Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2025 *Starred Review* This poignant story introduces young readers to the real-life fire that engulfed New York City’s Jewish Theological Seminary Library in 1966. Pritchard begins the account by declaring, “A library is a keeper of stories. A keeper of memories. A keeper of hope,” and the narrative details the damage of thousands of precious books that “were the stories of the Jewish people.” While some books were lost to the blaze and water damage, the community rallied around the library to rescue the remaining books. Remarkably, a human chain formed (“Operation Booklift”) to get the books out of the library as quickly as possible. A collaborative effort to figure out how to save the waterlogged books ensued, seeing thousands of New Yorkers pitch in by raising money and inserting paper towels between book pages. Pritchard declares, “You and me, we will keep our stories alive,” celebrating the community effort and the importance of books. The evocative illustrations are rendered in acrylic paint, colored pencil, and collage, as well as& found objects, such as stamps and pages from books, capturing the destructive power of the fire and, more importantly, the diverse community efforts to preserve the library’s stories. An afterword and author’s note conclude, with more information and pictures about the library. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.