A lot of teachers and parents have asked me about non-offensive books for kids that help them understand the war in Iraq. I am not sure that any books dealing with wars are non-offensive (or should be), but this true story of one librarian’s heroic efforts to preserve her library in Iraq sends a lot of important messages that I want people to remember. Namely, books are one of society’s greatest resources. Have you ever noticed the correlation between the number of books that are available to a citizenry and their literacy rate? FYI – America’s inner-city libraries are in worse shape than many libraries in Iraq. That’s why organizations like BookEnds, The Wonder of Reading and Reading Is Fundamental are so essential, in my eyes.