Last week a pair of grade four classes at Maple Leaf and Minnewasta school opened their Little Free Libraries.

"The 'Little Free Library' is a result of innovation learning time in the grade four classrooms," said Western School Division (WSD) literacy coach Darlene Keith. "The class was working on what does innovation mean, making a chance, how to be inspired, going through a design process, where they had to learn about blueprints, learning how to work as a team to decide on what blueprint we were going to use, what the purpose would be of the Little Free Library would be in the community that would be for everyone, and a community responsibility to look after it together, with a take a book leave a book concept."

This was all made possible through the Division's innovation grants they award every year to improve student learning.

"We read a book called 'Jeremiah Learns to Read'. We thought we wanted to help more people read. We thought of doing a bunch of different things and we decided on the 'Little Free Library'," said Easton Hildebrand.

Keith noted this project included a lot of research, reading, writing, and math, which brought more than one school subject to the forefront to get to the final product.

Grade four student at Minnewasta school Kate Roulette outlined how this project came to fruition.

Meanwhile, grade four student at Maple Leaf School Elliot Haines stated it's great that the libraries are for everyone in the community, not just the kids at the school.

"You won't be able to get a job if you can't read, and math is partly reading too," said Haines. "You have to read instructions as well usually, and have to write things down."

The two locations of these 'Little Free Libraries' are in front of the office doors at Maple Leaf school and just east of the bus loop at the Minnewasta school.

Students at Minnewasta School officially open their Little Free Library