Towers Falling

Fifth-grader Dèja has a secret she tries to hide at her new school – her family lives at a homeless shelter. She settles into school, makes friends, and becomes more comfortable but when the class studies the World Trade Center attacks, her father becomes angry and does not want her learning about the event. It is later revealed that he is a survivor of the attack, which caused PTSD and his unemployment resulting in their homelessness. This engaging novel for grades 5-9 deals with relatable themes of family relationships, friendships, challenges at school, social responsibility, family and home, shared history, community connections, socio-economic issues, race, and mental health.