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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2018
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Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Kassie Engel prepares to load books into her library in Chinook.
Take a book, leave a book
Kassie Engel from Chinook runs the Little Free Library
By PATTY HARDIN
For The Daily Astorian
B
uild your vocabulary, travel to other countries
and experience their cultures, learn to care for
plants and pets, or simply be entertained. All
of this, and more, is possible with books.
Kassaundra Engel, from Chinook, Washington,
who turned 8 this week, is doing her part to put books
in the hands of child and adult readers. With help from
her grandparents, Jim and Tammy Engel, she created
Kassie’s Little Free Library.
When Kassie attended Shooting Stars Child Devel-
opment Center in Astoria, she and her mom would
drive by a free library on their way to and from the
school. And when she saw a commercial on TV about
free libraries, Kassie wanted to make one, too.
Samantha Engel, Kassie’s mom, took her to Home
Depot, and Kassie picked out the current color: pink.
She helped grandpa Jim build and paint the library.
Tammy ordered a little stamp that Kassie uses to
stamp every book that comes in. It reads:
“Kassie’s Little Free Library
Take a Book - Leave a Book
Never for sale”
“Sometimes Kassie will go through the kids’ books
and pick out one she likes to read before she puts it in
the library,” Tammy said.
The house Tammy and Jim own, which is more
than 100 years old, also contributed to the project:
The library’s door is the house’s original bathroom
window.
Love of reading
The library has two sections: adult books on the top
shelf, children’s books on the bottom.
Tammy estimates that about 960 books have made
it in and out of the library. “It’s a busy little library,”
she said.
There is a bench by the library, and Tammy said
she has seen kids ride up on their bicycles, take out a
book, sit down on the bench and read.
Pink was Kassie’s favorite color when she made
the library, but now she would like to paint it pur-
ple. Whether that change will take place remains to
be seen.
Tammy and Kassie check the library about once a
month to perform any needed maintenance. They also
try to make sure as many of the books as possible bear
Kassie’s special stamp.
In the Engel family, the love of books and reading
has passed from grandmother to daughter to grand-
daughter. Now Kassie is working to make sure oth-
ers have the opportunity to explore the exciting world
of reading.
“Mom used to read to me,” Samantha said, “and
now I read to Kassie.”
Kassie also reads on her own, about 20 minutes a
day. “Reading is important,” Kassie said, “because it
helps you be a better learner.”
ABOVE: Kassie Engel’s
library is full of a wide
variety of publications.
LEFT: Engel’s library is free,
but users are encouraged to
swap out books.
‘READING IS
IMPORTANT
BECAUSE
IT HELPS
YOU BE A
BETTER
LEARNER.’
Kassie Engel | 8-year-old
from Chinook who runs
the Little Free Library