<div>"In the Koran, the first thing God said to Muhammad was 'Read.'"*<br>--Alia Muhammad Baker<br> <br>Alia Muhammad Baker is a librarian in Basra, Iraq. For fourteen years, her library has been a meeting place for those who love books. Until now. Now war has come, and Alia fears that the library--along with the thirty thousand books within it--will be destroyed forever.<br><br>In a war-stricken country where civilians--especially women--have little power, this true story about a librarian's struggle to save her community's priceless collection of books reminds us all how, throughout the world, the love of literature and the respect for knowledge know no boundaries. <br><i></i><br><i>Includes an author's note. </i><br>*From the <i>New York Times, </i> July 27, 2003<br></div>
