The Keeper of Stories - by Caroline Kusin Pritchard (Hardcover)

About the Book

When a fire break out at the Jewish Theological Seminary library, helping hands from across the community rally together to save the books and preserve the stories within the pages. Includes factual backmatter on the Jewish Theological Seminary fire of 1966.

Book Synopsis

Three starred reviews!

In this "poignant" (Booklist, starred review) and uplifting true story of community, a neighborhood comes together in the wake of a library fire to save the stories within, offering a timely reminder of the essential role libraries and books play in our communities.

A library is a keeper of stories. A keeper of memories. A keeper of hope. But what happens when that keeper is threatened?

When a fire broke out at New York's Jewish Theological Seminary library in 1966, firefighters raced to the rescue. But by the end of the day, thousands of books had been turned to ashes and the ones that remained were on the brink of ruin. The community was devastated. Would the priceless stories in those waterlogged pages be lost forever? Or could helping hands from every background and corner of the neighborhood come together to become keepers of stories, too?

This powerfully told and lushly illustrated true story is a welcome example of how we all can come together to keep libraries and the books within safe for generations to come.

Review Quotes

* "This poignant story introduces young readers to the real-life fire that engulfed New York City's Jewish Theological Seminary Library in 1966...celebrating the community effort and the importance of books...capturing the destructive power of the fire and, more importantly, the diverse community efforts to preserve the library's stories."--Booklist, starred review

"A warm celebration of community spirit....An inspirational instance of people spontaneously coming together to help out in the wake of a natural urban disaster."--School Library Journal "2/1/25"

* "Pritchard's forceful writing is marked by inspired turns of phrase....The marvelous illustrations, created with acrylic paints, colored pencil, and collage, are abuzz with spirited, robust movement...A stirring testament to the power of books to unite us all for good."

--Kirkus Reviews, starred review "January 2025"

* "Readers are pulled into the desperate fight to save irreplaceable treasures throughout a work that emphasizes the keeping done not only by libraries but by communities and people, too--guardians of memory and meaning, preserving the past for future generations."--Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW* "11/24/2024"

About the Author

Caroline Kusin Pritchard grew up as the youngest of four children in Dallas, Texas, and spent her childhood sneaking extra helpings of noodle kugel from her bubbe's kitchen. Her debut picture book Gitty and Kvetch was a Tablet Magazine Best Jewish Picture Book of 2021, and her other books include Where Is Poppy? and The Keeper of Stories. Caroline lives in the Bay Area with her husband, three kiddos, and their 120-pound dog.

Selina Alko grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, surrounded by the melody of words and stories from different places. Selina's books include The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage, Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama, Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport, and I Is for Immigrants, which garnered a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators. Selina lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her children and her cat Czen. Visit her work at SelinaAlko.com.