All We Have Left by Wendy Mills

All We Have Left by Wendy Mills is a September 11 fictional story.  I will be honest and say that it took me a while to realize how this story is told in two different time periods: today and 2001.  The narrators are two young women. One is a contemporary high school student named Jesse whose brother, Travis, died in the World Trade Center collapse. The other narrator is teenaged Alia whose conflict with her parents and struggles with her Muslim culture resulted in her visit to the towers on that fateful day.

I liked the cover of All We Have Left but there is even more worth contemplating in the pages of Wendy Mills’ writing, especially as our nation reflects on terrorism across the globe. Mills says, “Hate is just fear. Fear that we are powerless, ugly small, nothing, so we hate people to make us feel better about ourselves, so we don’t have to be scared all the time.”

Even though they are separated in time, Alia and Jesse share a common experience of feeling alone, angry and misunderstood. Both girls face difficult choices and must try to understand relationships within their families and with their friends.  All We Have Left received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal, which said, “this outstanding, touching look at a national tragedy promotes healing and understanding and belongs in every library.” Find All We Have Left in our new library soon.

And, if you have younger children or students, encourage them to read the middle school book, Nine Ten by Nora Raleigh Baskin as the 15th anniversary approaches.