Little Free Library

A Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer is a beautiful short story that reminds readers that magic can be found in anything. As a reader, I know the magic and power of the written word. Books have power, whether it is to escape, learn, or become enthralled.

And one of the best things a reader can do is share their love for specific books with new readers freely—no strings attached, which is why Little Free Libraries are such a cool concept. You get a kit, a box, a refrigerator... anything that can keep the books out of the rain, and you fill it with your past reads and share it with your community, take a book, leave a book. You have no idea what you will get.

In this story, the narrator and owner of the Little Free Library lovingly builds a box for her front yard and fills it full of her favorites. A little Belgariad, some Lord of the Rings, top it off with some Terry Pratchett.

What does she get back? A little magic, and mystery of course.

This story made me smile so much. We readers are always looking for the bits of magic in the real world because the real world can be so dull. This story shows that it can pop up in the most wondrous of places.

Browsing for other works by Naomi Kritzer, I saw this image and was intrigued enough to check whether, with an individual listing and a total count of 13 pages, if it may have found its way online, free to access. Turns out I was right, NO pirating involved:

https://www.tor.com/2020/04/08/little-free-library -naomi-kritzer/

A marvelous little fantasy tale in the tradition of expanding on the power and potential of books and libraries.