibrant and lovely. Though I'm all for recycling, I'm not completely sure how I feel about steel from the World Trade Towers being used on a warship. I did find the last pages with an explanation for the crest of the USS New York quite touching.



The gray bars crossed by a chevron represent the Twin Towers intersected by the bow of the ship. On the phoenix's shield, the red stripe is for the NYFD, the blue stripe for the NYPD, and the light blue stripe is for the Port Authority. The sunburst represents the Statue of Liberty.

Never forget.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel tells a part of the 9-11 story that I was not aware of. One of the huge beams from the World Trade Center was transported to Louisiana and made into the bow of the USS New York. Seven and a Half Tons of Steel tells the story of what it took to make the beam into part of the ship. Janet Nolan has certainly found a good story and transformed it into a great book for children. Because of the depiction of the airplane hitting the World Trade Center and the smokey aftermath, even though it is a picture book, Seven and a Half Tons of Steel is more appropriate for older elementary or middle school students.

Illustrator Thomas Gonzalez used pastel, colored pencil, and watercolor to create his artwork. He does a great job of depicting the information in the text, even going beyond to show what happened even if those details are not included in the text.

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel is on this year’s Land of Enchantment List and I will be adding it to the school library. I recommend this book for all school libraries, even if you are not participating in the Land of Enchantment Awards.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a ship, a navy ship. It is called the USS New York. It is big like other navy ships, and it sails like other navy ships, but there is something special about the USS New York. Following the events of September 11, 2001, the governor of New York gave the Navy a steel beam that was once inside one of the World Trade Towers. The beam was driven from New York to a foundry in Louisiana. Metal workers heated the beam to a high, high temperature. And then, seven and a half tons of steel, which had once been a beam in the World Trade Center, became a navy ship's bow. This powerful story reveals how something remarkable can emerge from a devastating event.

Very stirring in light of September 11th - my older kids were enthralled and want to talk about something they weren't even alive to see, let alone understand. It gave them another side to the negative, sad things they hear.

Two other positive reads for children: Fireboat: the Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey and
14 Cows for America.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a picture book about 09/11 as it happened in New York City. The Pentagon and Flight 93 are not mentioned in this book. The pictures are drawn by hand and are of such quality that they could almost pass for photographs. It tells in 2 pages that a plane crashed and the World Trade Center collapsed, and then the story becomes about the remains of the building which 7.5 tons of were melted down and used to make the bow of a ship for the US Navy, The USS New York City, an amphibious ship. The last page gets somewhat technical with details of the ship and would probably go over the heads of most younger children. The book spends a small fraction of time explaining 09/11, a small amount of time on the steel remains, and a small amount of time on the ship. This would be a good start for explaining 09/11 to the youngest of kids, probably the 5-8 age range. It does not give any mention to the terrorists themselves but does mention that a lot of people died. It would also be appropriate for children of military members.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has beautiful artwork and is the perfect way to begin discussing horrible tragedies like 9/11 to younger children. During my observations, I had a third grader ask me what 9/11 was. I was flabbergasted! How did I begin to describe terrorism and mass murder and the heartbreak that we remember every year over 17 years later to an 8 year old?
So I told her that some bad guys crashed a plane into some tall buildings in New York a few years ago and hurt a lot of people. I showed her the picture of the plane crashing into the building at the beginning of the book and she said, "Oh,yeah! My mom told me about that." And then she flounced away to play with her friends.
I was 7 on 9/11 so I don't remember much. I distinctly remember where I was when war was declared, but I didn't understand why all the adults were so obsessed with an event that happened so far away.
3/10 KBA books read

[Shaunterria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel, a picture book about a steel beam and how it became a part of the USS New York, explains what happened on September 9, 2001 and its aftermath. While the book does not go into the “why” of the terrible events of that day, focusing on the journey of a steel beam from Ground Zero will help children conceptualize the emotional toll it took on our nation. As the beam is melted down and formed into something new at a shipyard in Louisiana, Hurricane Katrina hit. This event is also handled adroitly by illustrating how the disaster affected the shipbuilders. Known for his work on 14 Cows for America, Gonzalez’s picture spreads are beautifully and respectfully done. This book is a recommended addition for library collections, especially those that are looking for books about 9/11 that are appropriate for younger readers.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book since it was on the State Award list, but I would have picked it up anyway since it is about post-9/11. This book helped me remember that fateful day in September when our country was forever changed. I like that this is a true story.....I didn't realize that one a beam from the WTC site was sent to be changed into the front bow of the U.S.S. New York. I had never heard about this so it was great that Janet was able to research this and write a story to help our younger students remember why this day is important.

I was a little concerned about this being a children's book since students this age were not even born when 9/11 happened, but with a little background knowledge from their parents and teachers then students will be able to see why this is an important story to tell.

[Donna Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the construction of the Navy ship USS New York. This ship was built after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and its bow (the front part of the ship) was built using a steel beam from the remains of the World Trade Center. This beam weighed seven and a half tons (15,000 pounds), giving this book its name. This is a quick read, more of a picture book style with gorgeous illustrations. I suspect it is in the 3-5 category because of the subject matter, but Nolan does not go into detail about the events of 9/11. The story focuses on the ship's construction and the new beginning for the steel beam. At the back of the book is a section giving facts about the USS New York and its crest, including what each part of the crest symbolizes. If you like books about construction or ships, I think you would find this book interesting.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A remarkable story of how a piece of tragic American history transformed into something memorable and patriotic. One of the steel beams that fell in the Twin Towers attack was transferred to a foundry in Louisiana where it was melted into liquid and transformed into the bow of the USS New York Navy ship. It took many years to complete but finally sailed home in time for the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks. I find any stories that involve lesser known tidbits of history to be very interesting and I think it's important to share these stories with our children. Another story similar to this is Branches of Hope: The 9/11 Survivor Tree by Ann Magee that I would recommend. I also enjoyed the information in the back of the story that provided more details on the ship and it's crest.