The graphic novel is the fourth of Scholastic’s adaptations of Tarshis’ best-selling I Survived books (see “Scholastic to Publish ‘I Survived’ Graphic Novels”), which tell action-packed stories of historic events from a child’s point of view. In I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001, the lead character is Lucas, the son of a firefighter and an avid football player whose parents want him to quit the team. On the morning of September 11, Lucas skips school and takes the train into Manhattan to talk things over with his father’s best friend, who is also a firefighter. He arrives at the firehouse just as the attacks begin.
There are over 34 million copies of the original I Survived prose books in print. The first one was I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 (see “Review: ‘I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912’ GN”). The second volume, I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916, sold well enough to make the BookScan Top 20 chart of kids’ graphic novels last June (see “June 2020 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Graphic Novels for Kids”). The third volume, I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, was published in February.
