A simple and moving tale about resilience and humanity, Nour's Secret Library teaches children what life looks like in pre and post-war Syria.

The words "knowledge" and "library" have always made me think of ancient Arab polymaths and their writings. This book is a great way to pass that idea to young children. In a world where Middle Easterners are portrayed as barbaric and illiterate, Nour's Secret Library offers a different perspective by taking inspiration from a true story as well as the writer and illustrator's own experience with war. The children's natural inclination towards protecting books left out in the streets echoes the rich connection to libraries that runs in their blood.

Gouache is one of my favourite mediums and the illustrator has used it to its fullest potential. The colours are vibrant, the strokes tangible, and the art breathes! The illustrations are balanced, blending two different mediums to show both hope and destruction.

The only flaw I want to point out is the writing- it's clunky at times and somewhat abrupt. Despite this, the book remains an artistic and essential read.

Wow. Don't let the small number of pages of this book fool you - it is such a powerful one.

The story follows a little girl named Nour who, along with her cousin Amir and other people, collects the books for the secret library they made. This is all happening during a war raging in Syria. With destruction all around them, the entire community finds solace and hope in the secret library.

I found the Author's note at the end to be equally powerful as the story itself. To give two important quotes:

"When we read, we see the world through other's eyes. Our differences seem smaller, and the divisions that lead to war can break down."

"Books are like rain," said one of the Daraya librarians. "Whenever rain falls, things grow."

I also really enjoyed the beautiful illustrations in this book. I love how the illustrator used gray charcoal to show the destructions of war, and vibrant colors on top to show hope and light.

I loved this book. I would definitely buy it for my future kid, or for a friend. I would say that it is appropriate for children about 4 or 5 years and above.

Thanks to NetGalley, authors, and publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely meant for kids that are a little older (4/5 probably), I thought based on length it might be fun for my 2.5 yo- it was a bit wordy and it covered some more serious topics that she just has no understanding of at this point. The book was well written though and the illustrations are beautiful!

This is a great informative book written at a level for kids to understand and with a hopeful message! The illustrations are stunning as well. Definitely recommend it!

“Books don’t fight with each other like people do.” is one of the best quotes I've read in a while especially in such a serious and emotional book. This book is set during a war and the fact that two children start a secret library that brings the community together during such a tragic time is uplifting and shows that communities will come together when there is a need to come together.

I absolutely love that at the end of the book you get the historical facts that inspired the book and that you get to learn about Syria and the author and illustrator. It's always nice to see historical or nonfiction stuff in a fiction book that was inspired by true events.

I feel like this is a middle grade book and that every school should have a copy of this book for the children to learn about working together during tough situations or events.

Based on a real life story of a secret library, this book follows the lives of Nour and Amir, two cousins who decide to create a secret library in an abandoned basement amidst the war in Syria. These very brave children manage to save many books and bring a bright spot of hope in a rather dark time.

After the story, there is a useful page of facts about Syria, followed by more info about the real library.

A beautiful book about hope and resilience during wartime. The children adored the illustrations and it gave us something to mull over and feel grateful for our situation on Christmas Day.

Loved this book. The author has brilliantly captured the story of Nour and Amir being a friendly brother to Nour and a thoughtful idea of starting a secret library.

She has also captured the atrocities on the City of Damascus and the destruction caused due to war. The book has been kept light hearted with beautiful insights on the country of Syria.

I would recommend this book to young kids so that they learn they learn being thoughtful and generous and kind through the embodiment of Nour and Amir and Nour parents. A beautiful short animated read

The artwork is 100% and gives the book its unique soul. The colour scheme is alluring.
There is a page, in particular, that transports you to other worlds.
Essentially, this a book about the horrifying realities of war told in a subtle and non-didactic way, and with a central message on the power of and hope brought by stories/books.

This little book gives so much in the way of kindness, hope and friendship that it has been a pleasure to read. The idea of the community coming together and forming this secret library is nothing short of amazing. This story is based on a true story and this makes it even more powerful.
A beautiful story and lovely illustrations with hope around every page.

Many thanks to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley or the ARC.

What a beautiful and powerful book. The heavy subject matter is presented in a developmentally appropriate way for young readers, balancing the hard truth of the situation with hope and light. The illustrations are lovely and use light and dark masterfully to convey the emotions a scene. I appreciated the back matter, including facts about Syria, a glossary and pronunciation guide, and much more. The author herself escaped Lebanon during the civil war, and the illustrator has lived for most of her life in the Middle East, making this an #ownvoices book. Their lived experiences come through in the thoughtful way all aspects of this story are presented.

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