Hannah Wahl Photo by Brittany Nunn
“I love to read,” chirps 10-year-old Lakewood Elementary School student Hannah Wahl. “My friends say if I’m reading a book, I can’t hear anything going on around me.” Which is exactly why her grandmother’s birthday present — her very own Little Free Library for her front yard — was such a perfect gift. During a family visit to Hannah’s grandmother’s house in Minnesota, Hannah noticed several small structures that look like dollhouses on posts in people’s yards. When she asked what they were, she found out they’re miniature “libraries” that people can put books inside for others to borrow. There’s no need for a card or a librarian; participants are simply automatically enrolled in the honor system, and they may take or replace books as they please. When bookworm Hannah discovered the idea, she wanted one for herself. So Hannah’s grandmother, Carol Wahl, and her uncle, Rick Peterson, put their heads together during a visit to Lakewood in December and made Hannah a Little Free Library out of recycled wood and other scraps, and a whole lot of caulking. “It was a lot of work,” explains Hannah’s mom, Sara Wahl. “If Hannah’s grandma hadn’t come down to do it, it’s one of those things that probably would have stayed in the idea stage.” Once it was complete, Hannah and her 5-year-old sister, Lucia, painted and decorated the sides with little wooden figures — horses on one side, the likeness of their house on the back, and a dog theme on the third. With white paint and candy-blue accents, her library also resembles a dollhouse on a post in the front yard, which many people think it is. “Almost every person I have met is like, ‘What is that? Why do you have a dollhouse in your front yard?’” Hannah says. Once they find out it’s a library, they want to know how it works, she says. Littlefreelibrary.org gives tips for how to build a structure and then adds participants to a map so others can locate libraries in their neighborhood. According to the website, Hannah’s library is the first in Lakewood. There are also two in Lake Highlands and one in Garland. Since officially opening for business on Dec. 10, Hannah says several of her friends and neighbors have eagerly participated in the exchange. “It’s really fun that my friends donate books and come over to check on it,” she says. Her library is now popping at the seams with upward of 25 books and growing by the day. “Mostly when you tell people about it, they want to donate,” Sara says. “Nobody really wants to take any out, so now we need some people who want to borrow books.” Hannah says kids stop by the library more often than adults, but she still tries to keep it stocked with books for all ages. Hannah’s advice to future little librarians: Don’t use glue that bubbles or foams when decorating the outside of the box.
