The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq

Discover a profoundly moving and inspiring true story of courage, resilience, and the love for literature with The Librarian of Basra. This acclaimed picture book chronicles the heroic real-life actions of Alia Muhammad Baker, the dedicated chief librarian of the Central Library of Basra, Iraq. As the threat of war looms over her city in 2003, Alia grows deeply concerned that her library's priceless collection of thousands of books—including a biographical manuscript of Prophet Muhammad from the year 1300—will be destroyed in the conflict. Denied official permission by the government to move them to safety, Alia takes matters into her own hands. For days, she secretly smuggles armfuls of books out of the library every night, enlisting the help of her neighbors and a local restaurant owner to hide them in her home and shop storage just nine days before the library tragically burns down. Beautifully illustrated with Jeanette Winter's striking, geometric, and brightly colored folk-art style illustrations, this book serves as a powerful tribute to the unsung heroes who risk everything to preserve human history, culture, and knowledge for future generations.