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5-year-old spreads kindness through bright pink free book box in Plant City

Lyla Howard created the "Lylabrary" to share her favorite books and kind messages in Plant City.
5-year-old spreads kindness through bright pink free book box in Plant City
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A small, bright pink box at a local baseball field is making an impact on the community, thanks to a 5-year-old with a love for books, kindness, and the color pink.

Plant City is now home to the Lylabrary. It is a little free library-style box created by Lyla Howard. It is packed with children's books and cheerful messages about kindness.

Lyla Howard said, “It’s a small little free library box so people at the baseball field can go grab a book and they don’t have to ask.”

Lyla Howard

One of Lyla’s favorite books is Sammy the Cellphone Gets Thrown Away, which teaches children about recycling digital devices. The author, Kady McKenna, is also Lyla’s mentor.

McKenna explained, “I met Lyla through the Miss Florida organization.”

Through that program, McKenna and Lyla formed a close bond. McKenna told Tampa Bay 28 she is proud of the book box that Lyla started.

“Education is something once you have it nobody can ever take it from you,” McKenna said.

The Lylabrary stands as a small reminder that even the youngest members of the community can make a meaningful difference.

You can grab a free book from the Lylabrary at the Ellis Methvin Park or Mark Sansone Park.


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