People would remember that day with all sorts of adjectives: serene, lovely, cheerful, invigorating, peaceful, quiet, astounding, crystalline, blue.
-- Narrator (Prologue)

Importance: Baskin describes the perfect weather on September 11, 2001, and indicates that many people remember that perfection the most about that day. The perfect weather serves as a contrast for the chaos and destruction that day held in store for so many people.

Five kids from New York State had been chosen to be honored at this ceremony at the University of Chicago, all based on one math test they had taken at the end of last year.
-- Narrator (Part 1, Chapter 1)

Importance: The narrator describes how Sergio was flown to Chicago for an awards ceremony as a way to honor him for making such a high score on a math test. The award is significant because it signifies Sergio’s intelligence and his ability to overcome any disadvantages he has suffered in his life.

Aimee and her...
-- Narrator (Part 1, Chapter 1)