The Little Library that Stopped by Every Saturday

On Saturday mornings in kindergarten, I kept a close watch out the window toward the park across the street. A little mobile trailer would roll in, and I’d run to get my mom. The traveling library was here!

Even before I could read, I had cultivated a love for books. The bookshelf in my bedroom was full. My dad read to me every night—I could choose two books, and I knew when to turn the pages because I had memorized the stories.

When I was four years old in pre-K, my mom started teaching me how to read. By the time I was enrolled in school, I had to opt out of their early reading program because I already knew how to read. And I was crazy about books.

I think my mom connected me with the traveling library because she realized she couldn’t keep up with my appetite for books.

The traveling library was a trailer we entered at the front steps and exited at the rear steps. Inside, the entire trailer was lined with bookshelves. Those books opened an incredible world for me right in my backyard. 

The checkout limit was six books, and I made sure to hit the limit every time. The driver at first seemed skeptical that I would read all those books. The next time I came in, he asked me questions about the books I’d read. That’s when he realized I actually read them all. From then on, he smiled when he saw me approach with my stack of books that reached up to my chin. 

It’s not a surprise that as soon as I was old enough, I joined the library club at school and volunteered in the school library before our morning classes. This early love of books shaped my careers in writing, teaching, book editing, and coaching book writers.

I’m grateful for that traveling library that made it easy for us kids to check out books and discover a whole new world of reading and adventure. Reading remains one of my favorite things to do to this day. 

In this day of digital books, which I also love and am grateful for, I would encourage young family members to still pick up a paper book now and then. Enjoy the feeling of holding it in your hands and getting lost in a wonderful adventure.