The Camel Library Service delivers books to eagerly waiting children in the Kenyan settlement of Boralgy, which is a couple hours (by foot) east of Garissa, Kenya.

Photos courtesy of Briana Orr and Masha Hamilton

More Photos (4):

Other articles by Bonnie Henry:

Opinion by Bonnie Henry : He shares his love of Africa Opinion by Bonnie Henry : When in Tucson, drive with caution Opinion by Bonnie Henry : Tale of a shipwreck Opinion by Bonnie Henry : Imagine tending 10,000 chickens Opinion by Bonnie Henry : It seems that ladies still need to dress their menOpinion by Bonnie Henry : Harvesting hope Opinion by Bonnie Henry : From senators to athletes, lame excuses abound Opinion by Bonnie Henry : Gila Bend before AC Opinion by Bonnie Henry : Rein in those thoughts — June has an upside, too Opinion by Bonnie Henry : Keeping their dream alive

Administrative & Professional
Tucson Symphony
House Manager Education
Flowing Wells Schools
Spanish Teacher/High School Mechanical
Pioneer Landscaping
Diesel Fleet Mechanic Finance and Accounting
SENIOR CONTROLLER Driver/Transportation
CPC Southwest Materials
Drivers Trades/Construction
Webb Equipment Company
Laborers Administrative & Professional
Pinal County
Director I - Network Development

And you thought the bookmobile was rustic.

Try having your books delivered by camel, then reading them under the shade of the acacia tree.

For 11 years, eager readers in Kenya's isolated North Eastern Province have been doing just that, thanks to the Camel Library Service.

Begun with three camels, the library, which operates close to the Somali border in Garissa, now has a dozen camels traveling to four settlements a day, four days a week, hauling the world of books to a semi-nomadic people.

After the books are spread out on grass mats under the shade, readers choose their books, which are written in either English or Swahili, the two official languages of Kenya.

And thanks to the efforts of a former Tucsonan, this library is extending its reach — and its supply of books.

Masha Hamilton, former foreign correspondent-turned-novelist, started a drive in February, asking authors nationwide to donate five of their favorite books to the camel library.

"We thought we could get 50 authors, now we have more than 200," says Hamilton.

As a result, the camel library has recently expanded to a small outpost about 25 kilometers (more than 15 miles) north of Garissa, where it will station books and three camels.

"You can only walk two or three hours out because you have to walk two or three hours back in," says Hamilton, explaining the importance of the outpost.

While Hamilton grew up in Tucson, she spent a decade from 1983 to 1993 working as a foreign correspondent everywhere from Israel to Moscow.

Married and the mother of three, Hamilton, who now lives in New York City, left reporting to pursue fiction writing, initially in Tucson.

Her third book, "The Camel Bookmobile," was published last month by HarperCollins. And she owes its genesis not to her travels but to her daughter, Briana, then about 11.

"It was about 1999 or 2000 and we were going to the library in Tucson. My daughter said, 'Hey in school today, I read about the Camel Library.' "

Almost immediately, Hamilton began to see a story take form, especially after her daughter told her about a rule, since abandoned, that if anyone failed to turn in a book, the whole library would stop.

"I started to tell my story to the kids in the car, then stopped," says Hamilton. "They said, 'Then what? Then what?' "

At the time, she was finishing her second novel and still had reporting to do in Afghanistan.

But when she finally started writing "The Camel Bookmobile," she relied on phone calls, written reports and e-mails for her research, rather than checking it all out in person.

"I did not want my reporting instincts to take over," says Hamilton. "I wanted this to be a novel, to have each character's complete story."

Finally, when the book was in its final editing stage, she and Briana traveled to Kenya to see the Camel Library in operation.

"I was really glad to see that much of what I had imagined was right there," says Hamilton.

When she got home, she asked some librarians what else she could do. "I was told not to make it, 'Let's dump your books,' but more like, 'Share your favorite books.' "

Not all the books donated by authors have been their own. And there have been turndowns. "One was how to start your own business. Another was a Christian book. This is a Muslim area," says Hamilton, noting that children's books are especially welcome.

Now Hamilton is seeking help not just from authors but from the public at large. People can buy books and ship them themselves or order through Amazon.com. Details are available at www.camelbookdrive.word press.com.

Tucsonans are even luckier. Hamilton will be in town Friday to read excerpts from her book and show a video on the camel library at Antigone Books, which will be accepting donations for the camel library. (See accompanying box.)

All will be gratefully accepted. "What has surprised me was how incredibly excited these young people were to see the books," says Hamilton. "It was so moving."