Clara B.

Passionate about literature, Clara was touched by the experiences of her mother during her childhood – particularly, her lack of resources to buy books. Historically and up until today, unequal access to literature is a prevailing theme present in the lives of many Brazilian children. At the age of 10, Clara created “Casinha de Livros” to make books available in public squares, acknowledge child authors, and encourage the habit of reading. The first Casinha, a wooden house (slightly larger than a mailbox), was inspired by a similar feature seen in Salvador, the capital of Bahia. Clara adopted the idea and decided to build one in the square in front of her house, eager to test the interest of the residents of her town. Residents were receptive to the idea, so with the success of this initial experience, communities elsewhere were tasked with creating their own Book Houses. Since the beginning, more people have mobilized to collect resources for their respective Book Houses, and the idea continues to expand. Today, it is present not only in Clara’s town, but also in other states and towns within Brazil. Clara gives lectures to not only encourage reading, but to also encourage current readers to motivate their peers. Clara sees reading as a tool to broaden one’s imagination, and she realizes that with the mere creation of Casinha, it has empowered children to think about how they can make a different in the world.