I love the idea of the "Free Little Library" so much, I started to make my own. Had the lumber (recycled from my dead wooden garage door), hardware and of course Books! The spot was perfect: in the front yard--on a walkable urban street frequented by walkers, runners, strollers and kids, under a major pine tree, with a natty bench beside. But then I moved. To a condo.
But thankfully, kids like Spencer Collins, age 9, from Leawood, Kansas, also see the beauty and wisdom of encouraging the habit, skill and love of reading books. He built his with his grandfather for a Mother's Day present (double points). But then, the city (egged on by cranky neighbors worried about "property values") said cease and desist with the unpermitted permanent structure in the yard. After a national hue and cry, the city is trying to find a way. To let a 9 year old foster his love of reading by making it easy for passersby to "take a book, leave a book." You can read more about it here: Spencer and His Free Library.
The major point is: reading is life. Encouraging reading is a gift, not an eyesore. In fact, the story has inspired me to revisit my idea of a "Free Little Library" in my condo. Because reading doesn't stop when you give up the yard.
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