PARMA, MI - If Heidi VanSumeren isn't reading a book, she's likely making one of her own about angels, butterflies or dragonflies.

Using paper, staples and crayons, Heidi, a petite 8-year-old with pigtails and perfect dimples that pop out when she smiles, just can't get enough of reading.

But a March 17 fire at her family's Blackman Township home destroyed all of Heidi's books - homemade and otherwise. It took the lives of her dog and kitten and all of the family's possessions.

"There in the middle of all that panic of the fire when she was crying, I just kept telling her it would be OK," said Heidi's mother, Beth VanSumeren, a Western School District substitute bus driver.

Little did she - or Heidi - know that help would come from children's authors, illustrators, librarians and others from throughout the country who have sent Heidi box after box of new books this week.

"It's so nice for your child to see that even when something bad happens, there's hope," VanSumeren said. "These people have helped surround her with the love that she needs."

Heidi is a second-grader in Melissa White's class at Western's Parma Elementary School. This gesture of generosity started with a March is Reading Month visit from noted children's author and illustrator Bob Shea on March 22.

During his visits, Shea picks a student to help him draw one of his characters. He works with teachers to choose a child who could use a boost. At Parma, teacher Colby Sharp told Shea about Heidi.

Heidi loved drawing with Shea - and she got to keep the picture they made. It could have stopped there, but Shea took Heidi's boost a step further.

The next day, he tweeted to his followers about Heidi's family's fire and that she'd lost all her books. "Let's send her some," he said.

"It was a simple thing," Shea said. "She's a sweet little girl. She loves books and needs books. I said, 'I can help.'"

The outpouring from those who saw his tweet is beyond anything Shea expected.

Boxes containing books, a desk, a chair, a bookshelf and art supplies started arriving on Monday. Many of the authors signed their books with words of kindness, support and encouragement.

"Heidi has looked at every single book," said Parma Elementary School Principal Sue Haney. "She's looked at who's signed them and at the bookmarks."

"I am so happy," Heidi said. "I didn't even know anyone knew."

Heidi was especially thrilled to see a new copy of her favorite book, "The Kissing Hand," arrive in one of the boxes. It reminds her of her older sister Avery, who was severely multiply impaired and died at age 11 last year.

For now, Heidi; her 16-year-old sister Hannah; her mom and her dad, Casey VanSumeren, are living with Beth's parents in Parma. The books and furniture will find a place there, Heidi's mom said.

"You don't want your kids to lose hope," she said. "This is something positive out of our loss. This school, this community, and now these people have done so much. We can't say thank you enough."