FAYETTE, Utah — In one of Utah’s tiniest towns, a little library is making it easier for kids to find a good story.
For sisters Anarae, Emily and Charlie Munson, the Little Free Library near their home in Fayette is a favorite place to explore.
Eight-year-old Anarae loves chapter books and read from one she shared with us this week, talking more about why she loves reading.
“I like chapter books a lot and Junie B. Jones,” Anarae said. “I just like to listen and picture it. If it doesn't have any pictures, I'll just picture it in my mind happening.”
The girls recently stopped by the small library to see what books were available. They excitedly opened the door and started sorting through the selection.
Anarae found “Sing and Dance Man,” while her sisters picked out some of their own favorites.
“They’re fun to read,” Emily said. She said some of her favorite books include “Wonky Tonky” and “The Book With No Pictures.”
Even six-year-old Charlie found a book she wanted to take home.
Their father, Robert Munson, said reading has always been important in his family.
“My mom instilled a love of literacy from when I was very, very little, so I can always remember her reading to me,” he said. “Reading is important to me because it helped me learn.”
Munson said reading expanded his vocabulary and his understanding of the world, and he wants to give his daughters that same opportunity.
“It’s something I’ve tried to instill in them from when they were very, very tiny,” he said.
But in small, rural communities, finding books can sometimes be a challenge.
That’s where little libraries like the one in Fayette can make a difference. It’s one of about 200,000 registered little free libraries you can find online at www.littlefreelibrary.org.
Access to books can be especially important for young readers. According to Utah state data, about two-thirds of students in first through third grade met the state’s reading benchmark last year. That means roughly one in three students did not meet that benchmark.
The Utah State Board of Education says reading on grade level by the end of third grade is a strong predictor of future academic success.
For families like the Munsons, the little library offers one simple way to put more books into the hands of children, even in a community with only a few hundred residents.
And for these three sisters, it’s also a chance to discover a new story, use their imaginations and fall in love with reading.
