Every day during the warmer months, children bike to the little house of books on Leah Rafferty's front lawn, where they give and take free books and leave notes of appreciation. "I really liked this book. I hope you enjoy it also," reads one note. Rafferty opened her Little Free Library — recently stocked with Rich Dad, Poor Dad, The Road and Saving Max — last year to promote literacy and have fun in her Hudson neighborhood. The idea behind the growing movement is that anyone can take, leave or return a book. With 25 little boxes throughout Northeast Ohio and 25,000 in 70 countries throughout the world, there's proof that books still unite, enthrall and engage community members. Rafferty even had a preschooler stop by. "He came over, and we didn't have any preschool books. The next day he had preschool books for me to stock for kids his age to read," Rafferty says. "He wanted to be represented and he was."
Book Markers
Leah Rafferty's Little Free Library allows people to connect through their love of reading.
