This year is 20 years since 9/11. Being of an age to have watched this event unfold in real time, this “anniversary” is something I usually choose to ignore every year. Of course, children’s publishing (and publishing in general) loves anniversaries of things, so you can bet there are going to be a ton of picture books tied in some way to 9/11.

Funnily enough, though, the first few I’ve noticed are all about one very specific thing: the 9/11 “survivor tree,” a pear tree that survived the attacks (albeit with some permanent damage) and was replanted at the Memorial in 2010. You can read more about it here.

This is a gentle and hopeful way to introduce a really tough topic to small children, so it makes sense authors would choose it. But three seems like a lot. Two of them are even publishing the same month – May. Times like these I often find myself wondering if publishers ever talk to each other. Are three books on this very specific tree necessary? Maybe they are all genuinely good books. I don’t know.

I’m personally dreading the glut of books, social media, and other paraphernalia commemorating 20 years since the attack (it feels weird to call it an anniversary, like a bunch of people got married that day instead of murdered). We’re already dealing with half a million Americans dead from the pandemic, and being called to affirmatively “remember” an act of extreme violence that is etched on my entire generation’s consciousness sucks pretty hard. Sorry for the language, Mom – there’s no better way to put it.

When I buy books for the library, of course, my personal feelings don’t matter. So I’ll buy all the books about 9/11 that the community wants and needs, and I’m sure at least a few of them will do children a good service by teaching them about something that defined the world they were born into. But I won’t be reading any of them myself.

 

This Very Tree: A Story of Resilience, Community, and 9/11 by Sean Rubin (May 4)

In 1973, nestled between the newly completed Twin Towers in New York City, a Callery pear tree was planted. Over the years, the tree provided a home for birds and shade for people looking for a place to rest, along with the first blooms of spring.

On September 11, 2001, everything changed. The tree’s home was destroyed, and it was buried under the rubble. But a month after tragedy struck, a shocking discovery was made at Ground Zero: the tree had survived.

Dubbed the “Survivor Tree,” it was moved to the Bronx to recover. And in the thoughtful care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Callery pear was nursed back to health. Almost a decade later, the Survivor Tree returned home and was planted in the 9/11 Memorial to provide beauty and comfort…and also hope.

This is the story of that tree–and of a nation in recovery. Told from the tree’s perspective, This Very Tree is a touching tribute to first responders, the resilience of America, and the restorative power of community.

 

Branches of Hope: A Story About the 9/11 Survivor Tree by Ann Magee, illustrated by Nicole Wong (May 18)

The journey of the Callery pear tree rescued from Ground Zero and replanted ten years later is presented alongside a wordless story following a girl and her firefighter uncle who is a 9/11 hero.

 

 

 

Survivor Tree by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Aaron Becker (August 31)

One September day, the perfect blue sky exploded. Dust billowed. Buildings crumbled. And underneath it all, a tree sprouted green leaves in its distress. Pulled from the wreckage, the tree saw many seasons pass as it slowly recovered far away from home. Until one day, forever scarred and forever stronger, it was replanted at the 9/11 Memorial.

This story of the real Survivor Tree uses nature’s cycle of colors to reflect on the hope and healing that come after a tragedy — and assures readers of their own remarkable resilience.