Another banned books selection. This true story is about a librarian who saved 70% of her library's books knowing that the likelihood of our being bombed and burned was high. Another one I wouldn't hesitate to put in the hands of a child. I would love to find out more about this woman! ( )

Great book that shed lights on getting through tough times. Would suggest 4th grade and up read the book due to more mature themes such as warfare. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. K-4

Plot Summary: Alia Muhammad Baker is the librarian in Basra. She anticipates trouble for the books in her library when the war begins, so she and some friends manage to get most of them out before a bomb starts a fire in the building.

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Recurring Themes: bravery, devotion, war, conflict, friendship, library

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: This easy read shows war, and the worry that comes with war, without the blood. I love that it's a woman who saved the books.

Genre: nonfiction, biography

Pacing: very quick, about 1-3 sentences per page
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Activity: ( )

I liked this book for a couple reasons. It is about a librarian of Basra’s Central library and she is most concerned about her books being destroyed during an invasion of Iraq. The librarian’s name is Alia Muhammad Baker and she will do anything to save her books. The main reason I like this book is because of the main character Alia. Without the title saying, “A True Story from Iraq,” I would have guessed this book was fiction because I never would have thought someone could love books so much. For example, Alia was determined in keeping her books safe and the last page of the book says, “the books are safe—safe with the librarian of Basra.” This just shows that Alia not only loves books, but she loves her job as a librarian. Secondly, I enjoyed the plot because as I was reading, I didn’t know whether or not the books were going to be safe. The plot consisted of conflict and suspense as no one knew whether or not the books would survive the explosions and fires. “Alia waits. She waits for war to end. She waits, and dreams of peace. She waits...” is an example of the suspense, as us readers want to know what else Alia is waiting for and why she is waiting. There are pauses that create the suspenseful effect in this story because we want to know what happens to Alia’s books. I believe the message of this story is that all throughout the world, there is a love for literature and people from different cultures can have the same passions. ( )

This true story is based on a librarian who saved books during the Iraq War. This story is great for a history class because it truly shows what life is like during wars in foreign countries. The book is intended for a kindergarten-2nd-grade classroom. ( )