GROUND ZERO
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the GROUND ZERO by Alan Gratz Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: GROUND ZERO
Author: Alan Gratz
Pub. Date: February 2, 2021
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 336
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear — and the stunning links between the past and present.
September 11, 2001, New York City: Brandon is visiting his dad at work, on the 107th floor
of the World Trade Center. Out of nowhere, an airplane slams into the tower, creating a
fiery nightmare of terror and confusion. And Brandon is in the middle of it all. Can he
survive — and escape?
September 11, 2020, Afghanistan: Reshmina has grown up in the shadow of war, but she dreams of peace and progress. When a battle erupts in her village, Reshmina stumbles upon a wounded American soldier named Taz. Should she help Taz — and put herself and her family in mortal danger?
Two kids. One devastating day. Nothing will ever be the same.
Says Alan Gratz: “For all its horrors, 9/11 is also the story of people coming together to help one another in a time of crisis. And for all the death and destruction the war has brought to Afghanistan, it has also meant the end of the Taliban as the country’s official rulers, and more freedom for women and girls. GROUND ZERO explores these contradictions, highlighting how people are often at their best when the worst happens and how impossible it is to make the right decision when both outcomes are unacceptable. These are universal experiences that ignore nationality and religion and culture—challenges that unite us as human beings—and I believe that fiction helps young people understand these big, scary topics and empathize with the people enduring them.”
“The year 2021 will mark the twenty-year anniversary of 9/11. Will it also mark the twenty-year anniversary of the war in Afghanistan? Time will tell. One way or another, we still live in a world reshaped and redefined by what happened in those 102 frightful minutes on a bright blue September morning in 2001. It’s more important than ever to help new generations understand how we got from there to where we are today.”
“With his signature accessibility and insight, Gratz tackles events on both U.S. soil and abroad … Subtexts and well-developed secondary characters give readers fuller perspectives surrounding the political, religious, and sociological factors that contribute to the horrors Brandon and Reshmina are living through. The pace is quick (don’t blink or you’ll miss something!), its emotions deeply authentic, and the highly visual settings resonate with accuracy. With a moving author’s note, pertinent back matter, and a surprise twist which brings the book full circle, Gratz delivers another winning read. Ground Zero will appeal to middle-grade readers, who were born after the events of 9/11, and to those adults who lived through it and will never forget.”– BOOKLIST, starred review
“Tautly paced … Conveys immediacy and depth.” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Gratz’s deeply moving writing paints vivid images of the loss and fear of those who lived through the trauma of 9/11.” – KIRKUS REVIEWS
Book Trailer:
EXCERPT
GroundZero Excerpt by on Scribd
About Alan:
ALAN GRATZ is the New York Times bestselling author of several highly acclaimed books for young readers, including Allies, Grenade, Projekt 1065, Prisoner B-3087, and Code of Honor. His
novel Refugee is often referred to as a modern classic, and has remained on The New York Times bestseller list for over two years. Alan lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter. Look for him online at alangratz.com.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will win a finished copy of GROUND ZERO, US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
| 1/14/2021 | Two Chicks on Books | Excerpt |
| 1/15/2021 | BookHounds YA | Excerpt |
| 1/16/2021 | The Obsessed Reader/ObsessedRead | Excerpt |
Week Two:
| 1/17/2021 | Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers | Excerpt |
| 1/18/2021 | Lisa Loves Literature | Excerpt |
| 1/19/2021 | Hurn Publications | Excerpt |
| 1/20/2021 | Down The Rabbit Hole | Excerpt |
| 1/21/2021 | Portals Into Books | Review |
| 1/22/2021 | Fire and ice, Little Red Reads | Review |
| 1/23/2021 | Lifestyle of Me | Review |
Week Three:
| 1/24/2021 | The Momma Spot | Review |
| 1/25/2021 | A Dream Within A Dream | Excerpt |
| 1/26/2021 | michellemengsbookblog | Review |
| 1/27/2021 | Books A-Brewin’ | Excerpt |
| 1/28/2021 | Books and Zebras @jypsylynn | Review |
| 1/29/2021 | The Scribe Owl | Review |
| 1/30/2021 | Jazzy Book Reviews | Review |
Week Four:
| 1/31/2021 | Crazykidjournal | Review |
| 2/1/2021 | Locks, Hooks and Books | Review |
| 2/2/2021 | @minnesota_mailer | Review |
THE GROUND ZERO VIRTUAL TOUR WITH NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ALAN GRATZ
Register to attend these free-to-attend virtual events at the websites of each hosting bookstore
Monday, February 1, 2021
11:00 am (EST): RJ Julia Independent Booksellers (Madison, CT)
2:00 pm (EST): Malaprop’s (Asheville, NC)
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
2:00 pm (EST): Politics & Prose (Washington D.C.)
7:00 pm (EST): Book launch event via Politics & Prose (Washington D.C.)
In conversation with Lauren Tarshis (author of I SURVIVED series)
Wednesday: February 3, 2021
10:00 am (EST): Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA)
9:00 am (PST): Children’s Book World (Los Angeles, CA)
Thursday, February 4, 2021
10:00 am (EST): An Unlikely Story (Plainville, MA)
5:00 pm (CST): Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX)
Friday, February 5, 2021
11:00 am (EST): Boogie Down Books (New York, NY)
4:30 pm (EST): Trinity Preparatory Author Festival (Winter Park, FL)
Monday, February 8, 2021
10:00 am (CST): Anderson’s (Chicago, IL)
1:00 pm (CST): Left Bank Books (St. Louis, MO)
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
10:00 am (CST): Square Books (Oxford, MS)
6:00 pm (MST): The King’s English (Salt Lake City, UT)
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
9:00 am (MST): Changing Hands Bookstore (Phoenix, AZ)
10:30 am (PST): Green Bean Books (Portland, OR)
Thursday, February 11, 2021
10:00 am (CST): Watermark Books & Cafe (Wichita, KS)
5:00 pm (PST): The Elliott Bay Book Company (Seattle, WA)
Friday, February 12, 2021
10:00 am (CST): Parnassus Books (Nashville, TN)
2:00 pm (EST): Little City Books (Hoboken, NJ)
March 11-13, 2021
Southern Young Adult Book Festival (Murfreesboro, TN)
When we see the news or read of major disasters or terrorist events, we tend to focus on the event and those involved.. We seldom look past that to see the impact and damage to those close to the event, either by relationship or proximity. I can be devastating either way. GROUND ZERO sounds like a good exploration of just that.
This sounds like a very good book.
Great book trailer. Sounds like a powerful story!
I remember the day. I was talking to a friend online and he said I have to go see what’s happening in New York, you should turn on your television as there are special reports happening. I turned on my tv and all I saw were people running in smoke filled streets, then all of a sudden the second plane hit the Towers. I would like to read this book as I wonder what was going on at Ground Zero.