“Once there were two towers side by side. They were each a quarter of a mile high; one thousand three hundred and forty feet. The tallest buildings in New York City.” In honor of September 11^th, I want to share one of my very first books, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein. This is the true story of Philippe Petit, a tight rope walker from France, who accomplished this impossible feat. In August of 1974, he walked between the Twin Towers of and the World Trade Center, without a safety net!  

It took Philippe Petit six years of planning for his world famous walk in the sky. With the help of some friends, he used a bow and arrow to shoot the cable across the two buildings. With thousands of people watching on the streets below, Philippe walked and ran across the 120 foot cable wire. While the words tell the story, the illustrations are the very best part!  The pictures really help to capture the size and strength of the towers and their symbolic meaning.   

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is a story of hard work and bravery. Philippe Petit shows us how one person’s incredible dream can come true.  I recommend this book to readers all ages and hope it inspires others to reach for their own impossible dreams. On the twentieth anniversary of September 11^th, this book remains a tribute to the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. The skyline of New York City looks really different today. However, Mordicai Gerstein’s illustrations of the Twin Towers will help generations of kids to remember.

Today the 9/11 Memorial Museum honors all those who lost their lives on September 11^th. There is an exhibit that remembers Philippe Petit and his famous walk. I hope that anyone visiting New York City will check it out!

-Austin S.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein is available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library.