Certain dates in our country's history create indelible memories in our mind's eye that cannot be communicated in a mere sentence or expression. September 11, 2001, will always be referred to as 9/11, and most Americans alive at that time will be able to tell you where they were when the Twin Towers and the Pentagon came under siege. The Sad Day: Preserving Your Family's Values in a Post-9/11 World is a tool for parents and grandparents to capture their memories of that day and how it was a pivotal point in our lives. America's core essence and fight remain, although many other things have changed as a result of 9/11.

Allison Keaney explores 17 different aspects related to 9/11, America, and our perspective. She provides some dialog about the subject as well as a letter she has written to her own children with her own personal perspective. Then she provides a space for you to put in writing your own feelings and values regarding each topic.

The fourth topic visited in the book is Red, White, and Blue Day. The author shares how her children's school declared September 20, 2001, as red, white, and blue day in honor of our country's flag. She recalls how much more frequently and boldly our nation's flag was displayed in the days just after 9/11. In her letter to her children, Mrs. Keaney shares the history of the colors of the flag and the significance of how our flag represents our freedom. Then she speaks of a special flag in their family that draped the coffin of their great grandfather. In the Your Turn section, the reader is asked to respond to the following statements: "What the American flag means to me . . ." and "Times we have flown the flag in our family are. . . ."

There are many resources on the market that allow us to capture our children's births, Christmas traditions, and family histories. The Sad Day: Preserving Your Family's Values in a Post-9/11 World encourages us to capture the memories related to 9/11 and how our perspective of our nation and the world may have changed as a result of this pivotal event.

Product review by Dawn Oaks, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, July 2008