Would you have imagined that the late Todd Bol, who started the Little Free Library movement, was once a boy who had trouble reading?

In the new book "Little Libraries, Big Heroes" (Clarion Books), for children 4 to 7 years old, author Miranda Paul traces the thousands of Little Free Library bookcases around the globe back to Bol's childhood.

"Even though his mother had been a teacher who loved books, reading was difficult for him," Paul writes about young Bol.

After being scolded in school for asking too many questions, he was downhearted. But his mother encouraged him, telling him he had something big to offer the world.

Decades later, the adult Bol built the first little library, in the shape of a one-room schoolhouse, at the end of his driveway in Hudson, Wis., in honor of his mother. During a rummage sale, the little library on a wooden post where people could take or leave a free book took off.

Seeing the possibilities. Bol and his friend and fellow entrepreneur Rick Brooks built dollhouse-sized bookcases and spread them around Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. Their effort grew into a nonprofit organization that supports more than 80,000 Little Free Libraries in more than 90 countries.

Paul, a Green Bay native, also shares the related stories of other "community heroes" who brought Little Free Libraries to their neighborhoods, such as 6-year-old Nikki Leali in New Orleans, who collected almost 2,000 books for the little libraries after Hurricane Katrina, and the volunteers who set up a Little Free Library at a refugee camp in Uganda.

Paul's story shows how the spark of a good idea, fanned by encouragement and tested by reality, can spread around the world. John Parra's painted illustrations depict diverse people and have a pleasantly retro feel. Paul's author's note in the back of book gives grownup readers more details and pointers to further reading.

Paul and Parra's book goes on sale Sept. 3.

Handy folks can find instructional tips on building their own Little Free Library at littlefreelibrary.org/build.

Contact Jim Higgins at jim.higgins@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jhiggy.

Related:Todd Bol, Wisconsin man who started the Little Free Library movement, dies at age 62

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