Curricular messages: How state standards and children׳s books narrate 9/11

Fifteen years later, the topic of September 11, 2001 is slowly being woven into the U.S. curricular fabric. This paper presents an analysis of the ways current U.S. state curriculum standards treat 9/11 in elementary social studies, and a critical analysis of children's books about 9/11. Finally, the authors suggest children׳s books that can help treat the historical event of 9/11 in more critical and thought-provoking ways in elementary classrooms, despite the topic׳s scant representation in state standards.