A NATION CHALLENGED

Taken from its own coverage of the events of September 11th and their aftermath, New York Times editors have adapted a Young Reader’s Edition from their adult title of the same name. The text bites are short, but vivid, and each is credited with the reporter and date of its appearance in the newspaper. Photographs of the burning and collapse are balanced by a diagram showing how the North Tower fell; images of candlelit vigils are powerful, but even more so is that of a 12-year-old refugee girl from Afghanistan, in school in Pakistan for the first time. The attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., the crash of the hijacked plane in Pennsylvania, the anthrax scare, and the war in Afghanistan are covered in broad clear strokes: just enough to get the mind around. Letters from children and prayers from adults around the world are illustrated in the clean, clear layout of the design; readers might find comfort in a package that pulls everything together in a manageable format. The World Trade Center site cleanup—and its completion in May of this year—acts as a muted drumbeat through the progression of the pictures. Web sites with resources are listed at the end, but best of all is a series of simple recommendations about what young people might do: “Make friends with someone who looks different from you.” “Go to the library and take out a book to help you understand the different nationalities and religions of your peers.” A first choice for those who want an illustrated overview. (Nonfiction. 8-12)