Springfield Librarian Explains How To Talk To Your Kids About 9/11 Through Books

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Springfield-Greene County Library District says there are certain ways you can talk to your kids and start a conversation about 9/11.

On top of that, librarians say it’s important to discuss what happened to adults who are too young to remember the day.

“While working as a children’s librarian, I discovered that picture books often have a very powerful effect on people of all ages,” said Ashley Fillmer.

Fillmer says many kids are eager to learn more about 9/11 and will naturally ask questions.

“Kids have a lot of questions about the scary and confusing events they see on the news, but they might not know how to ask questions about them or if I can ask questions about them,” Fillmer said. .

A recommendation for adults and children is the picture book “This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth” by Sean Rubin.

According to the blog post, “The book begins before the attacks, as the tree reflects on its surroundings and its role as the city tree. “It was an ordinary morning. Until it doesn’t.

“The attacks unfold without a word, using imagery of smoke, spectator faces and shattered steel columns to describe the chaotic scene. The tree is buried. The tree begins to lose hope. But the tree is saved and its recovery begins, alongside the nation’s recovery with illustrations of the new branches growing from the damaged trunk mimicking the cranes atop the One World Trade Center tower as it grows higher and higher. The post said.

“I was reading it at the help desk and really trying not to get emotional,” Fillmer said. “We’re just trying to create a welcoming space to have that kind of a conversation here where you don’t have to sit a kid and say she was a bunch of scary things that happened, but then if they tackle the subject, or any other scary subject, we can talk about it, ”Fillmer said.

Fillmer hopes his recommendations can help guide others.

“Now, 20 years later, it really does me good to be able to give a little help to the kids and their families who might want to have a conversation about this,” Fillmer said.

If you want to find more books on understanding 9/11, CLICK HERE.

To report a correction or typo, please send an email [email protected]