A few days before September 11, 2001, four middle schoolers in different parts of the country are going about their lives. Sergio, in Brooklyn, struggles with his hatred for his often absent father while living with his beloved grandmother. Will, meanwhile, cannot come to terms with the car accident that took his father's life. Naheed begins to feel uncomfortable about being Muslim, especially when she approaches the age of wearing a head scarf. Aimee, who has just started going to a new school, misses her mom, who is on a business flight to New York. Then, on 9/11, the lives of the four children intersect and are affected by the terrorist attacks.

Includes reading group guide.