Nour's Secret Library is based on true events of a group of children creating a secret, underground library in the basement of a building in the town of Daraya southwest of Damascus during the Syrian Civil War in 2011. Nour and her cousin Amir are starting their own secret society, but the war comes to their neighbourhood and they must stay inside, spending their nights in basements. When the fighting stops, Amir goes out to find food and along the way finds books in the rubble. He and his friends collect them and bring them to his house. Nour and him clean them up and open a "Secret Library" in the basement of an abandoned building. Everyone, including rescuers, parents and children use the library while waiting for the civil war to end.

This is a book that teaches the basics of what it was like for children during the Syrian Civil War. The power of books is often a huge part of life for civilians during wartime, and this one shows how children could start this type of past time. At the end of the book, there are basic facts about the Syrian Civil War, life in the area, famous libraries in Syria and the real "Secret Library" this book is based on. The illustrations are well done and add to the story itself. I did not read this one to my grandkids, but I think this is a great book for schools to teach about some of these areas, as well as acceptance of immigrants from Syria and an understanding about what they might have lived through.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. This is the story about how impactful books are. Even amidst the literal war around them, these kids find hope inside the books discovered in the rubble that once was friends and families and neighbors homes.

A cute read aloud book for older kids. Interesting story about the importance of books and libraries in hard times in our lives.

What a moving, beautiful story. Fiction but based on the author’s actual experience. The illustrations are bright and lovely.

The story is set in Damascus, in the background of the civil war. Starting as a personal stash of books found in abandoned homes as well as those reduced to rubble, two cousins start to build their collection.

It is a short volume that shows how focusing on something positive in a situation that is outside their control can help people move on with life.

The art is almost minimalistic but madness to convey both the fear and joy of the people involved in the project.

Lovers of books will find a little something to enjoy in this. I would recommend it to anyone who finds the blurb interesting regardless of the age.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

A short and delightful read about the history of secret libraries in Syria and the importance of books and communities brought together by reading! The artwork was really cute and mesmerising. Loved it!

Loved reading this fictional story based on the author's real life of living in a secret library in a Syrian city. It made me realize just how precious free public libraries actually are.

Written by Wafa' Tarnowska, Nour's Secret Library is a slice-of-life story giving a glimpse into the lives of children living in a war-torn region. Nour and her cousin Amir live in Damascus, Syria. Like most kids their age, they love making up secret clubs with their own rules and passwords. But then, the war enters their town, and they have to stay safe in the basement with their family and friends. As the kids try to distract themselves from the war and its violence, their idea for a secret club turns into a secret library. The idea grows, and kids and adults start collecting books from among the debris left behind by the bombs and missiles. The library becomes a place of solace for everyone.
While reading this illustrated book, I was often reminded of Anne Frank, another child trying to find hope in the midst of horrors of war and persecution. Unlike Anne Frank, Nour might be fictional. But she is based on the author's life experiences and a true story. So, Nour and her story too is real.
I especially liked the information about similar secret libraries that sprang up during wars and the true story this book is based off of found at the back of the book.

This book is wonderful. It is fiction, but it is based on true events. It’s based on the war in Syria and families that chose to stay. The children collected books from the bombed-out buildings and created their own library. It’s sad that stories like this exist but it’s through books that we lose our ignorance. This book was wonderful, the illustrations match and, I’m glad the story exists even though I wish it didn’t

This beautiful picture book, inspired by the author's own experiences, tells the story of Nour and the secret underground library she sets up with her cousin, when bombing in Syria forces them to shelter underground. This book is a real celebration of community spirit and the resilience of children, in particular.

A solid choice for someone looking for examples of human resiliency. The focus is on making the best of circumstance, how communities form and people find a haven, rather than on the war and danger itself.

Book 101 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book made me choke up.

Based on some of the author's personal experiences as well as the story of the real secret library, the story is brought to life through the well thought out artwork of the illustrator as well.

Ensure that you read about the facts, etc, at the end of the book. I see why this won so many awards, and given what is happening in the world today, this will move even the hardest hearts.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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More or less a true story, this has two children rescue so many books abandoned to their fates due to the city of Damascus being bombed senseless, that they can create their own underground library. They get friends to help, and any bombed-out home bookshelf or paperback flapping about in the gutter is fair game, and soon thousands of volumes are rehoused, leaving the at-first secret establishment to get known about, and for people to turn up and get the education or escapism their civil war situation requires. It's done very well, but does kind of fit into that liberal, book-loving book for liberal, book-loving readers category I call "preaching to the converted".

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This is such a sweet story! I read it to my two youngest siblings last night, and while I was reading, several other family members gathered around to listen, too. A picture of hope in the middle of destruction, this book is a celebration of family, friendship, and literature. As a book lover, I appreciated the way books brought this community together and the way books helped them through a difficult time. The illustrations in this book were beautiful and bright, and I particularly enjoyed the notes at the end from the author and illustrator. Books like this are a great way to introduce children to other cultures and give them a bit of a glimpse into the trouble other children face at times (although done gently, this book does talk about bombed homes, lack of water, and food shortages). Highly recommended!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

A lovely picture book for older children. We have just had a group of refugees arrive at our school, and I will be reading this with 7 to 11 year old as a beautiful introduction into the topic of war, refugees and resilience.

I loved that Nour's Secret Library by Wafa' Tarnowska is based on true events but I especially loved the author's notes at the end that explained that the author had done the same thing when she was in a similar situation.
This book is not just about resilience during difficult times but also about the power of the written word and how they can bring so many different as well as opposing people together.
The illustrations were amazing and I loved the powerful message this book sends.
I would recommend this book to everyone.

This is a wonderful book on a topic which is so difficult to approach with children. But sadly, war is a reality and children do have questions, so I think this book can be used to allow those questions and discussions, as it offers such a good balance between heartache and hope. And how lovely is it that the author highlights the way in which reading and the magic of books can actually help people through difficult times and even transform their living experience (even more so as it's inspired by true events.)

I really appreciated how in a few pages the love for Syria and the showcase of the country's amazing culture was presented so wholly. The illustrations are brilliant and I loved the contrast between war and everyday life/happiness/hope, especially the chosen colour scheme for the later. War is not a few lines in a history book, there is so much lost and even though incredibly sad, showing the beauty of the country, people and culture makes the impact so much bigger, as the reader can really relate and appreciate what victims of war actually experience. But the fact that hope seeps through its pages I think makes the book suitable for young readers.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

Very good. Such an important story. I became more aware of the little things such as easy access to books that are such a privilege to me.

Bombs are crumbling the structures around Nour, but the power of books is about to rebuild souls in a fractured land.

This is a beautiful, enlightening story with stunning illustrations that float off the page and into your heart. It’s made even more poignant that it’s based on real life events. No matter how much the warmongers want to break the spirit of communities, there are always those who find ways to cling to something positive and life affirming. Wafa' Tarnowska and Vali Mintzi are part of that wave of positive action, educating younger readers about the world around them.

An uplifting book built on the protection of knowledge