9/11 to the Iraq war: using books to help children understand troubled times.

The last four years have been ones of considerable turmoil in the United States. Children have lived through the devastation of the September 11th attacks, the panic over the anthrax mailings, the hunt for terrorists in Afghanistan, elevated homeland security threat levels, the war in Iraq, the tsunami disaster, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Not surprisingly, many children feel anxious and afraid, and some have personally experienced the death of a loved one due to these events.

Bernstein (1977) found that reading books as a form of therapy (bibliotherapy) gave children the opportunity to identify with others undergoing the same problems, helped them realize that they were not alone, provided catharsis, and facilitated the process of sharing their problems with others. Cornett and Cornett (1980) outlined both affective and cognitive changes in students undergoing bibliotherapy, including the realization that "problems have many alternative solutions and individuals have choices in solving problems" (p. 16).

Very few books and articles have been written that address bibliotherapy for specific world events. Stamps (2003) suggests that books have the power to help students escape momentarily from a troubled world, and also to cope with problems. Alat (2002) found that early childhood educators can help children recover from traumatic events by providing a multitude of coping experiences, including bibliotherapy. Finally, McMath (1997) suggests that the best way to make children feel secure in the face of tragedy is through books: "Reading aloud to children provides an essential ingredient that television may lack: the presence and warmth of a caring adult" (p. 82).

This article, which gives detailed descriptions of books written about the September 11th attacks, the Iraq War, and other recent events, will show how children's literature can be used effectively to help students understand and deal with world crises.

BOOKS ABOUT SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Historical Accounts

Most of the juvenile books written about 9/11 are objective, nonfiction accounts of the events of that tragic day. The authors of these books are more selective in the details and photographs they included, as opposed to the more graphic ones in adult books. However, there is a great deal of variability in the way these events are portrayed. For example, in Santella's (2002) book, September 11, 2001, the author uses descriptive, but objective, language:

The attacks brought the towers of the World Trade Center crashing down. The plane ripped a huge hole in one side of the Pentagon, setting the building on fire. All the passengers and all the terrorists on each plane were killed, as were thousands of people in and around the World Trade Center. More than one hundred others lost their lives in the Pentagon. The destruction was so great at the World Trade Center that it was difficult to get an accurate count of the dead. After the attacks, officials estimated that 2,983 people had died. (p. 9)

Contrast this with the more emotional tone of September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed America (Wheeler, 2002), which begins with five double-page photographs of the Twin Towers on fire, people running for their lives, and the mass destruction of the area that became known as Ground Zero. The words "Day of Terror" are written in huge letters. The text includes an eyewitness account of a ground manager at Logan Airport and his conversation with a flight attendant, Madeline Sweeney, on the doomed Flight 11. It reads," 'I see water and buildings.' Then she added, 'Oh, my God! Oh my God!' Suddenly, the phone went dead" (p. 16).

Books more geared to younger students, such as America Under Attack (Roleff, 2002), use bold fonts to highlight new or unusual words, such as anthrax, Hamas, al-Qaeda, and jihad. These words are linked to a glossary in the back of the book. In fact, most of these books provide such helpful features as time lines and information about other resources, including Web sites. Understanding September 11th (Mitch, 2002) is written in a helpful question-and-answer format and addresses the kinds of questions that kids most often ask, such as, "Why did the terrorists target the United States?" (p. 60).

How completely the information about 9/11 is covered depends quite a bit on when the book was published. The Attacks on the World Trade Center (Gard, 2003), which compares the 2001 attack with the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, notes that "As this book went to press, the cleanup in New York and Washington, D.C. continued" (p. 5). The author states that "only about 700 bodies had been recovered and identified as of this writing" (p. 5). Books published later, while not having the advantage of immediacy, do have the perspective that time can bring. For example, The Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Anderson, 2004) provides detailed accounts of the U.S. response to the attacks, including the war in Afghanistan and the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The author also includes extensive details about the hijackers and the events that we now know led up to the attacks.

Historical accounts of the Iraq War that are geared to children also have been published recently. ABDO & Daughters, for example, has published a whole series of books about the Iraq War. Operation Iraqi Freedom (Rivera, 2004) lists the "coalition of the willing" countries that sent troops to Iraq, and includes photographs of Jessica Lynch, the soldier who was captured and later rescued by American forces. The tone of the book is somewhat optimistic. It ends with the phrase, "With the help of aid organizations and coalition nations, the United States hoped to rebuild Iraq and help Iraqi people form a new government that would work for them" (p. 41). This is followed by a photo of an American soldier holding a gun and accompanied by two smiling and waving Iraqi children. In contrast, Iraq and the Fall of Saddam Hussein (Richie, 2004) features photos of dead Kurdish children killed as a result of nerve gas attacks ordered by Saddam Hussein, and photos of a disheveled Saddam after his capture. The tone of this book may be described as realistic, as demonstrated in this passage: "The war in Iraq did not end with the fall of Baghdad in April, however, nor with the capture of Saddam Hussein eight months later.... All the groups [Iraqi ethnic groups] want some power, some want all. They will battle for Iraq in the years to come" (p. 5).

Eyewitness Accounts

Eyewitness accounts of crisis events are often too intense for children. All of the 9/11 books written from the point of view of survivors of the attacks that I examined had too many horrific details to be appropriate for elementary-age children. These might be used with caution with older students.

However, one eyewitness book about the Iraq War could be considered a juvenile book. It is Thura's Diary (A1-Windawi, 2004), written by an Iraqi high school girl who witnessed the fall of Baghdad from her window. She vividly expresses her mixed feelings towards the Americans, Saddam, and her countrymen: "Killing: American, Iraqi and British. Men, women and children, everyone has his or her problems: food, water, safety, sleep and medicine. Everybody is tired. The question is always: When will this war end? And I ask myself: What will happen next?" (p. 70). Fortunately, the book has a happy ending. Thura eventually was offered a scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is now a student.

Nonfiction juvenile books that have historical accounts of terrible events, such as 9/11 and the Iraq War, can help students learn to separate the facts from the opinions about these events. Children need to know these basic facts about global events in order to be informed citizens.

Fiction

Almost no fictional books for kids have been written after 9/11 or the Iraq War. Publishers and authors probably do not want to be accused of exploiting these events. It will be interesting to see if some historical fiction emerges in the years to come. One juvenile fiction book written after 9/11 is Frankie Wonders ... What Happened Today? (Conte, 2001). A young boy notices the change in his family's routine and demands to know why. Finally, his father explains about the attacks and adds that "Some very bad people did this on purpose. They wanted to do something bad to Americans" (unpaged). Despite the rather distracting cartoon illustrations, the book serves as a model of the kind of question-and-answer exchanges that must have taken place in millions of American homes in 2001; in that respect, the book could be very reassuring to children who have the same concerns as Frankie.

These books related to crisis events are especially beneficial to use with young children, or any children who may be too sensitive or traumatized to deal with the event directly. Suchbooks tend to emphasize heroic efforts and give kids a real sense that they can make a difference and make the world a better place.

Children's Art and Responses

Perhaps the most helpful books are the ones that incoporate children's own responses to tragic events. September 12th: We Knew Everything Would Be All Right, written and illustrated by 1st-grade students at Masterson Elementary School (2002) in Kennett, Missouri, is a comforting book as it assures children that on the day after a terrible event, things can get back to normal and they will still be "tucked in [their] warm, safe beds" (p. 24). This book was the one cited most often in my teacher survey, and is probably the best known of the 9/11 books for kids.

The Day Our World Changed: Children's Art of 9/11 (Goodman & Fahnestock, 2002) has an almost opposite point of view, but just as poignant a message. The book was created from a juried art exhibit of New York City children's artwork, and is divided into themes ranging from "The Attack" and "The City Mourns" to "Heroes and Helpers" and "Hope and Renewal." The artwork is stunning. An 8-year-old boy used paper collage to show a jet breaking up the World Trade Center; a 17-year-old girl depicts Osama bin Laden as a giant monster eating the towers; a 10-year-old paints a colorful watercolor of firefighters putting out a raging fire at Ground Zero. Unforgettable images, such as of the candles lit for the missing, are reinterpreted by these young artists. Perhaps the artwork that best captures the spirit of New York children is the one of a very fashionable young lady wearing an "I love NY" t-shirt. Her dog is shown thinking, "More than ever!"

Counseling

While some books are meant to provide information in order to help kids understand troubling world events, other books are specifically aimed at alleviating kids' fears and anxieties. Live Aware, Not in Fear: The 411 After 9-11 (Wells & Morris, 2002) is one such book, written in a question-and-answer format by two public safety experts, addressing such fears as the belief that "there are terrorists everywhere" (p. 8). The authors also provide space for children to write in their responses to such questions as, "In what ways has your day-to-day routine changed since September 11, 2001? How do you think it will continue to change?" (p. 17).

This Place I Know: Poems of Comfort (Heard, 2002) counsels children in a different way. Georgia Heard selected 18 poems to read to New York City children who had witnessed firsthand the attack on the World Trade Center from their classroom windows. She writes, "I tried to choose poems that touch upon our feelings of fear and loss, remind us that we are not alone in despair, and assure us that dreams can be born even from tragedy." Each poem is beautifully illustrated by an award-winning artist. One of my favorites, which seems to capture the essence of counseling, is Trouble, Fly by Susan Marie Swanson. It reads, in part:

Trouble, fly out of our house. We left the window open for you.

Children who have experienced traumatic events need counseling to help them cope. Books such as these can be a source of comfort and a way to start a dialogue about their fears and concerns.

Background Information

It can be helpful to understand background information surrounding an event in order to have a clearer understanding of that event. World Trade Center: Tribute and Remembrance (Highsmith, 2001) has lovely color photographs of the World Trade Center under construction, as well as in its glory as the tallest building in New York and a symbol of world commerce.

In order to help children understand the Iraq War, it is beneficial for them to have a basic knowledge of the religious and cultural traditions of Iraq. What Do We Know About Islam? (Husain, 1995) is a very useful book for this purpose. It includes many colorful maps, photos, and other graphics explaining the Muslim people and their Islamic religion. Muslims' beliefs and religious practices are explained in respectful ways that children can understand. Other aspects of the Muslim tradition, such as special foods, art, and storytelling, also are explored. Iraq (Cultures of the World) (Hassig & Al Adely, 2003) also is an excellent book for explaining the history, religion, culture, and everyday life of Muslims living in Iraq. Children will find easy-to-read explanations of things they are often curious about, like the traditional women's dress (the abaaya), the mass prayers, and the different hand gestures.

It is also extremely helpful for students to know about key names in the news during times of national crisis. A recent juvenile biography of George W. Bush (Burke, 2003) traces the President's life from birth to his role as commander-in-chief of the Iraq War. There are very helpful "source documents" throughout the book, including an excerpt from his speech to the American public on September 11, 2001.

Teachers also will find juvenile biographies on the opposition leaders. Saddam Hussein (Shields, 2003) provides excellent background information about the Iraqi leader who seized power in 1968 and ruled Iraq ruthlessly. Unfortunately, the book ends before the invasion of Iraq and the downfall of Saddam. In fact, it ends with this now historically inaccurate sentence, "For a number of reasons then it is likely that President Bush would exhaust all other options before deciding on an invasion of Saddam Hussein's Iraq" (p. 95). Likewise, the book Osama bin Laden (Woolf, 2004), while providing a fascinating account of the man from a wealthy Saudi family who became the instigator of the 9/11 attacks and the most wanted terrorist on earth, cannot provide a definitive ending, since bin Laden has so far (as of this writing) evaded capture.

TOPICS RELATED TO SEPTEMBER 11

Several children's books about September 11th do not confront the topic directly, but cover related stories. Scholastic released several books, aimed at children too young to understand the historical events of 9/11, about such community helpers as firefighters, police officers, and paramedics (see Kottke, 2000). Teachers can use these books to communicate to kids the idea that these people are heroes, and that anyone, including a child, who helps other people can be a hero too.

Heroes and Helpers

Other books describe the actions of non-humans that helped in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. In Hero Dogs: Courageous Canines in Action (Jackson, 2003), children can read the inspiring stories of Roselle, a guide dog who led her blind owner safely down from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center, and Servus, a specially trained search dog who was injured while searching through a pile of rubble at Ground Zero. They also can learn about the Animal MASH that was set up there, and about the psychological and physical effects on the dogs. Teachers and parents should be warned, however, that a story about a bomb-sniffing dog that died in the collapse of the towers is also included, and may be quite upsetting.

Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey (Kalman, 2002) tells the wonderful, true story of an old New York fireboat that had been reconditioned just in time to be called into service to put out the fires around the World Trade Center. The book ends with these words of hope: "Now the Twin Towers are gone. Something new will be built. The heroes who died will be remembered forever. The Harvey is back to being a very happy boat. NOT scrapped. NOT useless. NOT forgotten" (unpaged).

Patriotic Books

After 9/11 and during the Iraq War, many patriotic books were published in the United States that reflected feelings of pride in coming together as a country. America: A Patriotic Primer (Cheney, 2002), written by Lynne Cheney (wife of Vice President Dick Cheney), is an alphabet book of past and present events, people, and values that characterize America. The influence of 9/11 is evident on the page for H and I, where "H" stands for Heroes and "I" stands for Ideals. Pictures of firefighters, police officers, and U.S. military personnel are offered as examples of heroes. Another trend in patriotic books is to use texts from historical documents and illustrate them in kid-friendly ways. We the Kids (Catrow, 2002) contains the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, accompanied by illustrations of a family going on a camping trip, to help explain phrases like "insure domestic tranquility." In America the Beautiful (Bates, 2004), the influence of 9/11 is more obvious. One of the verses from the song, "Who more than self their country loved. And mercy more than life," is illustrated with the now iconic image of the New York firefighters raising an American flag over a pile of rubble at Ground Zero.

Terrorism

A few informational books on terrorism are available that will help answer the questions that many children, especially older ones, have on the topic. Terrorists and Terrorist Groups (Currie, 2002) takes a worldwide view of terrorism, and includes chapters on Hamas, the Irish Republican Army, Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, as well as Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. The book cites a definition of terrorism as "premeditated, politically motivated violence aimed at civilians," but then goes on to question this definition, stating that "one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter." In the book Jihad: Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorism (Katz, 2004), the author is careful to separate the terrorism perpetrated by Islamic extremists from the vast majority of those who follow the Islamic faith. The author states, "Those who have committed acts of terrorism in the name of Islam have given it an unjust reputation as a religion of violence and hatred" (p. 10). Rather than portraying terrorist acts as random acts of violence, some of these books attempt to explain why terrorists target Americans, citing such things as U.S. support of Israel, the Palestinian issue, and battles over oil.

The Terrorist, by Caroline Cooney (1997), is a juvenile novel about a teenage girl, Laura, whose brother is killed in London by a terrorist bombing. She is determined to find the killer, and becomes suspicious of and angry at everyone around her, including her innocent friend, Mohammed. The ending is somewhat unresolved, with no one brought to justice, and with Laura denouncing "every senseless act of violence the world over."

These books help answer students' questions about why anyone would seek to harm other people. It may be helpful to present the terrorists' hatred as directed to American foreign policy rather than Americans themselves. However, teachers still need to exercise judgment when using these books, since they may prove to be more disturbing than enlightening.

Somewhat Related Books

Some recently published children's books do not confront the topic directly, yet clearly have been influenced by 9/11. One such book is New York's Bravest (Osborne, 2002). In the tradition of a tall tale, the book introduces a legendary firefighter named Mose Humphreys, who was known for his bravery in the 1840s. The connection with 9/11 comes in the dedication, which reads, "To the memory of the 343 New York City firefighters who gave their lives to save others on September 11, 2001."

The most celebrated of these books is the 2004 Caldecott winner, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (Gerstein, 2003). It is the story of daredevil tight-rope walker Phillipe Petit, who secretly walked between the towers in 1974. It ends poignantly with these words, "Now the towers are gone. But in memory, as if imprinted on the sky, the towers are still there" (unpaged).

TEACHER SURVEY

I surveyed 134 teachers about the kinds of books and discussions they used after September 11th, 2001, and during the current Iraq War. I asked them specific questions, such as naming the books or texts that they found helpful, but I also asked them open-ended questions about the kinds of discussions they had with their students, and the advice they would give to fellow teachers about helping students to cope with traumatic world events. The results of the survey can be found in Tables 1 and 2.

After 9/11 and the start of the Iraq War, teachers often were told by administrators not to discuss these events with students. However, students were likely to initiate discussions anyway. Clearly, the students felt the need to discuss the events. As one teacher wrote, "Talk to them and answer their questions! (age-appropriate). Knowing what's going on makes the event less frightening." Another teacher wrote, "Parents wanted me to censor and ignore the war, but I found my students were hungry to learn about it."

Obviously, there is lag time between world events and the publication of books about them. These teachers have proven to be quite resourceful in the texts they used with students. Many used the immediate resources of newspapers, magazines, maps, and online sources. Others related the themes of books from other historical periods, such as Baseball Saved Us, Faithful Elephants, and The Bracelet (all about different aspects of World War II), or Pink and Say, which addresses the theme of friendship during the time of the American Civil War. Some teachers focused on specific issues, such as avoiding stereotypes and prejudice, and used texts and student writing to examine these themes in light of world events. One teacher, who had her students make books about avoiding stereotyping, commented, "I feel that students were able to express their feelings by writing about it."

The teachers were asked to comment about how to help students cope with troubling times. Their responses fell into the six general themes listed in Table 3.

Using books about worldwide political events does not mean steering students into any particular political beliefs. As one teacher reminds us, "Honesty is the most important part. Be careful not to involve political beliefs. Focus on the issue at hand." Perhaps the best use of books during troubled times is as a bridge to communication and empathy. One teacher said it best: "I try to be honest with my kids to build trust. I want them to be able to come to me--to discuss, share books, or just give a hug when they need to." More recently, we have all witnessed the horrific aftereffects of the tsunami disaster and the hurricanes. Books are just beginning to come out about the Indian Ocean tsunami. Mitchell Lane Publishers has published two books: Tsunami Disaster in Indonesia (Torres, 2005) for grades 1-2 and Disaster in the Indian Ocean (Torres, 2005) for grades 4-6. Lerner Publishing released Tsunami: Helping Each Other (Morris, 2005) for grades 3-4. Olders books are available to help students understand the nature of these natural disasters. Tsunami: Monster Waves (Wade, 2002), published by Random House, focuses on the tsunami in 1946 that hit Hawaii and provides excellent background knowledge about tsunamis. For younger children, High Tide in Hawaii (Osborne, 2003), a title in the Magic Tree House Book series, provides a fictional account of Jack and Annie's adventures in Hawaii and how they help islanders recover from a tsunami. However, in light of recent events, this book could come across as trivializing a tragedy. Teachers will find ways to use books effectively in the classroom to help students understand and cope with these and future events.

Bibliography 9/11

Factual Accounts

Anderson, D. (2004). The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac Library.

Gard, C. (2003). The attacks on the World Trade Center. New York: Rosen Publishing Group.

Gard, C. (2003). The attack on the Pentagon, September 11, 2001. New York: Rosen Publishing Group.

Lalley, P. (2002). 9.11.01: Terrorists attack the U.S. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers.

Mitch, F. (2002). Understanding September 11th: Answering questions about the attacks on America. New York: Viking.

Roleff, T. (Ed). (2002). America under attack: Primary sources. San Diego: Lucent Books.

Santella, A. (2002). September 11, 2001. New York: Scholastic.

Stewart, G. (2002). America under attack: September 11, 2001. San Diego: Lucent Books.

Wheeler, J. C. (2002). September 11, 2001: The day that changed America. Edina, MN: ABDO & Daughters.

Firefighters

Kottke, J. (2000). Welcome books series. Titles include: A day with firefighters. A day with police officers. A day with paramedics. New York: Scholastic.

Rescue Dogs

Jackson, D. (2003). Hero dogs: Courageous canines in action. New York: Little, Brown and Co.

Fireboats

Kalman, M. (2003). Fireboat: The heroic adventures of the John J. Harvey. New York: Putnam.

Patriotism

Bates, K.L. (2004). America the beautiful. New York: Little Brown & Co.

Catrow, D. (2002). We the kids. New York: Scholastic.

Cheney, L. (2002). America: A patriotic primer. New York: Scholastic.

Herman, J. (1998). Red, white, and blue: The story of the American flag. New York: Scholastic.

O'Brien, J. (2001). Red, white, blue and Uncle Who? New York: Holiday Books.

Sonneborn, L. (2004). The Pledge of Allegiance. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers.

Terrorism

Currie, S. (2002). Terrorists and terrorist groups. San Diego: Lucent Books.

Fidell, R. (2001). Terrorism: Political violence at home and abroad. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers.

Taylor, R. (2002). The history of terrorism. San Diego: Lucent Books.

Children's Art and Responses to September 11th

Goodman, R. F., & Fahnestock, A. H. (2002). The day our world changed: Children's art of 9/11. New York: Harry N. Abrams.

Masterson Elementary Students. (2002). September 12th: We knew everything would be all right. New York: Scholastic (written by 1st-graders).

Counseling

Gellman, M., & Hartman, T. (2002). Bad stuff in the news: A guide to handling the headlines. New York: Sea Star Books.

Heard, G. (Ed.). (2002). This place I know: Poems of comfort. New York: Candlewick.

Wells, D., & Morris, B. (2002). Live aware, not in fear: The 411 after 9-11: A book for teens. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications.

Journalism

September 11, 2001: A collection of newspaper front pages. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel.

Leaders

Burke, R. (2003). George W. Bush. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Shields, J. (2003). Saddam Hussein. Philadelphia: Chelsea House.

Woolf, A. (2004). Osama bin Laden. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications.

History of the World Trade Center

Highsmith, C. M. (2001). World trade center: Tribute and remembrance. New York: Crescent Books.

Related to 9/11

Gerstein, M. (2003). The man who walked between the towers. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Brook Press.

Osborne, M. (2002). New York's bravest. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Fiction

Conte, Y. (2001). Frankie wonders...What happened today? Rochester, NY: Amsterdam Berwick Publishing Co.

Cooney, C. (1997). The terrorist. New York: Scholastic.

Iraq War

Historical Events

Miller, D. A. (2004). The war against Iraq. San Diego: Lucent Books.

Richie, J. (2003). Iraq and the fall of Saddam Hussein. Minneapolis, MN: The Oliver Press.

Rivera, S. (2004). Operation Iraqi freedom. Edina, MN: ABDO & Daughters.

Eyewitness Accounts

Al-Windawi, T. (2004). Thura's diary. New York: Viking.

Related Topics

Buckley, G. (2003). American patriots: The story of blacks in the military from the Revolution to Desert Storm. New York: Random House.

Iraq

Hassig, S., & AI Adely, L. (2003). Iraq (Cultures of the World). New York: Benchmark 2 Books.

Marcott, L. (Ed.). (2003). Iraq: Creation of the modern Middle East. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers.

Leaders

Anderson, D. (2004). Saddam Hussein. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications.

Islam/Muslim Religion

Morris, N. (2002). Islam. Columbus, OH: Peter Bedrick Books.

Husain, S. (1995). What do we know about Islam? New York: Peter Bedrick Books.

Radical Islamic Fundamentalist/Jihad

Katz, S. (2004). Jihad: Islamic fundamentalist terrorism. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications.

Wright, R. (2001). Sacred rage: The wrath of militant Islam. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Tsunami

Morris, A. (2005). Tsunami: Helping each other. New York: Lerner.

Osborne, M. P. (2003). High tide in Hawaii. New York: Random House. (fiction)

Thompson, L. (2000). Tsunamis. New York: Children's Press.

Torres, J. (2005). Disaster in the Indian Ocean. Hockessin, DE: Mitchell Lane Publishing.

Torres, J. (2005). Tsunami disaster in Indonesia. Hockessin, DE: Mitchell Lane Publishing.

Wade, M. D. (2002). Tsunami: Monster waves. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow.

Additional Texts Cited by Teachers

Bergen, P. (2001). Holy War, Inc.: Inside the secret world of Osama bin Laden. New York: Free Press.

Colon, J. (1982). A Puerto Rican in New York and other sketches. New York: International Publishers.

Giuliani, R. (2002). Leadership. New York: Hyperion.

Mochizuki, K. (1983). Baseball saved us. New York: Scholastic.

One hundred photographs that changed the world. (2003). New York: Time-Life.

Pingry, P. (2004). The story of the Star-Spangled Banner. Nashville, TN: CandyCane Press.

Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York: Scholastic.

Tsuchiya, Y. (1988). Faithful elephants: A true story of animals, people and war. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

References

Alat, K. (2002). Traumatic events and children: How early childhood educators can help. Childhood Education, 79, 2-8.

Bernstein, J. E. (1977). Books to help children cope with separation and loss. New York: R.R. Bowker.

Cornett, C. E., & Cornett, C. F. (1980). Bibliotherapy: The right book at the right time. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.

McMath, J. S. (1997). Young children, national tragedy, and picture books. Young Children, 52, 82-84.

Stamps, L. S. (2003). Bibliotherapy: How books can help students cope with concerns and conflicts. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 70(1), 25-29.

Mary Taylor Rycik is Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education, Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio.

Table 1

Teachers' Responses to 9/11

                                                  Teachers of:
Kind of discussions held after 9/11
(Top 5 answers)                             K-3     4th-8th   9th-12th
                                           N = 28   N = 58     N = 34

1. Told not to discuss, no discussion      20       22        4
2. Open discussion: student-initiated,     6        15        13
   listening to students' concerns and
   feelings, answering questions
3. School as a safe place, students'       5        9         4
   safety, students' fears
4. Global politics, motivation for acts,   1        9         7
   U.S. response
5. Nature of terrorism                     1        1         3

Note: Some teachers gave responses in multiple categories, and some
did not respond to all questions.

                                                  Teachers of:
Books or texts used after 9/11
(Top 5)                                    K-3      4th-8th   9th-12th

Newspapers                                 2        8         11
Online resources                           1        5         6
Adult news magazines (Time, Newsweek,      0        4         2
  etc.)
Kids' news magazines (Scholastic, Time     3        3         3
  for Kids)
TV news (CNN, Fox)                         0        3         7

Others mentioned: maps & atlases, kids' own writing, videos: Reading
Rainbow on 9/11

Specific books used:
September 12th
9/11: A Year Later
Leadership by Rudy Giuliani
Holy War Inc.
The Pledge of Allegiance
September 11, 2001: A Collection of Newspaper Front Pages
Time-Life book about different people, points of view
Baseball Saved Us by K. Mochizuki

Table 2

Teachers' Responses to Iraq War

Kind of discussion held during the                 Teachers of:
Iraq War (Top 5)
                                            K-3     4th-8th   9th-12th
                                           N = 28   N = 55     N = 36

1. Told not to discuss, no discussion      14       9         7
2. Student-initiated discussion,           6        11        11
   answering students' questions
3. Family/ friends serving                 10       9         4
   Support for troops
   What it's like for soldiers
4. Basic information only                  3        7         2
   Separating facts from rumor/
   misinformation
5. U.S. motivation & beliefs               0        4         7

Others include: student fears, terrorism, patriotism/civic
responsibility, technology of war/biological weapons, preventing
prejudice & stereotyping/examining different viewpoints, historical
context, map locations, religion/beliefs of Muslims

                                                   Teachers of:
Books, Texts, and Other Resources
Used During the Iraq War                   K-3      4th-8th   9th-12th

1. Newspaper articles                      1        4         6
2. Internet resources                      0        2         8
3. Kids' newsmagazines                     3        2         2
4. Adult newsmagazines                     0        3         4
5. World atlases, maps                     0        3         3
6. TV news, CNN, Channel One for Kids      0        1         4

Specific Books Used:
Teacher-compiled text set of nonfiction books on various wars
Faithful Elephants (WWII)
The Bracelet (WWII)
Pink and Say (Civil War)
The Star-Spangled Banner
The Statue of Liberty
"A Puerto Rican in New York" by Jesus Colon (about how one
event can change your life) student-created texts on
stereotyping/prejudice

Table 3

Themes for Helping Students To Cope

Honesty: "Be honest and do not hide information from the students."

Responsive, responsible teaching: "Allow them to discuss in an open
environment with some guidelines to prevent inappropriate topics or
comments." "Make teaching decisions with students' best interests in
mind."

Allow open discussion, listen: "I let them talk. I am just a mediator
if needed."

Involvement: Nine teachers said that talking about relatives serving
and sending items to and communicating with soldiers in Iraq was very
helpful to their students.

Use of books and writing: "Children's literature is a wonderful
supplement--not as a reaction to an event, but as an overview to
provide understanding." Another teacher wrote, "Literature is the
bridge to seeing that we aren't the only ones with problems."

Empathy and understanding: "Look at the celebrations of the lives of
the deceased; help students learn empathy and how to feel for people.
Look into fears and identify them."