One day, after school, I decided that I would read the graphic version of the 9/11 Report. I wanted to read the original report but I am also intimidated by how technical and detailed those reports can be. I held off and then my friend bought the Graphic adaption for the school library. As I opened the cover and started reading, I was brought back to that day. That moment. In this version, they can easily represent that 4 planes simultaneously in the air with 4 separate panels. The way it is laid out, there is a panel for each flight with the times they took off, when they were hi-jacked, when the towers lost the planes…

I sat in my bed remembering how I had called in to tell them I was running late. I still had a television that had reception during that time. I remember my friend, Donald, saying, “A plane hit the World Trade Center.” I remember thinking he was joking. I turned on my t.v. I saw the 2nd plane hit. I took the bus to work. When I look back now, I just had no idea what to do. I was in shock. I went through my day. I was sent home and then I spent the rest of the day at the bar I used to work at – consoling friends, watching the news, talking it out and drinking.

As I read the Report, it all flooded back.

I know, some people consider graphic novels as low-art but that is changing. The Best American series came out with their best comics & graphic novels last year. But there are some things that can best be represented visually and fortunately, the 9/11 Report is one of these things. For me, it made it a lot more accessible and seeing it laid out in a way that showed things happening simultaneously, made it a little easier to understand.
If you are like me, and you can bogged down when reading something so legal and technical, this version is probably the way to go.

After I read it, I handed it to one of my 7th graders. It is interesting, he was in 1st or 2nd grade when it happened. He remembers being in school and watching the adults react in shock and horror. And then he remembers being sent home. He liked this version of the report but for him, it is history, like the Vietnam war is for me. For me, the reaction was a lot more emotional, as well as, informative. However, for him, it was more a history lesson.