Check out these children’s books about really unique libraries around the world! Sometimes books are delivered via burro or camel or boat. Some librarians have to fight to save their libraries and books from being damaged; other librarians that are featured, open kids’ eyes to the world of books and inspire them to love reading. All of the books are inspiring and heart-warming, and great for read-alouds!
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Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter. A traveling burro and his books is definitely one of the most unique libraries around the world! I love this story about a man and his burro bringing books to remote villages of Colombia! Kids get excited when they find out it is a TRUE story.
Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown. This is a story about the same real-life librarian Luis Soriano, told from the perspective of a little girl (Ana), who is anxiously waiting for new books to come. Both of these books are excellent!
Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora. (Pat Mora is one of my favorite children’s authors!!!). Another true story, this time about how a librarian helps the son of Mexican migrant workers discover the world through books. The boy, Tomás Rivera, ends up becoming the first minority Chancellor in the University of California system later in life!
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter. This true story describes how librarian Alia Muhammad Baker saves 30,000 tests from destruction by moving them to a restaurant, and then to a friend’s house during the war. We admired her bravery, and her love of books.
Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller. Richard Wright, the famous author of Black Boy and Native Son, grew up as a young black man in the segregated South of the 1920s. While he yearned to read books, he was forbidden from borrowing them from the library. This is a fictionalized account of his childhood, although based on the obstacles he did face.
My Librarian is a Camel: How Books are Brought to Children Around the World by Margriet Ruurs. This books features gorgeous photographs of kids around the world eagerly receiving their books via wheelbarrow, a boat, elephants, and more. I love that we get a glimpse into very unique mobile libraries around the world!
That Book Woman by Heather Henson. The Book Woman is a librarian who delivers books to houses in the Appalachian Mountains, through the snow and rain, by horse. This story is from the perspective of a young boy, Cal, who is not interested in books, but wonders why she keeps coming? Great story for reluctant readers.
Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt’s Treasured Books by Karen Leggett Abouraya. For the love of books and their library, students, library workers, and demonstrators surrounded the great Library of Alexandria in Egypt to protect it from protestors during the 2011 demonstrations. They literally joined hands, forming a human chain to protect the building. I actually teared up when I saw the actual pictures at the end of the book- what a proud moment for Egyptians and book lovers everywhere.
Learn More about Libraries Around the World!
Check out this non-fiction news article about unusual libraries around the world. Introduce your kids to people like Italian Antonio De Cava, who created the Bibliomotocarro, a mobile library that holds 700 books or Dashdondog Jamba who delivers books from his Children’s Mobile Library, via camel – or sometimes an ox cart, horses or, more recently, a van. Serving children in the remote regions of the Gobi desert, Jamba and his library – which his wife and son help him with – have traveled over 50,000 miles through every province of Mongolia. So many interest and unique libraries around the world!
Hi there, I have been following your blog for some years now and I just wanted to tell you that I truly appreciate it. It has been very helpful in raising and homeschooling my daughter. I have shared your posts with many friends too. Thanks for changing the world.
Paola- this is the nicest comment I have ever received 🙂 I’m not sure if you will know how much this means to me. I have had a crazy year with international moves, and getting kids to adjust in a new culture/language/school, and I was really struggling. Your kind words have touched me, and I really appreciate you writing to me!!! 🙂 THANK YOU!