Arabian Nights: Tales from the Arabian Nights
retold by Brian Alderson
The Shah of Arabia marries a different woman from his kingdom every night only to have her beheaded in the morning. When Sheherezade's turn comes to spend a night with the Shah, she avoids her own death by telling him a chain of enchanting stories.
Adapted from the original 1001 Nights which was first translated into English in the 1700s, this collection offers a wonderful selection of tales.
Classification: Non-fiction - EN 398.2 ALD
The Librarian of Basra: A true story from Iraq
by Jeanette Winters
For fourteen years her office has been a meeting place for those who love books - until now. Now war has come. and Alia fears the library will be destroyed. She asks government officials for help but they refuse. So Alia takes matters into her own hands. Working secretly with friends to move the thirty-thousand new and ancient books from the library and hide them in their homes. There the books are stacked in windows and cupboards and even in an old refrigerator. But they are safe until the war moves on - safe with the libarian of Basra. This moving true story about a real libarian's struggle to save her war-stricken community's priceless collection of books is a powerful reminder that the love of literature and the passion for knowledge know no boundaries.
Classification: Picture book - EN PB W (Junior Collection)