The third graders of Coast Episcopal School in Long Beach have established the independent school as one of 150,000 locations across the globe to offer a Little Free Library.
Located just outside the CES main building at 5065 Espy Avenue in Long Beach, the free standing unit is accessible to the general public seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
According to third-grade teacher Jillianne Larson, her students were eager to establish a Little Free Library after reading Uma Krishnaswami’s book Uncle and Me, which tells the story of a precocious young girl who helps a community member after his Lending Library is shut down by the town’s mayor.
“We wanted to give something to our community that would promote literacy and reflect our love for reading. Like the characters in Krishnaswami’s novel, my students and I believe in the novel’s mantra of finding “The right book for the right person on the right day,” and we believe this Little Free Library will help others find a book that will get them excited about reading!”
The Little Free Library at CES was constructed by Ms. Larson’s partner, Elijah Brown, and the library is now one of 150,000 erected in the United States and 109 other countries promoted by the Little Free Library organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. An organization whose mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Libraries. The vision of the organization is to have a Little Free Library in every community and a book for every reader.
