Current Kiwanian and former president Patty Miller created Little Library in front of her house, and located next to La Mirada Regional Park.
“Our neighborhood is very close and we all wanted to offer reading material to the neighborhood children with books that they love,” stated Miller, “I regularly purchase new books to keep the library actively used. We even have a place for the children to write down their name and the books they would like to see in the little library.”
Miller joined a group of young moms in the neighborhood that are donating books as well.
“With 25 kids in the neighborhood, the library is a huge hit!” noted Miller, “The kids use it daily.”
Included in the house is a guest book where children can sign in and even write down a book they would like to read. The little house always supplies those books and notifies the parents by email on the neighborhood phone tree when it comes in.
“The idea came to me when I was nominated president of Kiwanis last year and we were coming out of CoVID.” Miller knew that test scores showed that elementary children were two years behind in reading and math. “I knew we needed to help somehow and this little house came to mind. Behind every good woman with big idea’s is a husband who knows how to build them,” Miller laughed, “I asked my husband [Chris Miller] to please build me a little red house, I showed him a couple of photos and then we drove through the neighborhood to see others little libraries.”
Miller went on to explain to her husband why this little library was needed and why it had to be placed in their front yard, “He didn’t hesitate, through the help and support of La Mirada Kiwanis and Suburban Water, the little red house library was born.”
BY PATTY MILLER
