Ground Zero – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Ground Zero

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2021

89%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

A high-stakes, dual-timeline gut-punch that makes the history of 9/11 and Afghanistan feel personal, urgent, and deeply human.

Ground Zero

book

2021

89%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

A high-stakes, dual-timeline gut-punch that makes the history of 9/11 and Afghanistan feel personal, urgent, and deeply human.

4.8

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Screenwise Verdict

Alan Gratz has basically cornered the market on books that make middle schoolers actually care about history without feeling like they're being lectured. Ground Zero is heavy—it’s 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan, after all—but it handles the trauma with a surgical precision that respects the reader's intelligence.

It’s the opposite of brain rot. It’s a perspective-shifter that connects the dots between a Tuesday in NYC and a village in the mountains of Afghanistan. If your kid is ready for a 'real' story that doesn't pull its punches, this is a must-read.

Age Fit

Best for ages 9 to 14. Younger kids (8) can handle it if they're mature readers who are already asking questions about history, but 10-12 is the sweet spot for the emotional complexity.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While the subject matter is heavy, the book centers on courage, cross-cultural empathy, and family. It avoids being cynical, opting instead for a tone that respects the gravity of history while highlighting human resilience.

Imaginative

The dual-timeline structure is a clever narrative device that forces readers to connect dots between two vastly different worlds. It's not 'fantasy' imagination, but it's high-level 'empathy' imagination.

Safe

It's a book about 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan. It describes the collapse of the towers, smoke, debris, and the threat of the Taliban. It’s 'safe' in that it’s high-quality literature, but the content is inherently intense and potentially upsetting for sensitive younger kids.

Enriching

This is a masterclass in historical fiction for kids. It explains the 'why' behind events that shaped the modern world without being preachy or boring. It’s a massive win for building global awareness.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Alan Gratz is the king of the 'unputdownable' middle-grade historical novel.
It bridges the gap between the 2001 attacks and the modern reality in Afghanistan in a way that actually makes sense to a 10-year-old.
The pacing is relentless; it reads more like an action movie than a history textbook.
It builds massive empathy by showing the human cost of war on both sides of the globe.

⚠

What to Watch For

The 9/11 scenes are visceral—descriptions of the planes hitting, the towers falling, and the fear of those inside are intense.
The Afghan timeline involves the Taliban, IEDs, and the constant threat of violence, which can be heavy for sensitive readers.
It doesn't sugarcoat the reality that not everyone survives, which might lead to some tough bedtime conversations.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the author chose to tell these two stories at the same time?"
"Reshmina helps an American soldier even though it puts her village in danger—would you have made the same choice?"
"What did you know about 9/11 before reading this, and how did Brandon's story change how you think about it?"
"How are Brandon and Reshmina similar, even though they live in totally different worlds?"

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