By Janice Robinson-Celeste
Here is some good news to start your week. Baltimore librarian Araba Maze, known online as Storybook Maze, turned a green-and-gold trolley into a rolling library that hands out free books for kids, and on some days 50 to 130 young readers line up to climb aboard. More than 3,000 supporters have chipped in nearly $200,000 to keep it rolling. (Source: BlackNews.com)
Key Takeaways
- Storybook Maze’s trolley brings story time and free take-home books to parks, football practices, festivals and neighborhood streets in Baltimore.
- Maze picks books with characters who look like the children she serves.
- You do not need a trolley on your block to get free books for kids. Four national programs can help, starting today.
What Is the Storybook Maze Book Trolley?
Maze started by reading to children on her Baltimore stoop. When kids told her they had no books at home, she went bigger. Over the years she added free book vending machines, pop-up bookstores and story times, and this summer she left her full-time job to launch the trolley as a mobile library, BlackNews.com reports.
The trolley was funded through her GoFundMe campaign, and her TikTok and Instagram audience now tops 400,000 followers combined. She is also building a toolkit so librarians and neighbors in other cities can start literacy projects of their own, according to Elon News Network.
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“If you present it in a fun way, they will read.”
Araba Maze, founder of Storybook Maze
Why Book Deserts Matter for Your Child
A book desert is a neighborhood where children’s books are hard to find or afford. In a talk at Elon University this month, Maze said 32.4 million American children go without books, and that in some book deserts there is one book for every 300 children (Elon News Network).
Representation matters too. Children read more when they see themselves on the page, which is why Maze stocks stories that reflect the kids she serves. Our guide on how illustrated book characters shape children’s development explains why.
4 Ways to Get Free Books for Kids Where You Live
#1 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Children from birth to age five can get a free book in the mail every month. Check whether it is available in your area and sign up online.
#2 Your pediatrician. Through Reach Out and Read, doctors and nurses give young children books at well-child checkups. The program reaches 4.8 million children a year. Ask at your next visit.
#3 Little Free Libraries. These small “take a book, share a book” boxes sit on sidewalks, in parks and outside churches. Use the Little Free Library map to find one near you, then let your child pick a book and leave one behind next time.
#4 A library card in your child’s own name. Library cards are free, and many libraries let even young children get their own. Holding a card with their name on it makes kids feel like real readers.
Want books starring children who look like yours? Start with our list of books in their image, or browse the picks in the SBP Shop.
How You Can Support Storybook Maze
Follow Storybook Maze on TikTok or Instagram to see where the trolley stops next, and share her videos with friends who love books. To help keep the shelves full, you can give through her GoFundMe.
Is there a book hero in your town? Tell us in the comments so we can celebrate them too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get free books for kids?
Sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library if your child is under five, ask your pediatrician about Reach Out and Read, visit a Little Free Library and get your child a free public library card.
What is a book desert?
A book desert is an area where children’s books are scarce or hard to afford. They are often found in low-income neighborhoods.
Who is Storybook Maze?
Storybook Maze is Araba Maze, a Baltimore librarian who runs a free book trolley, book vending machines, pop-up bookstores and story times for children.
Where does the book trolley go?
The trolley visits parks, football practices, festivals, back-to-school events and neighborhood streets in Baltimore. Follow Storybook Maze on social media for stops.
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