9/11

So, where to begin? Reliving that experience through a comic book seems, at first, borderline disrespectful. Of course, it only takes flipping through the first few pages to realize the true weight of this book. It is no mockery. It is also no cakewalk. I haven’t read the original report (and don’t ever really see that happening), but it seems like the essence is gleaned, making it a pared down version.

It is hard to read, just as the events were hard to hear about when they happened. The visuals are beautifully rendered, telling a story that is at once compelling. The sans-serif font works wonderfully at inviting the reader into the events. Altogether, this is a way to put the events of that day (and much of the build-up and aftermath) into a package that all readers can access.

So does that mean it is effective for young adults? I should think so. I figure that most of the students we would be teaching would be too young to remember anything about 9/11. It’s like how we remember when Lady Diana died, or when the Milli Vanilli scandal was exposed (Ok, maybe not so much the latter, but hey, things stick out in people’s heads for odd reasons).  The point is it is great for young people to have an avenue into understanding events that happened before their time. It’s a little bit like the technology discussions that we’ve been having in class. Use the means necessary to get through to the students.

I may not have a copy of this book in my classroom, but I will certainly make sure that it is available in the school library. It is an important resource that students should have access to. That, and “Moment of Disgrace: Milli Vanilli, a Great Musical Scam.” Or maybe not.