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Search and Rescue: Surviving Ground Zero
Fifth grader Cassie has lived her whole life in Lower Manhattan. She knows every vendor, has explored every street, and as a New Yorker who's seen everything, knows that nothing can surprise her anymore.
That is, until the morning of September 11th, 2001. Cassie is in class when the first plane hits the North Tower, where her mother works. She can see the smoke from her classroom's windows, can feel the building shake. Without thinking, she dashes out of school and heads to the towers. Cassie knows every inch of that building -- if anyone can save her mother, it's Cassie. But when the second plane hits, and the buildings come crashing down, it will take more than street smarts to survive.
Meanwhile, NYPD rescue dog, Ricky, is a friend to all and hero to many. He's in a training session when the first plane crashes, and must immediately spring into action. His task is to save as many people as he can find from the rubble. But as hope for survivors fades, he'll have to learn that sometimes heroism means helping people pick up the pieces of what is already destroyed.
Together, Cassie and Ricky will have to work to save who they can, and survive the darkest day in New York City history
That is, until the morning of September 11th, 2001. Cassie is in class when the first plane hits the North Tower, where her mother works. She can see the smoke from her classroom's windows, can feel the building shake. Without thinking, she dashes out of school and heads to the towers. Cassie knows every inch of that building -- if anyone can save her mother, it's Cassie. But when the second plane hits, and the buildings come crashing down, it will take more than street smarts to survive.
Meanwhile, NYPD rescue dog, Ricky, is a friend to all and hero to many. He's in a training session when the first plane crashes, and must immediately spring into action. His task is to save as many people as he can find from the rubble. But as hope for survivors fades, he'll have to learn that sometimes heroism means helping people pick up the pieces of what is already destroyed.
Together, Cassie and Ricky will have to work to save who they can, and survive the darkest day in New York City history
176 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2025
About the author
Alex London
37 books911 followersThe Short Version:
Alex London writes books for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War), children (Dog Tags series; An Accidental Adventure series) and teens (Proxy). At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he is now a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY, where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.
The Long Version:
C. Alexander London grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He's an author of nonfiction for grown-ups (under a slightly different not very secret name), books for teens (as Alex London...see above), and, younger readers. He once won a 12-gauge skeet-shooting tournament because no one else had signed up in his age group. He's a Master SCUBA diver who hasn't been diving in way too long, and, most excitingly, a fully licensed librarian. He used to know the Dewey Decimal System from memory.
He doesn't anymore.
While traveling as a journalist, he watched television in 23 countries (Burmese soap operas were the most confusing; Cuban news reports were the most dull), survived an erupting volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a hurricane on small island in the Caribbean, 4 civil wars (one of them was over by the time he got there, thankfully), and a mysterious bite on his little toe in the jungles of Thailand. The bite got infected and swollen and gross and gave him a deep mistrust of lizards, even though it probably wasn't a lizard that bit him.
Although he has had many adventures, he really does prefer curling up on the couch and watching some good television or reading a book. He enjoys danger and intrigue far more when it's happening to somebody else.
He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
See also C. Alexander London and Charles London
Alex London writes books for adults (One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War), children (Dog Tags series; An Accidental Adventure series) and teens (Proxy). At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he is now a full time novelist living in Brooklyn, NY, where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.
The Long Version:
C. Alexander London grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He's an author of nonfiction for grown-ups (under a slightly different not very secret name), books for teens (as Alex London...see above), and, younger readers. He once won a 12-gauge skeet-shooting tournament because no one else had signed up in his age group. He's a Master SCUBA diver who hasn't been diving in way too long, and, most excitingly, a fully licensed librarian. He used to know the Dewey Decimal System from memory.
He doesn't anymore.
While traveling as a journalist, he watched television in 23 countries (Burmese soap operas were the most confusing; Cuban news reports were the most dull), survived an erupting volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a hurricane on small island in the Caribbean, 4 civil wars (one of them was over by the time he got there, thankfully), and a mysterious bite on his little toe in the jungles of Thailand. The bite got infected and swollen and gross and gave him a deep mistrust of lizards, even though it probably wasn't a lizard that bit him.
Although he has had many adventures, he really does prefer curling up on the couch and watching some good television or reading a book. He enjoys danger and intrigue far more when it's happening to somebody else.
He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
See also C. Alexander London and Charles London
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 1, 2026
This was a suspenseful historical fiction book based on the real historical event of the Twin Towers. I liked how the author said he used some of his personal perspective with the main character Cassie because he was in Manhattan on 9/11. Like Cassie the author described that he mentally and emotionally felt confused and scared, but at the same felt a sense of unity with New Yorkers seeing how people risked their lives to save others. I also liked how the author included the dog Ricky’s perspective showing his mental battles with being scared, but at the same time overcoming his fear in order to become the reason someone would live.
March 7, 2026
I am happy that more books are being written about 9/11 for middle grade. This book is written from two perspectives: Cassie, a 5th grader, and Ricky, a search and rescue dog. Casie's mother works in one of the towers and attends a school nearby. Their two stories connect on that fateful day. "An injured paw and broken will heal" left me in tears. At a 157 pages, this is a great book for those students who enjoy the I Survived books, but could benefit from a more complex tex.
May 14, 2026
As an adult reading this to my kids, I can appreciate how having parts of the book from a dog's point of view added a degree of levity in what would otherwise be a heavy subject for younger audiences.
My 10-year-old son says, "I like how it blends fiction with nonfiction, how it switches between Ricky's and Cassie's point of view, and how it describes Ground Zero before, during, and after the planes crashed."
My 10-year-old son says, "I like how it blends fiction with nonfiction, how it switches between Ricky's and Cassie's point of view, and how it describes Ground Zero before, during, and after the planes crashed."
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews