Review of Nour's Secret Library by Wafa' Tarnowska

Authors

Justin Kemp, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Publisher

Barefoot Books

City

Concord, Massachusetts, United States of America

Date of Publication

2022

ISBN

9781646862917

Date of Review

2023

Disciplines

Children's and Young Adult Literature | Library and Information Science | Near and Middle Eastern Studies

Keywords

Children's literature, reviews, Middle East, library, war

Review

In Damascus, Syria, a girl named Nour and her cousin, Amir, enjoy being children in a large city. The illustrator beautifully contrasts warm reds and cold blues, creating a vibrant depiction of the city. However, tanks and bombs come with a grey that washes everything out, and the children are forced to hide in their apartment’s basement for protection. Nour and Amir begin collecting books when they’re able to leave, and before they know it they’ve created a secret library that brings hope to everyone in their city who hears of it. Though fictional, this heartwarming story carries echoes of the author’s and illustrator’s experiences growing up in war torn countries. Educators can use the story and the informational notes at the end about Syria, the war, and the real secret library that inspired the book to show older elementary and middle school children how events they hear about on the news effect real people just like them. Highly Recommended Justin Kemp, Cedarville Library Intern, Cedarville University

Recommended Citation

Kemp, Justin, "Review of Nour's Secret Library by Wafa' Tarnowska" (2023). Library Intern Book Reviews. 394.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/394

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