Jewell Parker Rhodes' Towers Falling is a middle grades book that handles the issues of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in a way that is respectful, truthful, but sensitive for students who were not even born when the events of that unforgettable day occurred. The book is told from the point of view of Deja, a girl who is living with her parents and two younger siblings in a room in a run-down group home in Brooklyn. Deja's father has numerous illnesses, including anxiety and depression, that keep him from being able to hold down a job, and so Deja's family has been living in poverty for as long as she can remember. Because of their new residence at the group home, Deja is attending (yet another) new school as the school year begins. At her new school, Deja makes fast and reliable, if unlikely, friends with Sabeen- a Muslim girl, and Ben- another new kid who has just moved to New York with his mother after his parents have become separated. Deja's school is studying about the events of 9/11 because of it being the 15th anniversary of the event, and as they learn, these three kids all have different issues to deal with related to that fateful event.Excellent characterization, sensitive treatment of diversity and sensitive topics, and the themes that are addressed within this book all make it very readable and interesting for students. This is an excellent addition to classroom libraries for many reasons, but mostly because it is a very good, well-crafted story.