Big love for tiny libraries: Students share their 'passion for books'

They love books and are sharing that love with others.BirchwoodIntermediate teacher Frances Squire and two of herGrade 7 students, LoganMacKinnonand Phoenix Campbell, have become an unofficial squad of micro-librarysuperheroes.

• Grandparents provide tiny library at Summerside's Credit Union Place

• Canada Reads brings tiny new libraries to P.E.I.

Many tiny libraries were built on P.E.I. in the last year, as Charlottetown was chosen as Canada's Reading Town 2015.

The three bookworms collect books from family and friends once a month, then load up the micro-librarymobile Squire's car! and drive around Charlottetown, filling up more than half a dozentiny libraries that promote reading and literacy on PEI.

"We have a passion for books," said Logan MacKinnnon. "So we decided to do something for our books. We love reading, we like sharing books with each other."

Putting the books in the free libraries makes MacKinnon feel good, and he notes "they disappear fast."

"Sometimes I would like to have these books for myself!" added MacKinnon, showing CBC Radio's Pat Martel a bag of about 30 books he'd collected.

"I really do have a passion for books, and I love community service," Phoenix Campbell. "I've grown up reading a lot of books, and I guess that carries on through your childhood. So I still read a lot of books."

Squire assigns a community service project every year to her students. One day she overheard the two students talking about the tiny libraries, and Squire suggested they might want to help. They jumped in with enthusiasm.

'Being a good citizen'

"Isn't that what education is all about? It's not the learning behind four walls, it's being a good citizen, contributing to their society, your environment. We're all in this together," said Squire.

When people give to the community, the community gives back, Squires asserts.

"These children are stellar kids, they're stellar youth. It's a way that they contribute and feel good, and they have a lot to contribute."

The group tries to include different genres and selections for all ages, so they sort and pack before they leave school.

This week they were honoured for their efforts at a Reading Town event at The Guild in Charlottetown.

"It was awesome!" said Campbell. "It's good to be recognized."