Saved by the Boats: The Heroic Sea Evacuation of September 11

by Julie A. Gassman, Steve Moors (Illustrator)

Overview

September 11, 2001 was a black day in U.S. history. Amid the chaos, sea captains and crews raced by boat to the tragic Manhattan scene. Nearly 500,000 people on Manhattan Island were rescued that day in what would later be called the largest sea evacuation in history. In this rarely told story of heroism, we come to understand that in our darkest hours, people shine brightly as a beacon of hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781515702757
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	07/01/2016
Series:	Encounter: Narrative Nonfiction Picture Books Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	850L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

The youngest in a family of nine children, Julie Gassman grew up in Howard, South Dakota. After college, she traded in small-town life for the world of magazine publishing in New York City. She now lives in southern Minnesota with her husband and their three children.

Interviews

• 15th Anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attack • Book beautifully honors the heroic rescue efforts by boat • Over 500,000 people were saved by boats on 9/11 • True story of bravery and courage will inspire young readers

Editorial Reviews

05/02/2016
Author and editor Gassman (the Little Boost series) calls upon her firsthand experience of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in this frank account of the boat evacuation that carried thousands to safety. The narrative provides a grim, age-appropriate recounting of the Twin Towers’s destruction before describing how 500,000 people escaped Manhattan via the water: “Boats of all sizes sped into the harbor. Tugboats, ferryboats, private boats, party boats.... each vessel carried a captain and crew who were ready to serve.” Quotations from boat captains punctuate the story, while a limited color palette contributes to the somber tone. Newcomer Moors places his intricate line drawings against a stark gray-beige backdrop. The only vivid color is the turquoise of the clear sky, which is later used for the spotlights that shine upward in place of the towers. Survivors, subtly differentiated with their dusty gray coloring, wear expressions of shock and sadness. An author’s note details Gassman’s personal water-evacuation story, and a glossary (including victim and tragedy) rounds out this inspiring tale of how an impromptu flotilla offered refuge and hope, “a light on the city’s darkest day.” Ages 6–10. (July)

Publishers Weekly

2016-05-04
Meet some unsung heroes of the sea.On Sept. 11, 2001, the day the World Trade Center was attacked, more than 1 million people in New York were in need of evacuation. Subways, bridges, and tunnels were shut down, so the only way out was to cross the water. Firefighters and police rushed in to help, and Coast Guard officials put out a call for all available boats, leading to the largest evacuation by sea ever recorded, exceeding the Dunkirk boatlift by more than 150,000 evacuees. Detailed pictures show the buildings, the people, and the ships rendered in beige and gray, while a warm blue sky embraces the city despite its tragedy. Accessible, informative text presents the tragedy with relevant detail and explains how captains and crews worked together to bring almost 500,000 people to safety, traveling back and forth from New York City to the New Jersey shore, despite fear, smoke, crowding, and unidentified military jets passing overhead. Quotations from these heroic responders bring immediacy to the story, while the author's note offers an additional personal perspective. A glossary and source notes are included.This accessible, fact-based account of the boat evacuations that took place on 9/11 puts faces on some of the many heroes who stepped forward to help in a time of crisis. (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews

Mr. Rogers is famously quoted that during tragic events, it’s helpful to kids to look for the helpers. This picture book does just that. It details how after the towers fell, many people needed to get to safety and boats of every kind raced to Manhattan Island to rescue as many people as possible. Hope. That’s what this book is about, even during the most dark of times. (The author was one of the people rescued by a boat!)

Imagination Soup

Gassman’s straightforward prose style is all the more powerful and moving for its simplicity, and Steve Moors’s accompanying illustrations are perfect for the story. In a palate of black, gray, dirty white, and flashes of sky blue, the art supports the emotion of the scenes. . . .I really appreciate it both as an important piece of history and as a very effective picture book providing youngsters who may know very little about 9/11 with just the right amount of straightforward information.

The Booklist Reader