Translated from "Alia’s Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq". The story tells about a different kind of superhero. It is based on true events in the life of a real person, who shows us it’s not necessary to see through walls or fly or have any superpowers to be a real-life hero. Inspired by a true story. Alia’s Mission is the dramatic account of Alia Muhammad Baker, the chief librarian of the Central Library in Basra, who undertook a mission of epic proportions. It is 2003. As the war in Iraq draws closer and closer to Basra, Alia grows increasingly fearful that the irreplaceable treasures of her library are in grave danger. Her pleas to government officials go ignored, so Alia comes up with a plan of her own. Determined to preserve the history and culture of her people, Alia, with the help of her neighbors, who assist her at the risk of their own lives, smuggles over 30,000 precious volumes to safety. Told in dramatic graphic-novel panels by renowned cartoonist Mark Alan Stamaty, Alia’s Mission celebrates the importance of books and the freedom to read while examining the impact of war on a country and its people. This book was originally published by Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.