THE ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001by Lauren Tarshis

I survived

This year marks the 11th anniversary of 9/11. For many of us, the last thing we want is to revisit the day of September 11, 2001, in New York City. As the school year opens, many of us in the education field across the United States, may feel the same way. But as one educator so aptly put it “we need to go down the hole of one of history’s darkest days in order to come up with some light to shed on it for our students this September.”

In 2001, some of our students were not even born yet and know very little about the day’s events. Even though it is a ‘current event’ for us as adults, it is ‘history’ for them.” For those of us in the field of education, September 11 may still be a raw experience, whereas for our students, it’s not even a memory. But regardless, we are the ones in position to preserve this part of history for them.

Here at Rodolfo Centeno Elementary, we tried to think about how to bridge teachers’ personal experiences with September 11 with students’ understanding of the event. To commemorate the day of September 11, we will be hosting Remembering 9/11: Tell your story. How did you witness history on September 11, 2001? What do you most remember and how has it affected your life? As role models, help us preserve this historic event by sharing your experience with our 5th grade students who have just finished reading and reflecting on I Survived: the Attacks of September 11, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis.

55 thoughts on “THE ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001by Lauren Tarshis

  1. When I read “I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001.
    I felt sorry for Lucas because he could not play what he loved more than anything.When the towers collapsed, I felt scared for all New York citizens.My favorite part of the book was when Lucas found out that Uncle Benny was safe. I really reccommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction books.

    Perla B. age 10 rm 25

  2. I just finished reading I Survived: The Attacks of September 11,2001.I loved the way Lauren Tarshis gave us the problem then went back to help us understand the characters. There was alot of commotion. I think bravery was the theme of the book. I love that Lawren Tarshis kept me wondering whether uncle Benny was dead.

    J. Guerrero age 10

  3. In Mrs. Castaneda’s class, I just read I Survived:The Attacks of September11,2001. I feel thankful for policemen, firefighters, and ambulance workers that helped all those people. I don’t know what to say about all those people. That was a very good story.It tells you about many things. I feel happy for all those that survived, but at the same time, I feel sad for all those people who didn’t survive. Check out this book in the library.

    F.Rangel age10 Rm.25

  4. I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. It was a really awesome book because it made me feel like I was on a rollocoaster of emotions. It is the type of book that will keep you on the edge of your seat because it has horrific events that make you want to keep on reading. I feel really badly for the firefighters and people who died inside the Twin Towers. It shows you that there’s always hope for everyone. Wanna read it? Give it a look at our Centeno Buck library. I really recommend it to everyone that wants to be on the edge of their seats.

    M.Ochoa age 11 Rm.26

  5. In Mrs.Castaneda’s class, I read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11,2001. It was the best book I have ever read.It is also sad because some people were diying, jumping out of buildings, and burning alive. Why did the terorist attack the Twin Tower if the Twin Towers didn’t do anything to them? If I were there, I would help the people inside the building.The people don’t deserve to die because they didn’t do anything to them.They wouldn’t like if they got killed for nothing. I recommend this book because it shows the respect you are giving the people that died.

    Moses G. age 10 Rm 26

  6. I just read the book of I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. The book was real emotional. It really got my attention. I can’t believe all the destruction. It looked like if a tornado had been there. I could not believe that someone is so cruel to just zoom a plane into a tower. How could that person not care about him and the people inside the builing? What did the people do to him? It was just unacceptable. All the people risking their lives to save others. If I would have been born and big, I would have risked my life to save someone else’s. It’s just very sad that a lot of people died. If you want to know everything that happened that day, I suggest you search for that book everywhere.

    Jesse.M age10 room 26

  7. In Mrs. Castaneda’s class, I just finished reading I survived: The Attacks of September 11,2001. I felt sorry for the people trapped in the tower. My favorite part was when Lucas saw his dad. The book theme was never give up like the brave firefighters even though they were hurt they were still helping people get out. If you want to learn more, check out this book at the Centeno Library.

    E. Velazquez age 10 Rm. 23

  8. In Mrs.Castanedas class , I read the book I Survived: The Attacks of September 11,2001. The book was sad. I felt really sorry for the people who where controlling the aiplane that did that brutal attack. I mean what kind of person will risk their own life? Well anyway , I’m the #1 fan of Lauren Tarshis .The book took out some emotions I’ve never had. Come on! Get on my train and go on a trip of emotions. I really recommend this book for those who like historical fiction.

    L. Hernandez age10 Rm 23

  9. In 5th grade, I just finished reading I Survived: The Attacks of Semptember 11,2001. While reading this novel, I experienced emotion that I had never felt before. I was devastated when Uncle Benny went into the tower and no one saw him come out. If Uncle Benny was my uncle, I would be down in the dumps. I wish I could provide you with more information, but you have to read it to find out. This is a shocking historical fiction novel.

    Yahir M. age 11 Rm 23

  10. I just read the book,I Survived: the Attacks of September 11, 2001 and I learned that if you’re in a bad situation you should never give up. I feel sorry for the people in the Twin Towers when it collapsed. I think when Lucas reunited with his dad I could relate to that. Some people tried to be brave while the Twin Towers fell. If I were in a crisis like that, and people needed water, I would give it for free. Author Lauren Tarshis did a great job writing this book.

    K. Ferdin, Room 27, Age 10

  11. I just read ,I Survided :The Attacks of September 11, 2001. I recommend this book because it is an entertanig book. I am sorry for the people that lost their families. I liked the book because it was giving me facts about what happened that day. I learned a lesson to never give up on hard days.

    J. Reyes age 10 Rm. 28

  12. I read I Survived: The Attacks of September 1, 2001 book in Mrs. Castaneda’s class. When I finished the book of 9/11, I felt sorry and shocked about the people who didn’t make it out of Twin Towers and for the people who called home that this was their last time that they were going to see them. This book is going to entertain you when you feel bored. I liked Lauren Tarshis’ book. I learned to never give up.

    A. Martinez age 11 Room 28

  13. In reading class, I just finished reading I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. It was a wonderful story. I am so sorry about some of the people because some did not get to get out. The sad part was when they thought that Uncle Benny died. If you want to check out this book, go to Centeno Elementary Bucks library.

    C. GAMEZ age 11 Rm 26

  14. I just read I Survived:The Attacks of September 11, 2001. I think there were happy moments and sad moments. I feel badly for the people that died in that moment when the Twin Towers collapsed. I’m thankful for the policeman and firefighters that risked their lives saving others lives. In my personal opinion, I think this was the best book I have read in my life. If you want to know more about it,go to the Centeno Buck library.

    K.Palomares age 10 Rm 26

  15. In reading class, I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September11,2001. It was a wonderful story. I am so sorry about the people who did not get to get out of the of the Twin Towers. I cried because of the people who died. If I was a fire fighter; I would have taken everybody out of the Twin Towers after it collapsed. If you want to check out this book, go to Rodolfo C. Centeno Elementary Library.

    C. Garza. Rm 26 Age 11

  16. In my 5th grade class, I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001 book. I thought it was an interesting story. I thought the most shocking part was when the plane flew into the tower. I felt terrible for the people inside the tower. If I were there , I would have helped all the people in the tower. the book was filled with tragedy and sadness. If you would like to read this interesting book, check it out at our Centeno Buck library.

    K. Carrizales age 10 Rm. 26

  17. In Mrs. Castaneda’s class, I read I Survived:The Attacks of September 11,2001. It was very sad how evil they were. It was like a kamikaze. It was unexpected when the Twin Towers fell. That just made us stronger than ever. I felt blue when that happened. I know that I was not born at that time. But, what happened just gave me a chill and made me wonder how evil the person was. Also never, never give up on hope. You should read I Survived: The Attacks of Septemder 11,2001 at the Centeno Buck’s Library.

    A. Lucio age 10 Rm#26

  18. I just read the I Survived: The Attack of Setenber 11,2001 book. I just can’t imagine what happend. It made me feel so depressed reading about those people who died. Some were lucky because those bave paramedics and firefighters saved them. It was so horrible to learn that they were calling home and saying this is gonna be the last time you’re going to hear my vocie.

    Kasandra V. Age 11 Room 28.

  19. I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11,2001. I thought it was sad and horrifying because of what happened to the people that were in the Twin Towers. I can relate to Lucas when he was looking for his dad.This book was not just good, it also taught me to never give up hope. So if I were you I would go to Centeno Elementry school libary and check out that book. I bet that when you’re done with your book, you will want to read it again and again.

    Yvonne P. age 10 Rm. # 28

  20. I also read and enjoyed the book very much. 9/11 happened a while ago and this book brought back memories of where I was when I found out about the attacks and how I felt. I am a Mexican-American living in the United States, and this attack made me feel such love and compassion for all the victims but at the same time so PROUD to be an American and live in a country where bravery and liberty is valued and honored. This book brought back a tidal wave of emotions. I really liked the book and the Uncle was my favorite character.

    Mrs. Laura P. de los Santos
    Proud Principal of Rodolfo Centeno Elementary

  21. I just read the book: I Survived:The Attacks of
    September 11,2001. This was a wonderful book. It was filled with emotions and feelings. After one of the Twin Towers collapsed, it was a frightning and horrific scene.This book made me feel sad and mad about how many people got injured and how many people passed away. I will never lose hope for the families of the people who passed away. Deliliah.C age 11 room#28

  22. In my 5th grade reading class, I just finshed reading I Survived The Attacks Of September 11,2001. It was an amazing book, but sad too. I could feel their pain as we were reading the book. I am thankful to the people who risked their lives saving other people’s lives. I liked the part when Lucas found out that Uncle Benny was alive. I feel very sad for the ones who were in the airplane. I am happy and proud to be an AMERICAN!

  23. In Mrs. Castanedas class, we just finished reading I Survived:The Attack of September 11, 2001. It was so sad that people died in the Twin Towers. I wonder how their families felt when their family members died. If my family had been there at the Twin Towers, I would feel very sad. The end of the story was so interesting that I didnt want it to end. My favorite part was when Uncle Benny came out of theTwin Towers.

    A. Carrizales age 11 Rm. 27

  24. I just read I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001. I think it is an awesome book for you to read. It made me feel like I was in a rollercoseter of emotions. It was so sad when one of the towers collapsed. Some people were jumping out of the windows choosing to die that way instead of getting burned alive. The firefighters were heros, as we know, that risked their lives for the people that were stuck in the towers. Fortunately, some did survive, they were super lucky that God gave them another chance to live. On the other hand, some people didn’t make it.

    Y. Lopez, age 10, Room 28

  25. I just read the I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. I just got very sad. It had a lot of interesting words. It is sad because it was scary about all the people in the Twin Towers. My favorite part was when Lucas found his dad and he felt safe with his dad. At the end, I liked it because they found Uncle Benny. If I had been in the Twin Towers, I would have been scared. If you want an interesting book, come and check it out at the Centeno Bucks Library.

    M. Rios age 11 Rm. 27

  26. I just read the book I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. It is a very good book. The author really rocked that book. I felt very sorry and sad for the the people that were in the Twin Towers. I do not know why the bad guys did that to the Twin Towers. The people could not make it outside and died in the Twin Towers. The people jumped for their lives and had no choices. The firefighters and policemen that died inthe Twin Towers were brave. I will never give up if that ever happens again.

    M. Martinez age 10 Rm. 28

  27. In Mrs. Castaneda’s class, we just finished reading I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. It was so sad that people died in the Twin Towers. I wonder how their families felt when their family members died. If my family had been there, I would feel very sad. The end of the story was so interesting that I didn’t want it to end. My favorite part was when Uncle Benny came out of the tower.

    A. Carrizales age 11 R. 27

  28. I just read I Survived The Attacks Of September 11,2001
    in my 5th grade reading class. I feel bad for the people that died. I can imagine how bad it was that day. I feel bad for Lucas and his dad. I was in shock after I read what happened that day. Some people jumped out of windows or were burned alive inside the Twin Towers. The planes crashing into both of the Twin Towers was heartbreaking. I really liked this book.

    I. Muniz, age 11, Room 28

  29. In Mrs.Castanedada’s class, we just read a book called I Survived: The Attacks of September 11,2001. It was very sad ,but reading one chapter is not enough. It is a book that is entertaining and you will want to read all of the chapters in one day. I was happy to read about how Lucas was able to reunite with his dad after the attacks on the world trade center. This book is centered around the bravery that people showed on that horrific day. The firefighters and police died seving the people before the Twin Towers collapse of the towers. It is really sad.

    I.Gomez age 10 room 27

  30. I just read the book: I Survived: Attacks of September 11,2001. This was a wonderful book. It was filled with emotions and feelings. After one of the Twin Towers collapsed,it was a frightning and horrific scene. This book made me sad and mad about how many people got injured and people that passed away. I will never lose hope of the familllies of the people that passed away. Deliliah.C age.11 room#28

  31. Wow! I am glad you all enjoyed reading your book about the attacks of 911. Reading takes you into a total different place in your mind! Remember the more you read the more you learn! You guys are doing so AWESOME! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK 5th grade!

  32. In Mrs.Castaneda’s class,I just finished reading the book I Survived:The Attacks of September 11,2001 novel. When I finished reading this book,I experienced different emotions.It made me wonder how many other attacks would happen to America.I felt horror at the scene of the Twin Towers falling and having no idea if Uncle Benny escaped the tower as it collasped.If you want to learn more, check it out at out Centeno Elementary library.

    E.Robles, age 10, Rm. 29

  33. Whoa! I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. It was full emotions. The story was wonderful. It showed bravey and sadness.The most wonderful moment was when Lucas knew Uncle Benny was ok. I reconmmend that you read this book. For sure, you would love it. It’s the most wonderful book in the world.

    M. Mejia, age 11, RM. 25

  34. In Mrs.Castaneda’s class, I read I Survived :The Attacks of September 11,2001.This book is a great book with sadness and happiness. My favorite part was when Lucas found his dad and then, he found his Uncle Benny. That’s my favorite part. I felt happy when that happened. I recommend you to check it out at the Centeno Bucks library.

    k.Alvarez age 11 Rm 25

  35. In my 5th grade class,I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11,2001. This book was filled with emotion and sadness.I can’t beleve Lucas went to the city without permission. He needed to be in school. At the end he learned from his mistakes. I recommend you to sit back and read this book.I know you will love this book.

    A.Martinez, age 10, Rm 25

  36. I just read I Survived :The Attacks of September 11,2001. I feel sad and happy for the ones who made it and the ones who didn’t make it. I can’t imagine people calling the ones they loved, their kids, and all people burning. Some were falling on the floor. Others were calling for help. People were helping each other. My favorite part was when Lucas and dad were together and holding hands. I was scared because Uncle Benny was lost, and then they were together. I recommend this book.

    P. Segura, age 11, Rm 25

  37. We just finished reading I Survived:The Attacks of September11,2001 in Ms. Castaneda’s class.In my opinion,I thought it was the most breathtaking book but at the same time very sad. How could there be people in the world so savage that would kill innocent people ? After reading this book ,you will no longer have nails. I would really like to thank Lauren Tarshis for writing such an interesting book. My favorite was when Lucas found his dad. Thanks to Lucas, his dad was safe .I feel sorry for those firefighters ,policemen,the military and people who didn’t make it out . Everytime my school gives the pledge of allegiance,I stop whatever I’m doing and say the pledge of allegiance because I’m proud to be an American.

    P.Perez Room 27 age :10

  38. In Mrs. Castaneda’s class, I just read I Survived:The Attacks of September 11,2001.It was a great book.I don’t know who will say it wasn’t.It showed me to respect all the people that did or got injured.I felt horrified and sorry for the people who didn’t make it and their families who were trying to make calls and the phone lines were busy.It was a great and sad story.You should read it.I really recommend it.

  39. I just read I Survived:The Attacks of September11,2001. I felt very sad for the people inside.The author did an awesome job with the book. It showed alot of emotions and sadness. When I opened the book, I started getting more into it. It was really cool how she wrote this story.The theme of this story was about bravery and family this story comes from the heart.

    A. Martinez, Rm 25, age: 11

  40. I just read I Survived:Tthe Attacks of September 11,2001 by Lauren Tarshis. It was so tragic when the Twin Towers fell. I was so sad when that plane hit the Twin Towers. I’m so sorry abaut all the people that died inside the Twin Towers. I still can’t believe that a person can be as brutal as the terrorists were. The lesson I learned was to never give up.

    N. Juarez age 10 Rm. 27

  41. In my reading class I just finished reading the book I Survived: The Attack of September,11,2001.This book contains scenes that are dramatic and that will make you jump out of your seat. The book is full of characters that are courageous and brave. I reccomend that you check out this book at any library. I am positive that you will enjoy this book. I.M age,11

  42. In Mrs. Castaneda’s class, I just finished reading I Survived The Attack of september 11,2001. This book is a super interesting book that you just want to bite your nails. I was sad because people died in the towers. My favorite part was when Uncle Benny found Lucas.I really,really recommend this story. For more, information visit our Centeno Bucks Library.

    D. Garcia, age 10, Rm: 27

  43. I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. I loved the I Survived book. If I were in a situation like the one Lucas was in, I would never give up. I feel sorry for people who had to call their families to say goodbye.That was the last time they were going to hear their voices.
    N.Cadena age:10 Rm. 28

  44. I just read all chapters of the book 9/11/01 and I felt sad when the airplane crashed into the Twin Towers. I also felt scared when the second airplain crashed because I thought they were attaking. I felt angry and sad for the people that were trapped and died. I liked that story. In all my life, I never felt like that.It is my favorite book of all that I have read.

    laisha.A age:11 room: 28

  45. I just read I survived:The Attacks of September 11,2001. I felt sorry for all the people that didn’t have a chance to get out, and for all the firefighters that got ingured in the heavy fires who came out with people on top of their backs. They had to walk. All the dust had glass so when all the people were breathing they could cut their insides so that is why they were spitting out blood. I do recommend this book because it shows all the things that mostly happend on 9/11 because all the people had to jump out of the buildings. I would like for people to read this book so they could feel what people had to do so they could survive all the attacks. I did feel the pain all the people had to jump out of the buildings. So I’m glad I’m still alive.

    V. Pruneda age 11 Rm. 28

  46. In reading class, I read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001. I learned that when you’re in a bad situation you should never give up. When the plane hit the Twin Towers I felt sorry for those people who were inside trapped in the Twin Towers. If I were the man in charge of the store, I would give them all the water and towels they needed. Poor Lucas had that memory in his heart and would never forget that horrible day. I really really recommend this story because is very interesting. For more, go to our Centeno Bucks web-site.

    L.Torres, age 10, Rm.28

  47. I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September 11, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis. I feel sorry for all those fire fighters, police men,infants and adults. I learned from this book that there will be changes in life once something bad happens. I was shocked when I saw those planes crash into the Twin Towers. If I were Lucas, I would have run home or somewhere safe. Wish I could tell you more, but you`re going to have to read this awesome historical fiction novel to find out.

    Anahi S. age 11 rm 23

  48. I just read I Survived: The Attacks of September, 11,2001 by Lauren Tarshis. When the first airplane crashed into the south tower, it was an attack on our country. I felt angry toward the people who carried out these horrific acts. I also felt sad for the people who died as a result of these attacks. I know how a family feels when one of their loved ones passes away.The theme of the book is to never give up hope.I highly recommend you check this book out.

    C. Rodriguez 10 years old #23

  49. In the 5th grade,I read the book I SURVIVED:THE ATTACKS of September 11,2001.I really felt emotional about what had happened to all of those people who died. I would really want other people to read this book because it makes you want to never stop reading and you want more out of the book. My favorite part of the book was everything. I loved the feelings and emotions of when Lucas and his Dad found each other and never let go of their hands. I would really want to meet the author Lauren Tarshis. I could also tell she does really awesome books and I liked how she expressed her emotions in the story about what happened to Uncle Benny. It is all so awesome. When you start reading the book you will never want to stop. this will always be my favorite book from childhood. the lesson that I learned from this book was to never give up if you are in a bad situation.

  50. I just read I Survived:The Attacks of September11,2001. I feel very sad for the people that were in there while the plane plunged into the Twin Towers,and while the Twin Towers collapsed to the ground.How dare they do such a bad thing like attack the U.S. Even though they kept attacking us, we were brave and strong.

    name:Andres S. Age: 10 Rm. 23

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