Jeanette Winter

Presents the true story of how Alia Baker, the librarian of the Basra library, and her friends managed to save the books of the library before the library was burned to the ground during the 2003 Iraq War.

A True Story from Iraq

The Librarian of Basra

This is a beautifully illustrated story about Alia Muhammad Baker, the librarian of Basra, Iraq during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. When rumors of the invasion begins, Alia becomes worried about the safety of the books in her library and asks the governor for permission to move them to a safe place but he refuses. So she takes matters into her own hands and begins moving the books to her own home. With the help of neighbors Alia is able to save 70% of the library's collection before it was burned down 9 days after the Iraqi invasion reached Basra. This book provides young readers with a glimpse of the day-to-day life of Iraqi residents during the invasion, as well as the importance of library collections and the need to protect books as much as possible. 

I love the colorful illustrations that emphasize both the joy of literature and the fear and danger Iraqis experienced during the invasion. The text is simple and sparse, providing just enough information to convey the heart of the message of the book. The expressive illustrations provide the rest. I also appreciated that the book is separated into three sections denoted by the background color of the page. The first section, with a yellow background, is about the lead-up to the invasion arriving in Basra. The second second, with a purple background, is about the actual invasion in Basra. The final section, with a blue background, is about what happens once the invasion moves beyond Basra. It helps to convey the shift in tone as Alia deals with each successive stage of the invasion.

The Librarian of Basra A True Story from Iraq

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